Selecting Childcare
What Should I Look for When Choosing a Childcare Provider?
Looking for the best care for your child can be a challenge. Finding the right environment is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. We understand. That is why we have created this Childcare Decision Checklist. Use it to assist you with your search. Take this checklist with you when you visit childcare centers so you can easily compare and make the best decision for yourself and your child.
At KinderCare® Learning Centers, we remain committed to bringing the highest quality early childhood education and care to our children and their families. We regularly update our curricula to align with national and state accreditation standards and are developing new enrichment program offerings to meet the needs of our families.
Where KinderCare® Learning Centers Goes Beyond
We understand that you want to be certain you have made the best choice for your child. At KinderCare® Learning Centers, we create a joyful, warm, and safe environment for your child. Below are some questions to ask yourself about your overall experiences when you visit other providers.
Ten things to look for when you visit any childcare center
- The teachers and staff understand the specific challenges faced by military families.
- The caregiver-to-child ratio allows your child to receive plenty of individual attention.
- The center offers a research-based program that fosters confidence, self-esteem, and a love of learning.
- It offers a consistent curriculum across a nationwide network of centers.
- The playground and classrooms are safe, and the entrance and building are clean and secure.
- You receive daily communication, both verbal and written, about your child's activities.
- You are encouraged to drop in at any time to see your child.
- The teachers meet with you on a regular basis to share your child's progress.
- When you ask for references from other parents, they are readily provided.
- The center offers flexible scheduling to meet your family's needs.
Why Accreditation Matters
KinderCare® Learning Centers is committed to providing only the best to children and their parents. That's why we ensure our centers meet the highest standards of childcare quality. Though accreditation is an involved and time-consuming process, we believe it offers important assurance to parents who are making one of the most important decisions in their children's lives. Accreditation is a mark of quality and helps parents find the best possible early childhood experience.
Programs that are accredited provide a safe and healthy environment for children, have teachers who are well trained, have access to excellent teaching materials, and work with curriculum that is appropriately challenging and developmentally sound. To maintain their accreditation, centers must voluntarily improve their offerings and adhere to high national childcare standards.
What's involved
Accreditation is awarded by several national organizations (see below). Each accrediting organization requires adherence to a specific set of standards. Programs undergo in-depth self-assessments, independent observation, parent involvement and validated by professionally trained experts. In general, accreditation evaluates the center's staff qualifications, parent communication, staff interactions with children, curriculum, health and safety, and administration. It can take 12-14 months to become nationally accredited.
KinderCare® Learning Centers and National Accreditation
KinderCare® Learning Centers has earned accreditations from numerous national accreditation programs:
- The National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC), which awards accreditation only to high-quality early childhood programs reviewed by a national commission comprising recognized experts in childcare and early childhood education.
- The National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs (NAC is a division of the National Association of Child Care Professionals (NACCP). NAC accreditation identifies and acknowledges early care and education programs that meet a wide variety of professional and ethical standards.
- The National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA) is a non-profit organization that encourages the availability of high-quality early education programs for America's families.