Setting up your home daycare

SPACE AND FURNISHINGS

Furnishings for routine care:
• Child size appropriate furniture
• Furniture that does not crowd the space that is used for child care
• Child-sized play furnishings (Ex. Play kitchen)

Furnishings for relaxation and comfort:
• Soft, child-sized furnishings provided especially for children (Ex. Floor cushions, beanbag chairs, child-sized rocker, padded high chair and many soft stuffed toys for daily use.
• Adults provide body contact for infants and toddlers (Ex. Holds and rocks children)

Child-related display:
• Items of interest at child's eye level
• Near feeding area
• Near cribs
• Crawling
• Play areas
• Diaper changing areas

Indoor Space Arrangement:
• 35 square foot of usable floor space per child.
• Two or more play areas are clearly defined (Ex. doll play, blocks, art, or book area.
• Adequate storage and space to play in each activity area (Ex. box or shelves for storing blocks near rug or open space on floor for block play).
• Space set up so that children of different age can use the space at the same time.
• Arrangements made to promote independent use by children (Ex. labeled storage boxes or shelves with pictures or words and pictures).

Active Play:
• Outdoor space used by children for 1-3 hours daily.
• Physical activity provided indoors for all ages in bad weather.
• Use materials that stimulate a variety of large muscle skills (Ex. crawling, walking, balancing, climbing, swinging, playing ball).
• Many materials provided for each age group for imaginative play (Ex. movable boards and crates for creative building.
• New challenges can be added each week through planned activity (Ex. obstacle course, crawling tunnel, games with beanbags, tumbling on mat, ball games).

Space to Be Alone:
Infants and Toddlers:
• Planned activities provided for play-alone spaces.
• Play-alone activities used by care provider to give individual time and attention (Ex. play special game, talk about mobile).

Two Years and Older:
• Space is set aside and make safe for one or two children to play, protected from others (Ex. no interruption rule, space out of sight of other children).
• Play alone activities provided on a regular basis.

BASIC CARE

Arriving and leaving:
• Warm, organized greeting and departure for all children.
• Parents greeted as well as children.
• Caregiver uses arriving/leaving time to share information with parents (Ex. conversation on arrival; art work, clothes ready for leaving).
• Caregiver helps children adjust to arriving/leaving (Ex. Directs to favorite toy, talks about plans for tomorrow).

Meals/snacks:
• Self-help skills encouraged (Ex. Infant/toddler encouraged to finger-feed self; fork and spoon introduced when ready; children set table, help prepare food, poor and serve when able).
• Caregiver sits with children, eating with them when possible.
• Parents made aware of menus.

Nap/rest:
• Nap/rest is scheduled appropriately for different age groups (Ex. Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers have different schedules).
• Space is good for resting (Ex. Home is quiet; children placed at least 2 feet apart).
• Children helped to relax (Ex. Cuddly toy, soft music, back rubbed).
• Individual needs of children are met (Ex. Quiet activities for early risers and non-napers; schedules are changed to suit as children grow).

Diapering/toileting:
• Diapering done near source of hot water.
• Equipment promotes self-help (Ex. Steps near sink, child-sized toilet seat if needed).
• Caregiver works with parents to toilet train toddlers.
• Use a pleasant tone between adult and child during diapering/toileting.
• Diapering/toileting used as time to talk with and relate warmly to children.
• Diapering/toileting used to promote self-help in cleanliness and dressing skills (Ex. Hand washing, using toilet paper, buttoning and snap-ping).

Personal grooming:
• Self-help encouraged in personal grooming (Ex. Easy-to-use apron for art activities, mirror at child's eye level, and towels within preschooler's reach)
• Bibs available for infants/toddlers at mealtime
• Care given to children's appearance (Ex. Cleaned up after messy play, hair combed after nap).
• Individual toothbrush used for each child at least once during the day
• Personal care activities planned to teach children self-help skills (Ex. Song about how to wash, practice brushing hair)

Health:
• Care provider cuts down spread of germs (Ex. Runny noses kept wiped with clean tissues for each child, parents told about illnesses of others in day care home).
• Special health problems such as allergies, hearing loss, or hyperactivity are recorded and information is used in planning
• Caregiver shows awareness of children's health status (Ex. Checks irritable child for fever).
• Parents make aware of rules for attendance during illness
• Medication given only from original container with written permission from parents
• Care provider has arranged for medical consultant, such as a local doctor or nurse practitioner, to handle child care questions
• Quiet area for sick child available
• Health information provided for parents (Ex. Pamphlets on nutrition, childhood illnesses, and local health care services).
• Good health habits encouraged (Ex. Nutrition activities, storybooks about health used with children).
• Caregiver is good model of health practices (Ex. Eats healthful food, doesn't smoke in front of children).

Safety:
• Emergency exit plans posted and practiced at least monthly with children
• Caregiver uses car safety restraints for all (Ex. Infant/toddler seats, separate seat belt for each older child and adult)
• Alternate caregiver familiar with care giving activities, specific children in home, and emergency plans
• Caregiver has had first aid training within the last 2 years
• First aid training includes CPR for children
• Safety information shared with parents (Ex. pamphlets on car restraints, home safety tips, and safety plans at day care homes)
• Safety taught to children (Ex. rules for riding in car and crossing street)

LANGUAGE AND REASONING

Informal use of language: (infant/toddlers)
• Caregiver responds to sounds infants make, takes part in verbal play (Ex. sings to child, imitates child's sounds).
• Maintain eye contact while talking to child
• Caregiver talks to infants and toddlers during routines about child's activities
• Repeats what toddlers say, adding words and ideas when appropriate
• Encourages toddlers to use words.
• Informal use of language: (2 years and older)
• Much social talking between caregiver and children
• Language used to share information with children
• Children's talk encouraged (Ex. caregiver listens, asks questions to get children to talk more)
• Caregiver adds to ideas presented by children; Caregiver helps children enjoy language (Ex. sings with children, rhymes words)
• Care provider makes sure to have an informal conversation with each child everyday; Preschoolers are asked "why, how, what if" questions needing longer and more complex answers
• Children encouraged to use talking to solve problems.

Helping children understand language: (infant/toddlers)
• At least 12 books for infants/toddlers
• Care provider names many objects, talk about pictures, says nursery rhymes, sings songs
• Caregiver plans and carries out at least one language activity for each infant/toddler daily
• Caregiver works on improving understanding of language all day (Ex. gives clear directions to toddlers, describes infant's actions).

Helping children understand language: (2 years and older)
• At least 20 children's books and several picture games accessible to children daily for independent use
• Materials for all age groups
• At least one planned activity daily (Ex, reading, story telling, talking about picture books, saying nursery rhymes).
• Caregiver checks out material from library once a month, or adds to materials in other ways
• Works on improving under-standing of language all day (Ex. gives clear directions, uses words exactly, points to items of interest indoors and outdoors, such as reading food labels and road signs).

Helping Children Use Language:
• Many materials for helping children practice talking; accessible for independent use daily
• Caregiver uses 2 activities a day to encourage children to talk
• Daily plan provides a wide variety of activities to encourage talking in each age group, including infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-agers (Ex. encourages infants/toddlers to name objects and pictures, preschoolers to talk about experiences, dictate stories).

Helping children to reason: (using concepts)
• Variety of games and materials accessible and in good repair
• While children are using materials, caregiver helps children think by talking about shapes, size, etc. (Ex. asks questions to help preschoolers reason-"How many?" "What's different?")
• At least one nature/science/cooking activity each week (Ex. talks about leaves in fall, has children help make a snack). Care provider makes sure to work with every child on an appropriate concept-development game at least once a week (Ex. shape sorting boxes for infants, measuring cups and puzzles for toddlers, numbers for preschoolers)
• Encourage children to reason throughout the day by pointing out the sequence and results of daily events (Ex. "First let's change your diaper, then you can play," "What might happen if you play ball in the house?")

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Eye-Hand Coordination:
• Variety of eye-hand materials, in good repair, accessible daily

At least 8 materials for each age group available:
• Infants: rattles, objects of different sizes to pick up
• Toddlers: peg-boards, small building toys
• Preschoolers: crayons, scissors, puzzles
• Space provided to play with materials
• Materials rotated to maintain interest
• Materials organized to encourage self-help (Ex. picture labels for open storage shelves or boxes)
• Caregiver helps children develop skills (Ex. with scissors, puzzles, peg-board).

Art:
• Crayons and paper, or other drawing materials accessible daily for free expression (Ex. toddlers offered materials, preschoolers get own materials)
• Art materials needing supervision planned at least 3 times a week (Ex. cutting and pasting, painting, modeling dough)
• Creativity encouraged, very few projects have children copy an example
• At least 2 different activities offered preschoolers daily (Ex. drawing, cutting and pasting, painting)
• Activities include at least one 3-dimensional material per week (Ex. modeling dough, clay, carpentry, or wood gluing)

Music and Movement:
• Musical experiences regularly available to children at least 3 times a week
• Care provider sings with children informally daily
• Musical experiences provided for all age groups (Ex. music boxes and musical toys for infants/toddlers, record player and tape recorder for preschoolers)
• Space and time planned for music and movement daily
• Variety of dance props and musical instruments accessible for independent use by children.

Sand and Water Play:
• Sand or water play at least 1 to 3 times a week
• Variety of toys for sand and water play (Ex. cups, funnels, trucks, pots, pans, spoons).

Dramatic Play:
• Variety of dramatic play materials, with accessories available daily
• Material accessible to children for both indoor and outdoor use
• Props for more than just housekeeping, including transportation, work roles, or adventure
• Dramatic play materials well organized for independent use (Ex. play dishes in separate box or on shelf instead of piled in a toy chest; play clothes hung on pegs) Some child-sized play furniture (Ex. small stove, baby stroller).

Blocks:
• Variety of blocks and accessories gathered together and available for daily use
• Space used for block play out of traffic
• Blocks and accessories well organized for independent use (Ex. blocks and accessories in separate labeled boxes or on labeled, open shelves)

Use of T.V.:
• Care provider limits use of T.V. to programs and video games regarded as good for children (Ex. "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood," "Barney," and Sesame Street," education video games, but not most cartoons)
• Activities provided as an alternative while T.V. is on
• Care giver uses as an educational experience
• Joins children in viewing, asks questions, adds information
• Some play activities planned to follow up on T.V. programs (Ex. point out objects with letters introduced on shows, conducts art activity seen on program)
• Caregiver chooses not to use T.V. at all

Schedule of Daily Activities:
• Variety of play activities provided for children's choice both morning and afternoon
• At least two special activities scheduled daily, one indoors and one outdoors weather permitting (Ex. story, art, music, water play, walks)
• Schedule provides a balance of indoor and outdoor activities
• Schedule provides a balance of active and quiet play
• Caregiver uses routines as learning experiences (Ex. teaches self-help skills, talks to children)
• Provide smooth transitions ( Ex. set out play materials for preschoolers for preschoolers before putting babies down for nap)

Schedule of Play Indoors and Outdoors:
• Caregiver interacts frequently with children
• Discusses ideas
• Helps with materials
• Helps children solve to individual needs (Ex. close supervision of toddlers, more independence for 3- and 4- year- olds)
• Caregiver looks for chances to extend learning (Ex. dramatic play idea recalled at a later time by reading a story)
• Careful setting up of activities avoids conflicts (Ex. duplicate toys for toddlers, enough blocks for several children at once)

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Tone:
• Caregiver uses physical contact to show affection to all children (Ex. gentle holding, hugging, and pat on the head)
• Care provider and children seem relaxed, voice cheerful, a lot of smiling
• Care provider and children show respect for and kindness to one another
• Caregiver praises children for being kind and helpful to others.

Discipline:
• Alternatives to physical punishment used effectively (Ex. time out, removing child from activity)
• Praise and attention are given for good behavior
• Age and ability of children considered when rules are made and enforced
• Reasons for rules are explained to children
• Caregiver follow through with both rewards and punishment
• Care provider thinks ahead and tries to avoid problems
• Caregiver handles minor problems before they quarrel, (Ex. makes taking turns easier by using sign-up sheets or a timer, redirects children to other activities)
• Care provider helps children find positive solutions to problems through discussion.

Cultural awareness:
• Many examples of racial variety in dolls, pictures, and books
• Holidays and cultural customs of all children in group included
• Boys and girls are encouraged to choose activities without being limited to traditional roles (Ex. girls encouraged to do carpentry)
• People of all ages represented in picture and books
• Planned use of multicultural, multiracial and non-sexist materials (Ex. reads books introducing non-traditional roles for men, women, and minorities; boy and girl dolls)

ADULT NEEDS

Relationship with Parents:
• Written policies given to parents before child starts child care
• Caregiver tells parents about the activities of their children at least once a week
• Caregiver works cooperatively with parents (Ex. plans toilet training jointly, discusses methods of discipline)
• Care provider gives daily informal report about each child's activities
• Parents are encouraged to share skills and interest with the child care home (Ex. bring in materials, tell children about experiences, and help with field trips)
  Balancing Personal and Care Giving Responsibilities:
• Care provider plans so that family responsibilities and child care program seldom interfere with one another (Ex. space is specified for child care children and family members, special time for own child given after child care hours)
• Primary focus during operating hours is on child care responsibilities
• Substitute available as backup help
• Uses household jobs, when possible, in child care program as learning activities (Ex. lets children help bake bread, sort and fold clothes)
• Coordinates good care-giving activities with family responsibilities (Ex. stops at playground on the way back from errand children enjoy doing).

Opportunities for Professional Growth:
• Caregiver regularly takes part in professional development activities (Ex. Attends 2 workshops, takes one course, or has 2 on-site training visits each year)
• Caregiver regularly reads child care books or magazines on child rearing
• Care provider is an active member of an early childhood or child care professional group
• Participates in professional development programs or activities at least 4 times a year.