What Is Quality Child Care?

Child care should support a child's emotional, social, intellectual and physical well-being. Quality child care is not babysitting.

Caregivers are key to quality child care. They should...

• understand how children grow and learn
  
• be affectionate and responsive, open and informative
  
• provide a stable and stimulating environment
  
• seek out community resources and support
  
• be willing to develop common goals.
  

Quality child care settings have common characteristics...

• clean, safe and secure
  
• a caring, learning environment
  
• a small number of children with each adult
  
• space for quiet and active times, indoor and outdoor play
  
• a balance of interesting activities
  
• flexible, yet predictable daily routine
  
• a variety of easily available toys and equipment
  
• nutritional meals and snacks.
  

This article is an excerpt from Making a Quality Child Care Choice, published by the Canadian Child Care Federation, 1994

Posted by the Canadian Child Care Federation, Sept, 1996.

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