Make an appointment to visit and interview your final list of possible caregivers and schedule a time when the other children will be there.  This is a chance for you and your child to get a feel for the program and the people.  Take a tour of all the rooms that your child will have access to so you can observe not only the setting, but also the interaction between the children and the adults.  Take time to observe different activities.

The overall program should support your child's physical, emotional, social and intellectual well-being.  Quality settings have a number of common characteristics, which are summarized below.  Understanding these will help you to assess the "quality" of the setting you are visiting.  To further assist you, a number of interview questions are listed on the following pages.

Quality Characteristics

The People:

• Knowledgeable, well-trained & experienced
• Warm, caring, sensitive
• Supportive relationships with children that promote high self-esteem
• Parents are encouraged to visit throughout the day, without prior notice
• Children appear happy
• Operate within the legislation for staff to child ratios & group size
• Are healthy and can lift small children throughout the day
• Are talkative. Young children need to hear lots of words and songs
• Speak gently and softly
• Respect diversity
• Have a sound understanding of early learning and child development, specially around the importance of sensory exploration (e.g. allows children to touch, feel, taste, smell)
• Are able to handle conflicts in a gentle manner and understand that hitting, biting and crying are all normal developmentally.
• Explain the rules to the children, have a plan in place to support children with challenging behaviour, treating conflict as a learning experience.
• Provide experiences in language, math, movement, music, art and drama
• Treat each child as an individual and avoid comparing one child to another
• Criminal reference check available for all adults usually in the home

The Setting:

• Safe, looks and smells clean, comfortable, well-maintained
• Licence posted, where applicable
• Variety of well-maintained indoor & outdoor toys & equipment
• Menu posted with nutritious meals & snacks
• Alternatives to meals and snacks if child can't eat certain foods
• Bright, spacious rooms & play areas, accessible washrooms & outdoor play areas
• Emergency plan, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors & carbon monoxide detectors
• Hazardous substances stored out of reach behind locked doors
• Playground and playground equipment meet CSA standards
• Entrances secure
• Impact absorbing material around play structures
• Smoke-free environment

The Program/Activities:

• An overall program plan outlining the range of daily activities that is understandable to both adults and older children
• A daily schedule posted, including:
  • Age appropriate activities
  • Time for indoor & outdoor play
  • Both quiet & active times, including a rest period of not more than 2 hours
  • Both individual & group play
  • Personal & health care routines
  • A balance of planned & child initiated activities
• Activities that promote the development of social skills, language & encourage independence
• Integrate and provide support for children with special needs
• TV/movies/video games are monitored & limited
• Positive child behaviour management techniques are used allowing older children to be involved in the solving of problems
• Children are supervised at all times
• Children play outside daily except in extreme temperatures or smoggy weather

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