One hundred and forty-six – that is how many child care centers are in the Chippewa Valley. That’s an overwhelming number of centers to have to choose among. Where do you begin? How do you know that you are choosing the right center for your child? What do you look for? As a center director and a mother of two, I hope that I can help answer some of those questions for you.
Every child care center is different – you will find good and bad in every center. Start by writing down what type of classroom you hope for you child. Do you want your child to have a lot of “friends” in their classroom or do you hope for smaller class sizes? What type of food do you want your child to be eating? Many centers are on the food program, which is a federally funded program that ensures your child is receiving the proper food components at every meal. What are your goals for your child? Do you hope to enhance their emotional development, their cognitive abilities, or their social skills?