Child Care
From the ONCDC Blog
Do you ever find yourself exhausted at the end of the day? You spent all day thinking of ways to keep your child “occupied?” Maybe you’re thinking that your job as a parent means you need to constantly provide activities and materials for your child. Good news! You’ve been spending all of your time to…
Our Neighborhood practices continuity of care, a system of keeping children and teachers together from infancy until age three. This practice is backed by research that tells us there are many benefits. Continuity of care promotes healthy brain development. It allows caregivers a deeper knowledge of the children and reduces stress on children and families.…
Basic math that is missing from the high-quality child care discussion. Infants need one teacher for every four children. One teacher’s salary at $15.00 per hour is $31,200 a year. That is $7,800 per infant annually. The federal government defines affordable care as care that costs no more than 7% of a…
Preschool should be ages three to eight not ages three to five. Children under age eight are in what researchers call a sensitive period of growth. Our public school system starts at age five so the majority of families just assume between five and six preschool ends and Kindergarten begins. Once in school children are…
In some discussions and writing, you have referred to programs as academic. Parent’s Ask: It seems like you refer to academic as a negative thing, why? When would you have children in a more academic setting? Our Neighborhood believes children learn through play. We are social constructivists who believe children learn best in the context…
High-quality early childhood education is garnering media attention, but figuring out what quality is can be hard for families. The research into what leads to great early childhood experiences is mixed; lower child-to-teacher ratios, stringent teacher credentials, and beautiful environments don’t necessarily equal a high-quality program. The best measure of quality in early childhood programs…
Each state has their own requirements for operating a child care center. There is no uniform child care regulations so it is important to understand the regulations in your state. Virginia – Child Care Licensing In Virginia, child care centers are licensed by the Department of Social Services (DSS). Licensing regulates basic health and safety…
There are lots of articles about questions to ask and what to look for when you’re touring a preschool program. Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation about what high-quality early childhood education really looks like. The research into what leads to great early childhood experiences is mixed; lower child-to-teacher ratios, stringent teacher credentials, and…
Consistency is more important than time. We believe that ideally the child should attend 4 or 5 days a week, in a row, for no less than 3 hours and no more than 9 hours. Children use routines to understand their world and feel safe so the care must be consistent in both caregivers and…
In Home Child Care The affordability of in home child care is often appealing to families. Additionally, in home providers can offer a close bond with a consistent caregiver and a small group of children to play together. One of the big challenges to high quality child care programs is turnover and so home based…