In this article we will review the myriad of ways to actually find a child care provider to complete Step 2: Set Up a Tour
To review Step 1: Define Your Perfect Situation click on the link below
http://www.fremontkidsacademy.com/1/post/2013/05/how-to-find-quality-child-care.html
Step 2: Set Up a Tour
Once you have completed defining your perfect situation you must seek out prospective child care options. There are many ways to do so and you should follow your instincts on how you'd like to proceed.
One of the most popular ways to find child care solutions is to do a search on google or your favorite search engine. You will be connected to a series of paid advertisements as well as organic search results. Remember that child care providers must wear two hats, the one that runs the business and the one that cares for the children. If you are looking for a professional business that is able to present their program in a compact way - this is a good search tool. You will find the programs that maintain their websites and are technologically savvy enough to be found on a search engine. Personally this is an important aspect of a care provider's personality for me, but that's just my opinion.
Along the same lines as search engines you may also find prospective care providers on some of the child care forums. It seems that currently the most popular forum is care.com and it is worth noting that care providers pay for a listing on the forum. This tends to weed out the less than professional providers and ensures that you are contacting someone that is currently doing business.
One of the oldest, and best, ways to find great child care is by word of mouth. There is nothing like the referral of a friend to a child care provider that has been taking care of their child. You get a behind the scenes peak into the program through the experienced eyes of your friend. The drawback to this method is that the number of programs you can tour may be very limited. Second best to a referral from an actual friend is a referral from the virtual community on sites such as yelp.com and other parenting sites. Check reviews and start touring.
Coming soon in our series is Step 3: The Interview
-Dana Wilson
Step
3: The Interview
http://www.fremontkidsacademy.com/1/post/2013/05/may-15th-2013.html
Step
4: Enroll Your Child
http://www.fremontkidsacademy.com/1/post/2013/06/how-to-find-quality-child-care-step-4-enroll-your-child.html
Step 5: Evaluating Your Child Care Program
http://www.fremontkidsacademy.com/1/post/2013/06/how-to-find-quality-child-care-step-5-evaluating-your-child-care-program.html