What is quality child care?
Some basic items of quality include the following:
Ratio: The number of children per adult in a home or classroom.
Group Size: The total number of children in a group setting (i.e. a classroom or home).
Health: Policies and practices around illness, immunization, nutrition, cleanliness, and preventing the spread of germs.
Safety: Practices to make sure the environment is safe, both indoors and outdoors. This includes furniture or structures in the environment, it’s placement, as well as equipment and toys. Also includes practices around First Aid and Infant and Child CPR training for staff, fire precautions, criminal background checks, releasing children, etc.
Training, education and experience of the provider: Sees that providers have education and training in child development and other related topics. Providers have experience caring for children in a group setting.
Consistency of care: The provider or teacher is committed to being there daily to care for children. Sufficient pay and benefits for the teachers or provider help to reduce staff turnover.
New Hampshire's Quality Rating System
Quality Rating Systems have been developed to allow providers to achieve and be recognized for improving their quality of care at incremental levels. These systems also assist families in evaluating levels of quality while engaged in their child care search.
Licensed Plus: New Hampshire Programs that hold the designation of
Licensed Plus have achieved a standard of quality above licensing standards focusing on improving practice and staff qualifications.
Accredited: Accredited programs have met comprehensive standards of quality that are set forth by one of the
National Accreditation Associations. Programs in New Hampshire are currently accredited by one of the following Accrediting Associations:
NAEYC
(National Association for the Education of Young Children),
NAFCC
(National Association for Family Child Care),
NAA
(National Afterschool Association)
NAC (National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs or
ASCI (Association of Christian Schools International).
Search for Accredited Programs
Opportunities for Learning and Development
High quality programs or providers include learning opportunities across all the areas of growth and development.
Physical: Using small and large muscles in play.
Social:Positive relationships and the chance to solve problems with other children and adults; opportunities for learning self-help and self-regulation skills.
Emotional: Nurturing relationships, learning about their own feelings and the feelings of others, and developing self-control.
Cognitive:Learning about the world around them: language, math, science, the arts, cooking, woodworking, computers, etc.
Creative: Self-expression through art, language, drama, etc.
Physical Environment
A physical environment that promotes learning includes:
- Enough space, airflow and lighting for the children to play and learn comfortably.
- Uncluttered spaces that are arranged in a manner that is pleasing to the eye.
- An environment that is child-friendly with choices for children’s learning and play.
- Indoor and outdoor play on a daily basis (as much as weather allows).
- Hard and soft surfaces; places for quiet or noisy play; places to be with the group or to be alone.
Philosophy of Education
A philosophy of education that promotes learning includes:
- Play as an important part of the child’s learning.
- The use of positive guidance or discipline (Spanking, shaming, yelling at children, withholding food and other forms of harsh treatment are NEVER OK!)
- The needs of each child as an individual are taken into account.
