By Gibbes Hance
If you are a parent or guardian, and are exploring the best options for child care in Silver Spring, then you’ll probably have many questions about the environment your child will soon face. How far is the center? What are their timings? What activities do they offer? Are the staff qualified and experienced? However, some of the most important questions, especially in today’s healthcare-sensitive environment, must be about the health and wellbeing of your child.
Making Informed Choices
Choices around child care, and early childhood education options, are some of the most difficult decisions parents make. Yet, these are the most important ones that you’ll make, because they affect the future of your child. From their physical and mental grounding, to emotional and intellectual development – early childhood experiences play a big role.
But there’s no greater aspect than health and wellbeing, and you need the right information to make the right call. So, what are some of those details, about child care in Silver Spring MD, that you must assess before making your choice? Well, here are some of the most pressing ones for you to consider:
- What safety protocols do the centers implement around daily wellness checks – e.g.: daily temperature checks?
- In addition to students, are face coverings required for teachers, staff, and – most especially – visitors?
- Is there a vaccine mandate in place? For whom, and how is it enforced?
- Do center administrators restrict access to classrooms, play rooms, toys, and other teaching aids?
- Are there sanitization stations in accessible locations, and are center assets (desks, toys, touch surfaces) regularly sanitized?
- What about emergency preparedness – Is there a qualified health-care professional on-premises; and how many CPR-certified staff members are there?
- What about fire risks – Does the center conduct regular fire drills, and are fire prevention systems – extinguishers, hoses, alarms, smoke detectors – tested regularly?
While most facilities providing child care in Silver Spring MD are likely following many of these health and wellness protocols, making specific enquiries provides that extra level of peace of mind to parents and guardians. As an added precaution, if the centers allow in-person visits, why not check some of these protocols yourself?
For example, as you walk through the complex, make mental notes of the sprinkler systems, the fire extinguishers, and the sanitization stations across the premises. That should give you an idea of how the center implements some of the points discussed above. Additionally, one litmus test is the diligence (or lack of it!) conducted when you seek entry into the complex. A slow, but methodical, process might be proof that the school does have strict screening protocols for preventing the random, potentially risky, entry of visitors.
Go Prepared
As a parent or guardian of kids entering child care in Silver Spring, it’s important for you to go prepared, for meetings with child care center administrators – virtual or in-person, with your own set of questions. The above checklist should get you started. However, it’s a good idea to also review official information to prepare yourself for such sessions.
