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The Modern-day Daycare
Meeting the Needs of Moms and Babies
By Sharon Broz
Like most parents, Kiino and Shepard expect a lot from the daycare center their children attend. They both derive comfort from feeling linked to their child throughout the day. Understanding the details of their baby's activity level, sleeping patterns and feeding schedules helps parents feel more connected during the time they are apart.
Victoria Speaks-Folds, vice president of education for Tutor Time learning centers across the country, recognizes that parents want to be kept well informed. She says strong parent communication materials are an important attribute of their program.
The Tutor Time teachers use a standardized tool, the Tutor Time Ability Profile, to observe the children and share a record of growth over time with parents. "I have developed a profile for every age group from infants through 5-year-olds," says Speaks-Folds. "It consists of typical areas of development, such as social, emotional, physical and cognitive foundations. It is not a competitive analysis, rather a record of individual achievements and mastery of skills and concepts." Parents and caregivers both find it helpful to use this portfolio of documents as a visual depiction of a child's growth and development.
A detailed report of the child's day is also a useful communication tool for parents. At Huckleberry Cheesecake, parents receive a form on arrival each day that enables them to set their baby's schedule and provide any unusual requests or information. Throughout the day the staff updates the form with anecdotes or information about the child's day. Kiino says, "Having a detailed chart to take home really helps." The transition from daycare to home is much easier, making the family's evening more enjoyable.
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