What Parents Should Know About Registered Family Home Child Care
Registered family homes are inspected once before registration and inspected based on an ongoing monitoring plan. However, it is your responsibility to make sure that health and safety standards meet your approval. The registered family home must obtain certain information and records from parents to ensure the child's health and safety, handle emergencies, and meet minimum standards. Give caregivers the basic information they need to keep concerning your child's immunization records, telephone numbers where you can be reached during the day, authorization for emergency care, and written permission for water activities and transportation services. The caregiver is not permitted to spank children under 5 years old. Children 5 years old and older may be spanked only if the caregiver has written permission from parents. The number of children allowed in care is limited by the ages of the children. No more than six children under than the age of five can be in care at any one time, although six more school-age children can be added during the after-school hours. However, no more than 12 children can be in care, including children of the caregiver. There shall be no smoking in the home while children are in care. Resources for Parents: * Excerpted from "A Parent's Guide to Registered Family Homes" by the Texas Department of Protective & Regulatory Services, Child Care Licensing.
Suggestions For Parents
Visit your child care home. Go when children are in care so you can see how the caregiver treats children, what kinds of activities are available, and how problems are handled. See how well the caregiver provides a safe and healthy environment. Look carefully at home or apartments that have a pool or are near lakes, creeks, or other bodies of water. The caregiver can explain how she ensures the safety of children in and around these bodies of water. Discuss your concerns with the caregiver. Respect the caregiver's time. Her main responsibility is working with the children. Don't be offended if the caregiver can't spend much time talking with you when you drop off or pick up your child. If you need more time to talk about your child, set up a appointment. It is important to let the caregiver know about things at home that may affect how your child is doing while in care.
Talk Things Over With Your Child
Watch for a time each day when your child is quiet and feeling secure and protected. Then gently ask questions about how he or she is doing. Share his or her excitement about new friends, new skills, and new abilities. Listen to his or her concerns. Give him or her a chance to boast about their achievements.
When Your Child Starts Care
It's normal for children to have some fears and misgivings about starting child care outside of their home. Children need time to get used to new situations. Prepare your child for the change as far in advance as possible. Discuss her or her concerns. Depending on their ages, some children will temporarily "act out" their feelings by clinging to you and refusing to let go, forgetting their toilet training, sucking their thumbs, or other such behaviors. Work with the family home caregiver on this.