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How to Choose a Childcare Provider: What Every Parent Should Know and Look For · Stacked Intent: Your Guide to Authentic, Intentional Living

0:01
SPEAKER_01: Hello, my name is Dr.
0:02
SPEAKER_01: Stockholm Works, and I am ready for you to join each episode of your ways to be common to you.
0:09
SPEAKER_01: Working at Ways makes you more authentic and yourself.
0:13
SPEAKER_01: You'll finish each episode motivated to live life more authentically.
0:18
SPEAKER_01: I learned how to be truly mean through relationships, finances, and taking each journey along the way.
0:26
SPEAKER_01: Talk about the real aspects of life.
0:29
SPEAKER_01: Of course, relationships, finance, nutrition, hardships, exercise are all topics that we will discuss.
0:39
SPEAKER_01: Drive safely down the road or get into that workout group.
0:43
SPEAKER_01: Be challenged, motivated, and encouraged to be.
0:47
SPEAKER_01: This is Stacked Intent podcast.
0:54
SPEAKER_01: Welcome to Stacked and Tint, where we discuss and drop those tips on how you're going to intentionally stack your life.
1:01
SPEAKER_01: I'm your host, Becca Stackasmorton, the owner of Stacked and Tint.
1:06
SPEAKER_01: Our co-host, Ashley Garen, will be joining us today for this episode.
1:11
SPEAKER_01: And today we will be talking about provider requirements and what to look for in childcare with our guest, Rashida.
1:21
SPEAKER_01: So let's get started.
1:23
SPEAKER_01: Rashida, why don't you give us a little bit about your background and what you're doing?
1:30
SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Becca.
1:31
SPEAKER_00: Hi, I'm Rashida Taylor, a GSU graduate with a degree in human development and family science.
1:37
SPEAKER_00: And I'm also the owner of a child care learning center for 23 years.
1:41
SPEAKER_00: I currently provide early childhood education for children ages six weeks to 12 years of age.
1:48
SPEAKER_00: I'm a wife, a mother, and a GG.
1:51
SPEAKER_01: How exciting.
1:52
SPEAKER_01: Okay, so you've been in child care for 23 years.
1:56
SPEAKER_01: What got you started there?
1:58
SPEAKER_00: I originally started working with children after I had my second child, and I was working for the school system and I could not find quality childcare.
2:12
SPEAKER_01: Okay, so you wanted child?
2:15
SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
2:16
SPEAKER_01: So you saw something that you wanted.
2:19
SPEAKER_01: So you're a wife, and you're how so how long have you been a wife?
2:24
SPEAKER_00: So I've been married this time for about 20 years.
2:29
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
2:30
SPEAKER_01: And then so you've got how many kids?
2:33
SPEAKER_00: So I have three children.
2:35
SPEAKER_01: Your children, and then how many?
2:36
SPEAKER_00: Two are grown, and one is an adult, and I have three grandsons.
2:41
SPEAKER_01: How exciting! So your life is full of children in your life.
2:46
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
2:46
SPEAKER_01: And then what made you choose getting a degree in human development and family life?
2:53
SPEAKER_00: For me, I've always wanted to go to school.
2:57
SPEAKER_00: I've always been in and out of college trying to get my associate's degree about 16 years ago, and then now completing the bachelor's.
3:06
SPEAKER_00: But the topic was just perfect.
3:08
SPEAKER_00: That um human development is everything that I work with daily, working with people, families, so it really fit into my life.
3:16
SPEAKER_00: And I thought it would be a perfect segue from the practical to getting a theoretical approach.
3:24
SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
3:26
SPEAKER_01: So, what is your favorite way to be intentional with your life?
3:32
SPEAKER_00: For me, being intentional is hands-on, engaging people, meeting families, and talking to them.
3:41
SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
3:43
SPEAKER_01: And then uh uh how have you authentically found yourself while you've provided this 23 years of child care learning center?
3:55
SPEAKER_00: For me, I've really focused on just being myself, doing the things that that I've been called to do, and not associating or worrying about what other people are doing.
4:07
SPEAKER_00: In life, you've really got to figure out what God has the plan for you and just focus on it.
4:13
SPEAKER_00: And everything else will fall in place.
4:16
SPEAKER_00: Um, our gifts will make room for us, and so that's what I've been doing, just focusing on my gift and not worrying about what everybody else is doing.
4:26
SPEAKER_01: Hey, that's a great way to stay in your own lane, focusing on what you you got.
4:31
SPEAKER_01: Okay, so we're gonna hop into what we're talking about today.
4:35
SPEAKER_01: So give me what our objectives are.
4:38
SPEAKER_01: What are our three objectives for today's conversation?
4:42
SPEAKER_00: So, our objectives are gonna be identifying the essentials for a child care provider, discussing facility requirements, and understanding how to operate a program.
4:52
SPEAKER_01: Okay, so I look forward to it.
4:54
SPEAKER_01: So, first, we're gonna talk about the trainings, the affiliates, and the accreditations.
5:01
SPEAKER_01: So, what is training and why is it important to a child care center?
5:07
SPEAKER_00: So, the Department of Early Care and Learning, which is also called DCal, regulates child care facilities.
5:14
SPEAKER_00: And DCal requires 10 continuing education hours per year for each provider.
5:20
SPEAKER_00: Now, those trainings focus on a variety of topics such as infant care, physical development, nutrition, class behavior, and lesson plan, just name a few.
5:31
SPEAKER_00: Those trainings cover a range of information for working with early childhood to after-school-aged children.
5:38
SPEAKER_00: The provider then gets to choose the best topic that's specific to their program and their children's needs.
5:45
SPEAKER_00: Another requirement is maintaining first aid and CPR training that's renewable every two years, depending on the provider.
5:53
SPEAKER_00: There's the American Heart Association and the Red Cross.
5:57
SPEAKER_00: They both require two-year recertification.
6:00
SPEAKER_00: Another component is completing a criminal background check that's nationally done through a licensing agency, DCal.
6:10
SPEAKER_00: They also handle the licensing portion of making sure that your background check is cleared so that you can work with children.
6:18
SPEAKER_00: As a parent, you need to be sure that you're asking your provider about trainings and asked to see them.
6:26
SPEAKER_00: Because a lot of times people are in the business, but they're not getting the continuing education units that they need to stay up with the latest trends and different um things that are coming down the pipe.
6:40
SPEAKER_00: Also, look at their state licensing website to see their latest licensing visit.
6:46
SPEAKER_00: On the DCal website, you can see the last time that a monitor has been out to your child care provider's facility.
6:53
SPEAKER_00: Make sure that you're doing your homework and also ask other parents.
6:58
SPEAKER_00: It's okay to ask for references too.
7:00
SPEAKER_00: If your provider is offended by these questions, then this may not be the right child care provider.
7:07
SPEAKER_00: Another thing you want to look for is to make sure that you as a parent, you know CPR and first aid as well.
7:16
SPEAKER_00: Because accidents with children happen not only at school or daycare, but they happen in your home too.
7:24
SPEAKER_01: So why is it important for parents to ask to know if they are first aid and CPR certified and trained for your facility?
7:37
SPEAKER_00: Accidents such as choking and falls and bruises happen quite a bit in early childhood.
7:45
SPEAKER_00: And so you're gonna need to be prepared.
7:47
SPEAKER_00: You're gonna need to know how to stay calm.
7:50
SPEAKER_00: What are the first aid steps to take?
7:52
SPEAKER_00: And you're definitely gonna want to know how to prevent choking.
7:56
SPEAKER_01: So in a child care facility and at home, it kind of just gives you that preventative awareness.
8:04
SPEAKER_00: It does, it does prevention.
8:06
SPEAKER_00: But then if you also need to intervene, you also have you know the steps to take, you know to how to remove the choking hazard, call 911, and you know how to keep the child safe until help comes.
8:21
SPEAKER_01: You also one thing that I know, because I'm certified in CPR and first aid, but one thing that you know is that you'll know when there's an emergency situation versus when something may not be, especially you're talking about choking a good bit, but if they're choking and they're still making noise, they really are still okay.
8:43
SPEAKER_01: So then it'll it shows you where that transition from emergency switches to.
8:49
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, absolutely.
8:52
SPEAKER_01: Okay, so tell us a little bit about accreditations and certifications.
8:57
SPEAKER_01: Why are these important within a child care center?
9:02
SPEAKER_00: The state of Georgia rolled out um an incentive and incentivized accreditation, which is called quality rated.
9:09
SPEAKER_00: And quality rated is the credentialing tool that DCal uses to access the quality level of each child care facility.
9:17
SPEAKER_00: So when you're looking at a child care facility, this accreditation lets you know that your provider is providing quality child care, that the facility is safe, and that the individuals that work there have a certain level of training.
9:32
SPEAKER_00: A lot of providers think that this may be work to do, and it actually is work, but there are grants available for you to assist with childcare facilities to obtain the quality rating status.
9:44
SPEAKER_00: And each of the levels require the best benefit to being a quality-rated provider is knowing that the program has been evaluated and research-based learning standards are being used.
10:03
SPEAKER_00: Another benefit to state child care is the state child care tuition assistance for families.
10:08
SPEAKER_00: So if your provider is quality-rated, then the state of Georgia says, okay, this is a great program.
10:15
SPEAKER_00: We're going to offer assistance to families, which will help the provider and the parents.
10:21
SPEAKER_00: But in order to be reimbursed, you still have to maintain your quality rating standard.
10:27
SPEAKER_00: So it's a win for the parent and the provider.
10:30
SPEAKER_00: It sets the standard that Georgia is beefing up its child care expectations, and the parents know that the children are in a quality-safe environment.
10:41
SPEAKER_01: Right.
10:41
SPEAKER_01: And if you're kind of across in other states across the country, there are different programs that each state, it's something the quality rating is kind of managed state to state, but most states have some version of decal, if not their own decal.
11:01
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
11:04
SPEAKER_01: So as parents, it's important that the child care centers have that continuing education, and it's important that they stay on their accreditations.
11:16
SPEAKER_01: What happens when a facility is not staying on their accreditations?
11:22
SPEAKER_00: Department of Early Care and Learning will step in, and there are different actions for different infractions.
11:30
SPEAKER_00: So if you know an ant bed violation requires one type of revision, but a failed criminal background checks requires another.
11:40
SPEAKER_00: So it depends on the facility, what the infraction is, but it also depends on how many times they've had to sanction this childcare provider, if it's a repeat offense or not.
11:51
SPEAKER_01: And that becomes important because we're talking about the people that are caring for your child, which is a very important job, while you are having to work and provide for your family.
12:06
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
12:06
SPEAKER_00: You should be able to trust your provider.
12:09
SPEAKER_00: You want to know that they can follow state rules.
12:12
SPEAKER_00: If they can't follow state rules, how are they going to do what you're asking them to do as a parent?
12:18
SPEAKER_00: Are they really feeding your child every three, four hours?
12:21
SPEAKER_00: Are they really providing the best care?
12:24
SPEAKER_00: So it works hand in hand.
12:25
SPEAKER_00: Following state directions is important to following parental requests as well.
12:31
SPEAKER_01: That's very important.
12:33
SPEAKER_01: And it's one of those things that if they're not following the rules or bending rules, you kind of want to pay attention because it might mean the big things aren't being followed too.
12:46
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
12:47
SPEAKER_01: So what is being an affiliate with local or state childcare groups?
12:52
SPEAKER_01: What does that mean?
12:54
SPEAKER_00: So being affiliated with local and state groups is helpful and important.
12:58
SPEAKER_00: I would strongly recommend any childcare facility to join.
13:03
SPEAKER_00: The first one would be child care resource and referral.
13:06
SPEAKER_00: And this agency provides training and support that's mostly free or at a discounted rate.
13:13
SPEAKER_00: And this agency is able to give you training and assistance.
13:17
SPEAKER_00: They host conferences, they offer grants for supplies and a lot more.
13:22
SPEAKER_00: They're a great support system.
13:24
SPEAKER_00: Another agency would be UGA Extension, and this agency can provide training too.
13:31
SPEAKER_00: They offer serve-safe certifications for those larger childcare facilities who want to make sure that their cooks are preparing food in a safe manner for the children.
13:42
SPEAKER_00: I would also recommend joining a national agency, such as NACI, National Association for the Education of Young Children.
13:51
SPEAKER_00: And when you join them, you're automatically joining Gacy, which is the Georgia branch.
13:57
SPEAKER_00: Both of these organizations work with local, state, and national officials to change policies and advocate for childcare providers.
14:06
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes there are things that are coming into play that as providers we feel are unnecessary or requiring too much or takes our attention away from families and children.
14:17
SPEAKER_00: So NACI is a great place to advocate and to voice the concerns as a provider.
14:24
SPEAKER_00: So one of the things that NACI does to do that is they'll send out information polls and to see if the providers agree or disagree.
14:35
SPEAKER_00: Also, information is disseminated about the new teaching techniques, strategies that are being offered and implemented around the country.
14:43
SPEAKER_00: It's important for childcare providers to network and collaborate with others in their profession.
14:49
SPEAKER_00: We're not just babysitting kids.
14:51
SPEAKER_00: This is a profession, and it needs to be treated as such: getting those affiliations, making sure that we're maintaining our accreditations and getting the trainings.
15:02
SPEAKER_00: But it's an excellent way to share knowledge and support each other in the field as well.
15:07
SPEAKER_00: We're not in competition with each other.
15:10
SPEAKER_00: We are partners and we share in the education of young children.
15:15
SPEAKER_00: So parents can ask providers about affiliations if that's important to them.
15:21
SPEAKER_00: But some parents are not really looking for any of that.
15:25
SPEAKER_00: They're only wanting someone to keep their children safe, happy, and fed.
15:29
SPEAKER_00: So it really depends on the type of child care facility that the parent is interested in.
15:36
SPEAKER_01: So a parent really should just decide what their important list is and go in and ask the questions.
15:43
SPEAKER_01: Because you really could just go in and interview the child care facilities to find out are you, I just need a safe happy fed place, or I want you to have affiliates and really be on the continuing of your education and things.
16:01
SPEAKER_00: It is definitely a choice.
16:05
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
16:06
SPEAKER_01: And so is excuse me, is the association of for the education, the education of the young child, is that specific to child care providers, or can parents be a part of it as well?
16:19
SPEAKER_00: There are three components.
16:21
SPEAKER_00: There's parents, there are educators, those that are licensed child care um teachers, and then there's also a student component.
16:31
SPEAKER_00: So if you're a student in early childhood, that's a great resource.
16:35
SPEAKER_00: But also whether you're a teacher or an early child care daycare provider, that's a space as well.
16:42
SPEAKER_00: But parents are also recommended because, as parents, you need to be informed about the education of your child.
16:51
SPEAKER_01: So sometimes it's just finding that involvement that helps.
16:56
SPEAKER_01: So we're gonna jump over to our next topic and talk about the environment, space, and materials that happen.
17:04
SPEAKER_01: So let's start with what's the environment?
17:07
SPEAKER_01: What's important about a childcare environment?
17:11
SPEAKER_00: The making sure that your facility has a good environment for parents and children.
17:17
SPEAKER_00: It needs to be inviting.
17:19
SPEAKER_00: When you pull up to the facility, you want to feel like, oh my, this is the place.
17:24
SPEAKER_00: This is I'm home.
17:25
SPEAKER_00: Children are at the facility eight hours a day.
17:28
SPEAKER_00: They're probably at the facility more than they are at their own home.
17:33
SPEAKER_00: And it needs to really speak to the child.
17:36
SPEAKER_00: Um, different children like different atmospheres and spaces, but your facility needs to represent you as you pull into the driveway, the outside as well as the inside.
17:50
SPEAKER_00: It may be challenging from day to day, but evaluate your neighborhood, evaluate the prime rate.
17:57
SPEAKER_00: The outside should be kept clean and well maintained.
18:01
SPEAKER_00: Make sure that your outside is taken care of.
18:04
SPEAKER_00: Also, you want to prevent strange things like antbeds or different rodents.
18:10
SPEAKER_00: So if you're making sure that all of that is taken care of, that you will eliminate hazards for the children.
18:17
SPEAKER_00: Because remember, children are coming in from the outside, and you want them to be safe as soon as they reach your property.
18:29
SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
18:31
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
18:31
SPEAKER_01: If the outside doesn't look great, usually that means an inside isn't kept great.
18:38
SPEAKER_00: This is true.
18:41
SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
18:43
SPEAKER_01: So do most child care facilities have colorful environments, or what what's a typical environment?
18:53
SPEAKER_01: Is it colorful?
18:54
SPEAKER_01: Is it just your typical walk-in?
18:56
SPEAKER_01: What what are the ones that you've been around?
18:58
SPEAKER_01: What do they look like?
19:00
SPEAKER_00: The main thing is you want to safety first.
19:03
SPEAKER_00: You want to make sure that everything is no hazards.
19:09
SPEAKER_00: So no cords, no uncovered outlets, no broken pieces, no sharp edges.
19:16
SPEAKER_00: So when you come in, it should be bright, colorful, inviting.
19:20
SPEAKER_00: There should be spaces for children to put their things.
19:24
SPEAKER_00: There should be spaces for different age children to put their things.
19:29
SPEAKER_00: It should be small.
19:31
SPEAKER_00: Um, small things should be away from the infants.
19:34
SPEAKER_00: So there should be a place for everything within the child care facility.
19:40
SPEAKER_01: So an inside space, you should have what should it look like?
19:46
SPEAKER_00: On the inside, you should observe the walls for holes, cracks, or peeling paint.
19:53
SPEAKER_00: These things can be dangerous for children.
19:55
SPEAKER_00: Um, think about a piece of sheetrock or paint that's swallowed.
19:59
SPEAKER_00: It could be a major health issue.
20:03
SPEAKER_00: Make sure that it absolutely could make sure that your outlets and light fixtures are covered.
20:10
SPEAKER_00: Um, thinking about a light, let's say a lot of times people have ceiling fans.
20:15
SPEAKER_00: Well, if the ceiling fan light doesn't have the glow and the light pops, then that would be hot glass on the floor, which could burn feet.
20:25
SPEAKER_00: So even light bulbs need to be covered in a childcare facility.
20:30
SPEAKER_00: Um, I've seen I've seen a lot of times where you'll have the ceiling fan moving and the bulb is moving too, and a ball would just hit the lighting, like, oh my goodness, we have a mess.
20:40
SPEAKER_00: So making sure all that's covered for children.
20:43
SPEAKER_00: Also, make sure there's enough space for children to move freely.
20:47
SPEAKER_00: There needs to be about 35 square feet per child.
20:51
SPEAKER_00: There should be a designated place for reading, for painting, for doing blocks.
20:56
SPEAKER_00: You don't want the paint center beside the book area, and you don't want reading beside loud trucks and cars.
21:04
SPEAKER_00: So making sure that there's a space for each section.
21:10
SPEAKER_00: And parents, when you go there, they need to ask about animals and firearms.
21:16
SPEAKER_01: Why do they need to ask about animals?
21:18
SPEAKER_00: Some children are allergic to animals, and sometimes animals do not have proper rabies, shots, and different care maintenance routines that they need to have, so it can actually affect the children as well.
21:35
SPEAKER_01: So these might be more like your at-home daycares or even uh even facilities, or where would you maintain even facilities?
21:46
SPEAKER_00: I've seen facilities that have a component of kind of like a therapy dog, and it may not be in this day and age, everything is may not be registered.
21:58
SPEAKER_00: So you could have a therapy dog.
22:00
SPEAKER_00: Dog, but it's not seen the vet and gotten all of those things taken care of.
22:07
SPEAKER_00: So I know I have an allergy to cats.
22:10
SPEAKER_00: So cat hair and cat dander could cause a serious problem for children with allergies, eczema, and different things.
22:18
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
22:19
SPEAKER_01: And then why would you want to ask the question about firearms?
22:22
SPEAKER_00: Firearms, definitely.
22:25
SPEAKER_00: We have to notify parents about firearms in the facility, but they need to be locked.
22:32
SPEAKER_00: There also needs to be training.
22:35
SPEAKER_00: And so parents need to know if there's firearms on the premises to make sure sometimes, as we've seen in the news where we have unarmed people coming into schools and facilities.
22:49
SPEAKER_00: So sometimes parents want the provider to have firearms safety and knowledge to protect their children.
22:57
SPEAKER_01: But that key is making sure they have some kind of knowledge because you don't want somebody without knowledge having it laying around, especially when you're talking about lots of kids in a facility.
23:08
SPEAKER_01: So those are definitely some important questions for parents.
23:12
SPEAKER_01: What about materials?
23:13
SPEAKER_01: What materials should there be?
23:18
SPEAKER_00: So materials should represent the population of children in care.
23:23
SPEAKER_00: And what this means is there are a variety of age-appropriate toys for each group of children.
23:28
SPEAKER_00: Smaller pieces should be kept away in a separate space from the infants.
23:33
SPEAKER_00: For example, there needs to be hard blocks, soft blocks for toddlers, but for the infants, they need soft things.
23:39
SPEAKER_00: They need dolls that can fit into their hands so that when they walk and hold them, they're not tripping over their legs.
23:47
SPEAKER_00: The dolls for the older kids may need to have arms that can manipulate so they can bend the doll for sitting or standing.
23:56
SPEAKER_00: It's important to offer both age groups the same types of toys, but it's the materials that are not harmful.
24:04
SPEAKER_00: And if it's so if it's stepped on or put in their mouth, it doesn't become a hazard.
24:09
SPEAKER_00: Infants put everything in their mouth as their diagnostic tool.
24:13
SPEAKER_00: They diagnose everything with how it tastes.
24:28
SPEAKER_00: Reading is so important.
24:31
SPEAKER_00: It opens up a whole new world for children.
24:34
SPEAKER_00: The infants need cloth or rubber books, while the preschoolers need pages to be able to turn.
24:41
SPEAKER_00: Also observing the materials in the space, making sure that it's age appropriate for groups.
24:46
SPEAKER_00: And there should be multiple toys for every child in every age group.
24:50
SPEAKER_00: So if there's a truck, there needs to be three trucks so that the children don't end up fighting over the one red truck.
24:55
SPEAKER_00: There needs to be three red trucks.
24:58
SPEAKER_00: And for as for our parents, they should ask to see the space or the area where children are kept.
25:05
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes things are misrepresented, and so the space does not look anything like what's described.
25:13
SPEAKER_00: But making sure that there's enough toys, enough equipment, and that the space is suitable for children.
25:19
SPEAKER_00: You don't want to make you want to make sure that the daycare is not a space that doubles as a garage after five.
25:27
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, I don't think you'd want that to be the space where you decided to have child care, especially in the south.
25:34
SPEAKER_01: It gets hot in a garage.
25:37
SPEAKER_00: This is true.
25:38
SPEAKER_00: This is true.
25:39
SPEAKER_00: There might be oil stains on the floor.
25:41
SPEAKER_01: Oil stain, yeah.
25:42
SPEAKER_01: All kinds of stuff.
25:44
SPEAKER_01: All kinds of things get kept in your garage.
25:46
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's for sure.
25:47
SPEAKER_01: So keeping multiple toys, what about kids bringing toys in?
25:52
SPEAKER_01: Can they bring something into school?
25:54
SPEAKER_01: Or do you you kind of encourage them not to?
25:57
SPEAKER_00: I discourage toys from bringing toys from home because one, it's a special item, it's been purchased by a parent or a loved one.
26:06
SPEAKER_00: If it gets lost, broken, or stolen, then you have the aspect of, you know, what will we do now?
26:13
SPEAKER_00: A lot of times that toys that children have at home are not safe for daycare play, meaning that the wheels pop off, the rubber pops off, they have small pieces that can become choking hazard for the other kids.
26:28
SPEAKER_00: So I would strongly recommend no toys to be brought to daycare.
26:34
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that kind of helps you not have to keep up with it or it get lost, that is for sure.
26:40
SPEAKER_01: Okay, what about program operations for curriculum policies and protocols?
26:47
SPEAKER_01: How does that kind of help and happen within a child care facility?
26:53
SPEAKER_00: All of this is all of these things are good to have in place so that you know what your program, what the goal, what the vision of the program is, and where you're going.
27:11
SPEAKER_01: So let's start with the curriculum.
27:14
SPEAKER_00: What's curriculum look like?
27:16
SPEAKER_00: So the curriculum should be based on the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning standards, which is otherwise known as GELS.
27:25
SPEAKER_00: And there are five standards or five components to the GLES, and they're the physical development with motor skills, then you have communication and language.
27:35
SPEAKER_00: The third one is social and emotional development, the fourth one is going to be approaches to play and learning, and the fifth is the cognitive development and general knowledge.
27:45
SPEAKER_00: And within each of these five areas, they're broken down further into what I would call subjects.
27:52
SPEAKER_00: And so each of these subjects have objectives.
27:55
SPEAKER_00: So let's just take an example.
27:57
SPEAKER_00: For example, if you're looking at physical development and motor skills, within this one area, there's gonna be three subjects.
28:07
SPEAKER_00: So those are gonna be health and wellness, motor skills, and the use of census.
28:15
SPEAKER_00: So if we're trying to teach an 18-month-old how to go up and down the stairs, the jails is gonna provide the standard, the rationale, and the example for each child specific to their age.
28:26
SPEAKER_00: So you're not trying to have an 18-year-old ride a tricycle and run a marathon.
28:33
SPEAKER_00: It's gonna be specific to what they need.
28:36
SPEAKER_00: And this is helpful for the provider and the parent so you know what to expect.
28:41
SPEAKER_00: You're not expecting things that are not appropriate for the child and their age.
28:46
SPEAKER_00: And it takes the guesswork out of the equation.
28:50
SPEAKER_01: That is helpful for sure.
28:53
SPEAKER_01: Kind of knowing where parents are going to land or and what your child should be learning at those stages.
29:00
SPEAKER_01: Also, I would think helps you take what they're learning at school and continue it at home, too.
29:08
SPEAKER_00: It is definitely a partnership between home and daycare.
29:12
SPEAKER_00: You're working as a team, you're building.
29:16
SPEAKER_00: It's not we do at daycare and we do at home.
29:19
SPEAKER_00: It's a team approach.
29:20
SPEAKER_00: We're both doing the same thing, we're working on the same goals, and so we're it's a continuum from day to day.
29:29
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
29:30
SPEAKER_01: So teamwork is also, I mean, that starts to run across the board all the way from the child care into school, and it kind of helps with that.
29:39
SPEAKER_01: So, what about policies and procedures?
29:42
SPEAKER_01: We have those across all kinds of businesses.
29:45
SPEAKER_01: So, why is it specifically important in child care?
29:49
SPEAKER_00: Policies and procedures, this is true.
29:51
SPEAKER_00: It is a must for every business.
29:54
SPEAKER_00: And I'm not sure that everyone acknowledges that childcare is a profession, but we're definitely not um babysitters.
30:06
SPEAKER_00: And so, with that being said, there are rules that parents need to adhere to, just as there are rules to every job.
30:15
SPEAKER_00: Also, there are standards that child care providers need to follow.
30:18
SPEAKER_00: Parents need to know policies and procedures, let both parties know what's to be expected.
30:23
SPEAKER_00: Parents should expect that their children are gonna be safe and participate in learning exercises throughout the day and lets them know what to expect.
30:35
SPEAKER_00: But as a provider, we need to know that parents are gonna bring their children in good health, that they're not going to spread germs to all the other kids that they're also gonna be able to pay and pick up their children at a specified time.
30:50
SPEAKER_00: So policies and procedures definitely establish the foundation for your business.
30:57
SPEAKER_01: So you've had your own facility for 20 plus years.
31:01
SPEAKER_01: What happens when a family stops paying their monthly, bi-weekly, their cost for child care?
31:12
SPEAKER_00: Oh, I love this question.
31:14
SPEAKER_00: So I've been, this has been a challenge for a while.
31:18
SPEAKER_00: So I started doing payments on Mondays so that it cuts the guest workout so that we don't have to have the conversation.
31:26
SPEAKER_00: So on Monday, when you come in for the week, then the payment is due.
31:30
SPEAKER_00: So we don't get to Friday.
31:35
SPEAKER_00: It starts on Monday.
31:37
SPEAKER_00: So without payment, there's no attendance.
31:45
SPEAKER_01: That sounds like a good way to do it.
31:46
SPEAKER_01: Pay before helps the attendance.
31:50
SPEAKER_01: What do you do?
31:52
SPEAKER_01: Do they just have to go back home then?
31:54
SPEAKER_01: Or how how have you had to handle that situation?
31:58
SPEAKER_00: I try to be open and honest and have dialogue and communication, not just about payment, so that when these tough conversations come up, that we're not in a weird space.
32:15
SPEAKER_00: So talking to them daily about their child is doing really good, they've had a good day today.
32:22
SPEAKER_00: I appreciate them from coming.
32:24
SPEAKER_00: Having that relationship and communication before anything happens makes it so much easier when you have to have the tough talk.
32:34
SPEAKER_00: So I would advise having open communication first.
32:38
SPEAKER_00: And when you have to have these difficult decisions, it makes it easier.
32:43
SPEAKER_00: So the parents are gonna be more likely to say, Hey, I don't have it this week, or something happened.
32:49
SPEAKER_00: And I am understandable and I can work with people, but I do like to know.
32:54
SPEAKER_01: But you'd like to know before you need the payment to you want to know ahead of time so you can help them figure it out.
33:02
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
33:03
SPEAKER_01: What about the kids being picked up?
33:05
SPEAKER_01: What if they're not picked up prior to that last time?
33:09
SPEAKER_01: How was that situation handled?
33:13
SPEAKER_00: Um the pickup list, there are three names.
33:18
SPEAKER_00: So if you're late, I'm gonna start.
33:20
SPEAKER_00: If you're normally there at 4:30 and you're not there around five till five, I'm gonna call and say, hey, was somebody else supposed to pick you up?
33:30
SPEAKER_00: So we do have three names on the pickup list.
33:34
SPEAKER_00: And I and I I always tell parents, I'm not as worried about you being there exactly at five.
33:41
SPEAKER_00: I want to make sure that you're okay, that something hasn't happened to you.
33:45
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I care about you as well as picking the child up, but I just want to know that you're all right because they are the parent, and kids want to know that my mommy's coming to get me.
33:56
SPEAKER_00: And so I want to calm the child down.
33:58
SPEAKER_00: Mommy has not forgot, she's just running late.
34:02
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that and especially if you've got parents that pick up the same time every day if they're 20 minutes late, that that can be an unusual thing.
34:11
SPEAKER_00: It's a red flag, that's for sure.
34:14
SPEAKER_01: So, what about decal rules?
34:17
SPEAKER_01: How often should those be reviewed?
34:22
SPEAKER_00: Decal rules need to be reviewed very often.
34:25
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes the rules um change depending on um the facility requirements, things that happen within the legislative body, we often get what you would call revisions or small changes so that providers become unfamiliar.
34:47
SPEAKER_00: So I would say make sure that you're looking at that you sometimes the rules change or providers become unfamiliar with a particular age group requirement.
35:01
SPEAKER_00: For example, providers may not providers are not allowed to prepare bottles.
35:06
SPEAKER_00: However, a parent may ask you, can you prepare my baby's bottle?
35:10
SPEAKER_00: And you're like, sure, I can do that.
35:13
SPEAKER_00: But then later you realize, oh, I haven't had infants in a year, and it says, I cannot prepare bottles.
35:21
SPEAKER_00: So you have to go back and apologize to the parent and explain why you can't do what you said that you were going to.
35:28
SPEAKER_00: It's hard to say no to parents, but it will keep you safe as a provider if you adhere to those rules.
35:34
SPEAKER_00: It's tight, but it's right.
35:37
SPEAKER_00: A consistent review of those rules lets the gets the stress out, it keeps it down to a minimum so that when licensing agents come in to monitor you, you don't have to be world um anxious or nervous about am I following this correctly?
35:52
SPEAKER_00: Am I doing the right thing?
35:54
SPEAKER_00: You just have that procedure and policy down and you and it runs smooth.
35:59
SPEAKER_00: You know it like the back of your hand.
36:02
SPEAKER_00: Um, I look at it as this rules were written as a result of an injury or even a death.
36:09
SPEAKER_00: And so either way, you want to be in compliance as much as possible.
36:14
SPEAKER_00: And we we may not have seen all the antbeds or even missed some expired dates on the antibiotic ointment from time to time, but being familiar with the DCAR rules helps you um with efficiency and compliance.
36:29
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, a lot of times rules were written because somebody did something.
36:35
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, and we have had deaths in childcare.
36:39
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's unfortunate, but those things do sometimes happen.
36:45
SPEAKER_01: So the recap from today is what were essentials and providers.
36:53
SPEAKER_01: So it's looking at what is essential and kind of knowing that as a parent and what you want to go into it, looking at your facility requirements and making sure the facility you want to send your kid to has and is following those, and then make sure the program was right fit because not all programs are right fits for all families, so it's definitely finding that.
37:18
SPEAKER_01: So in child care and the provider, what would your call to action be for a parent that is looking for a child care facility for their children?
37:30
SPEAKER_00: For me, I would encourage the parent to definitely visit the facility.
37:35
SPEAKER_00: One, two, ask other parents about the provider.
37:40
SPEAKER_00: And three, I would look online at their decal ratings.
37:47
SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
37:49
SPEAKER_01: So really, it's doing some of your own research before you decide to put your kid in that program.
37:57
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
37:58
SPEAKER_00: Definitely do your research.
38:01
SPEAKER_01: Well, thank you, Rosanda, and this was some great information for parents to have learned and understand how the incidental and what they're looking for in their children.
38:14
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for having me.
38:15
SPEAKER_00: It was an absolute pleasure.
38:19
SPEAKER_01: That brings us to the end of this episode of added at all over and wait.