Finding the right infant daycare for your little one can be a daunting task — it seems there are no shortage of care providers, but it’s impossible to know whether any of them will be a good fit for you and your youngster. 

In this article, we’ll give you some information on what you should look for in an infant daycare, as well as red flags you should see as major warning signs! For more information on why our infant daycare is the best program for your little one, please contact Jaycees Early Learning Center in Fort Washington, MD, today!

Infant Daycare: What to Look for

 The first year of life is arguably the most formative for growing babies, as this crucial developmental period forms the basis for the toddlers and kiddos they’ll eventually grow into. That’s why when looking for an infant daycare, you want to be assured you’re going with the most qualified, educated, and compassionate people you can find. Your sweet little nugget deserves no less!

When assessing and comparing infant daycare centers, you’ll want to check to make sure that the facility has separate rooms for infants, toddlers, kids, and any other age groups they serve. Although infants and kids can certainly get along, it’s important that the caretakers looking after your child can devote all of their time and attention to that child’s unique stage of psycho-social development. A toddler will have different needs than a two-month-old, and that’s the beauty of this exciting time of your youngster’s development.

Another thing to look for in a good infant daycare is certified, educated, and/or trained staff. Those looking after your baby need to understand their physical, cognitive, and psychosocial needs on a professional level for you to rest assured that all of their unique needs are being met. 

In addition to this, seek out an infant daycare that keeps you in the loop on your baby’s progress and that works with you to develop a strategy for education, language building, recreation, creativity, and more. 

At Jaycees Early Learning Center, we structure our infant daycare programming around a curriculum called High Reach Learning. This is a well-rounded, holistic approach to academic enrichment as well as life-skill development. Some of our interactive activities include reading books, singing songs, telling fingerplay “stories”, and dancing to groovy music. All of our infant daycare programs are structured and based on high-quality, proven tactics for raising children.

Infant Daycare: What to Avoid

As with any childcare program, there are certain things to be weary of when assessing different facilities. If the hours of operation of the infant daycare do not work well with your work schedule, or if it is located too far away from home to get there in a timely manner in the case of an emergency, you should try to find an alternative.

In some daycare centers, the facility may be understaffed and so infants don’t get the one-on-one attention and affection they desperately need. This isn’t the case at Jaycees, where we keep groups small and qualified staff at the ready, but it is a sad and common occurrence in other early learning centers. 

Conclusion

There are many factors to consider when looking for a daycare center for your infant. But we hope this article has given you some ideas of how to narrow down your options and find the care provider who works best for you and your little loved one. 

If you have further questions or want to learn more about how we can help your infant thrive and grow into a top-of-the-line toddler, please reach out to Jaycees Early Learning Center today!