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There is a two-fold concern when looking for Child Care. The first is finding a good accredited Child Care Home or Center. The second is the fact is looking for a provider, who follows your beliefs, be it Wiccan, Druid or Shamanism.

When looking for a qualified day care provider there are several questions you should ask.

Choosing a Child Care Provider

• Choosing a place where your child will be cared for is a very important decision.
• Your child's future is at stake. Be selective.
• Begin looking well in advance of when you need the day care.
• Take your time in making your decision.
• Visit the program.
• Involve your child in making the decision.
• Allow for a trial period.
• Plan for backup care givers.
• You can contact your local 4-C (Michigan 4-C link) to get additional information.

What To Look For In a Family Day Care Home

Quality family day care is the friendly and warm environment provided by a family day care parent. Good child care provides the necessary ingredients for a child's healthy growth and development: intellectually, physically, socially and emotionally.

This checklist may serve as a guide in making your decision about a particular family day care home.

Does the Family Day Care Parent:

• Appear to be warm and friendly
• Seem calm and gentle
• Treat each child as an individual with a different personality
• Accept and respect your family and cultural values
• Read and talk to the children
• Encourage the children to express themselves
• Have previous experience working with children
• Have specialized training in child development
• Have attitudes and methods of guiding and controlling behavior which you agree with
• Serve nutritious meals and snacks
• Take time to discuss your children with you regularly
• Seem to have a sense of pride in the important job of caring for children

Are There Opportunities For Children To:

• Be a part of a family
• Make friends with other children
• Receive individual attention
• Visit nearby places of interest like the park, library, museum, fire house
• Use books, creative materials, games and toys regularly
• Study and do homework
• Play actively and quietly both in and out-of-doors

Does the Day Care Home Have:

• A license from the Department of Consumer and Industry Services
• A clean and comfortable look
• A "children are welcome" look
• Space for all the day care children
• Adequate space for each child to take a nap
• Safety caps on electrical outlets
• A locked cabinet for the storage of medicine, household cleaners, and poisons
• An alternate exit in case of fire
• Adequate heat, light and ventilation
• A safe outdoor play area

Do You Feel That:

• Being in this day care home will be a fun and happy experience for your children
• You can develop a relaxed, sharing relationship with this family day care parent.

You will want to visit with more than one family day care parent. If possible, take your children with you or visit when other children are in the home. Be sure to discuss:

• Total fees to be paid
• Name, address and phone number of parent at home/at work
• A plan for an emergency or a child's illness
• Who will provide food for meals and snacks, and the number of meals to be served
• Arrangements for children to be taken to and picked up from the day care home and by whom
• Any special arrangements for holidays or vacations
• The time that children will arrive and leave the day care home, and any arrangement if this changes
• Any special characteristic of your child such as food likes, habits, allergies, and special medical needs.

How to Choose a Good School Age Child Care Program

Unsupervised elementary school-aged children who are responsible for their own care before and after school are often called "latchkey" children. Good child care provides the necessary ingredients for a child's healthy growth and development: socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically. The following checklist will provide some guidelines for helping you choose wisely.

The Parent's Responsibilities

• Assess the appropriateness of the program for your child
• Communicate with your child and the care provider
• Help the child make a smooth transition from home to school and school to home
• Understand the operating policies of the program
• Provide Emergency Information

The Child's Responsibilities

• Talk with your parents and your care provider
• Provide information about what you are interested in doing and complete the activities you have chosen
• Understand the rules for the activities and for getting along with others. Know the consequences of inappropriate behavior
• Be responsible for your own behavior and your own belongings
• Respect and take care of the provided materials and equipment

The Program's Responsibilities

• Provide written policies and procedures including emergency procedures and financial policies
• Provide opportunities for communication among the care providers, the child, the parent, the teacher and school personnel
• Provide a comfortable, fun, relaxing environment that is purposefully different from academically-oriented activities
• Provide for leisure time as defined by the child
• Provide time for diverse activities such as homework, recreation, physical development, socialization and the development of friendship, leisure and outdoor play
• Respect and promote the spontaneity and serendipity of childhood
• Provide equipment and learning/play materials that are age-appropriate and encourage diverse choices
• Provide a well organized program with a predictable daily routine
• Provide a place for each child's individual belongings
• Provide an accessible drop-off and pick-up arrangement including a place for parents to wait while the child completes a activity
• Provide nutritious snacks

Get Answers to These Questions

• Is this program licensed?
• What are the hours and days the program is open? Holidays?
• What are the fees? When must they be paid?
• How are parents involved? Are parents welcome at any time?
• Who makes major policy decisions?
• What is the discipline policy?
• Is transportation provided?
• Are the children grouped by age, interest area or ability?
• Who is the main person responsible?
• How many children is each care provider responsible for (adult/child ratio)?

Child Care is a Service - You Are the Consumer

• You have a right to question or discuss
  • Rule violations
  • Unsafe practices that affect, or might affect, your child
  • What happens when you are not there
  • Anything that upsets your child
• You have a right to expect
  • Compliance with the rules
  • Safe, nurturing, good care
• You have a responsibility to encourage
  • Open communication
  • Positive happenings
  • Parent involvement
• You have a responsibility to respect the provider's
  • Time - be on time to pick up your child
  • Policies - know when child care payments are due
  • Opinions - they've usually had plenty of experience

Warning Signals That Parents Should Be Alert To

• The care giver/center does not permit or encourage parents to observe or visit while children are in care
• Children are left in care without the immediate and direct supervision of an adult
• The care giver spends much of the time scolding, ordering, and belittling children
  • screaming, yelling, or swearing at the children
  • making fun of the children, or a specific child
  • ridiculing or threatening a child
  • criticizing a child
• Care giver(s) are physically rough and abusive with the children
• The home or center is filthy and/or unsafe
• Complaints from your child about the care, or your child starts to act nervous or distressed about the day care. Investigate immediately!
• A child repeatedly gets bruises or injuries; the presence of a bruise or injury is unexplainable.

After Day Care Begins...

• Talk with your children about the day care home or center
• Ask very specific questions about your child's day and the events of that day
• Listen to what your child is saying
• Visit your child's day care at unexpected times of the day
• Speak with your provider about any concerns or questions you have

Questions to ask about Pagan Path.

• What is your path?
• These are my beliefs. How will you incorporate that?
• What Sabbats will you celebrate and how will you do that?
• Do you close on the Sabbats and will you have a back up?
• If my child has a question about a goddess or god, how will you direct them?
• Do you teach ecology and gentleness to the earth?
• Will your art projects center on the beliefs and magic?

Above all remember talk with the provider and keep an open communication. This will help both you and your child through the years that they are there.