Quality child care meets the needs of both you and your child. The program you choose should help your child grow socially, emotionally, physically, cognitively and in language development. A child care program should also have staff who have your child's best interests in mind. They should have training and education as well as kindness and patience when working with young children.
To register your child for a licensed child care program in Chatham-Kent visit the Child Care Registry page and create an account with the Chatham-Kent Child Care Registry.
CK Recreation Camps: To register your child (ages 4-12 years) visit our Recreation Programs page.
Points to Consider When Choosing Child Care
Writing a list of questions and calling around to child care providers is an important step.
Consider these questions:
- What hours of child care will I need?
- What ages does the child care centre accept?
- What are the fees? Can I get financial assistance to help with those fees?
- What payment options do they offer?
- What type of child care do I want? (centre-based, home-based, etc.)
- Is the centre/provider's location convenient?
- Is the child care space clean, bright, safe, and welcoming?
- Do I get to meet the staff and supervisor and have the policies explained to me?
- Are the menus up for me to see? Is there a variety of healthy food?
- Is there a place to play outside?
- Do I know what qualifications my child's teachers have?
- Are there special events for my child? Are parent nights available?
It is a good idea to make an appointment to visit the child care provider. Most child care providers will require you to visit before your child starts there.
The partnership between your family and your child care provider is important. Make sure you know the provider's policies and what's expected of the parent, such as how to sign in your child for the day.
Check-in regularly with your child's caregiver and supervisor. Do not be afraid to ask questions! If needed, schedule a time to talk with your caregiver privately. Keep in mind that adjusting to a new child care situation takes time and effort for everyone to get to know each other.
Being involved in the child care provider's activities such as parent nights will help build relationships with the caregivers and give you a better understanding of your child's day and child care experiences.
Child Care Options in Chatham-Kent
