Choosing to place your child in the care of someone else while you work often is a decision that comes with a lot of emotion and concern – frequently brought on by unfamiliarity of what happens in the child-care setting.
"Nationwide, the child-care industry has done several things to try to abate the concerns of parents," said LSU AgCenter child-care associate Cheri Gioe. "Now the retail industries also are getting involved by offering items that can help."
In particular, the Louisiana Department of Social Services has a specific regulation regarding an "open door policy" for child-care providers. "That requires all Louisiana Class A licensed child-care facilities to have a written, posted policy concerning the rights of parents of enrolled children to visit the child-care program unannounced at anytime," Gioe explained.
In addition to those measures, computer companies have developed software programs that tie into a video monitoring system, which allows parents to view their children from a remote site while they are at the child-care facility.
"With this software, parents type in the address of the monitoring company, supply a password and gain access to their child’s classroom activity via their personal computer at work or home," Gioe said, adding, however, "One of the downsides of this type of monitoring is that often times there is a delay in what the parents are seeing, and therefore they may panic before they see the end result of certain actions."
Gioe said other concerns include that this type of monitoring may infringe on the privacy and rights of others. So administrators must make certain that parents and teachers alike are aware of the monitoring program and have them sign a waiver agreeing to it.
"This type of monitoring system also very costly, which may result in the cost being passed on to parents in the form of increased tuition," the LSU AgCenter expert cautioned.
Gioe said advances in electronics also have enabled companies to market sophisticated monitoring systems that enable child-care programs to place video cameras in individual classrooms.
"With these systems, child-care program administrators can either monitor the classrooms from a remote location or tape the classes and review them at a later date," she said.
Of course, the LSU AgCenter expert also cautioned this type of monitoring is time consuming and can be costly, since it requires the purchase of the video monitoring system, tapes and possibly the hiring of a staff person just to monitor the video feed from a remote location.
"Again, the additional charges may be passed on to parents in the form of increased tuition, and this type of monitoring also may infringe on the privacy and rights of others, so the increased ‘security’ you get from video monitoring may come at a price," Gioe said.
Although those high-tech methods may help to put you at ease, experts say the best way to ease your fears and concerns when choosing a child-care program is to visit the center prior to enrolling your child.
"These visits should be made unannounced, they should be numerous and they should come at random times of the day," Gioe advised, adding, "Experts caution that if a child-care center is adamant that visits be made at a certain time or has concerns about your making numerous visits, this should be viewed as a ‘red flag.’"
The best indication is what you feel about a center after making such visits, according to the experts.
"If there is any uncertainty about the place being visited, this should be considered a warning," LSU AgCenter family development specialist Dr. Becky White said. "Typically, parents will experience a sense of peace and trust when they come across the child-care program that is right for their needs and the needs of their children."
The LSU AgCenter’s "Be Child Care Aware!" educational program is designed to educate parents and child-care providers about quality child care. It is funded, in part, through a contract with the Louisiana Department of Social Services’ Office of Family Support.