Early childhood education and daycare are services for children under compulsory school age involving elements of both physical, emotional, and mental health care and education. Apart from their critical contribution to cognitive stimulation, socialization, child development, and early education, they are an essential service for employed parents.

Talking about India, you all must have heard about the Government’s established and proposed idea of Anganwadis (cost-free) under the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Anganwadi Services was launched with the objectives to improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age group 0-6 years, to lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child and to reduce the incidence of malnutrition and school dropouts, etc.

Also, other than the Government sector, the Preschool sector also provides day care facilities. It charges its own fee depending upon several factors. In the article ahead we will read, ‘What to look for in a Day Care Center’?

Day Care centre, why is it needed?

Long back in time, the healthcare organisations and UNESCO, identified some major goals for day care, these were: –

1) Care for children while mothers work
2) Socialization for the children
3) Cognitive stimulation
4) Intellectual development and preparation for primary school
5) Overall child development.
6) Providing health care (for the under 3s)

What are some contemporary problems related to the day care centre?

The Early childhood services have been increasingly privatised over the past two decades, and they’re not meeting the real needs of our communities.It isn’t that the private sector is at fault, rather the mushrooming of preschools and day cares with some compromising its quality in certain cases is the real issue. There are plenty of them which are doing and aiming best at serving the little ones for their overall development.

Junior Delhi School’s Day-Care runs a day care program for children of age 6 months to the age of 12 years covering the childhood stages of infants, toddlers, pre-kindergarten and school-age children which incorporate carefully designed activities to cover all the main areas of childhood development. This is offered with the help of a qualified and trained staff who possess knowledge in the developmental needs of the children.

What to look for in a day care centre?

1. Socialisation at Day-Care:

The very prominent and important factor while choosing a day- care centre for your child is the aspect of Socialisation. Having a great company of peers and holistic environment which aids socialisation and helps kids develop social skills is at the centre of recommendation for all day-care centres.

2. Staff Support:

The teachers, the helping staff at the daycare hold greater relevance when choosing a day-care centre. These are the people who will be with your child the entire day when you would be at work. Hence, make sure they are student-friendly, cooperative professionals working towards the goal of providing child care in the centre. The environment at the daycare should be non-threatening and conducive to the child’s growth.

3. Learning resources and stimulating material:

Children in the early years of their lives need stimulating material and resources that help them develop physically, their cognitionand, skills development like Gross motor and fine motor and prepare them for life. The daycares are meant to helpthe child explore things, try out themselves at all tasks and build values.

4. Age-appropriate activities :

There isa greater inclination of adults towards academics and want their child to prosper in it from the day they are born, like not factually but genuinely rooting for it. They even want daycares to do that as well. However, daycares are meant to provide support for health care and early education services. Look out for day cares that intend to help your child’s health and development occur better and not make them overburdened with the idea of Academic excellence for the time they need to play and explore and activities should center around them more.

Nutritional Food, sleep habit formation and , moral and social development are other things that you should seek out in a daycare centre. Hope this reading helped!

The importance of educational activities in preschool

is an important milestone for young children. It is the time when children learn to socialize with others, develop their motor skills and begin to learn about the world around them. Choosing the right preschool for your child is essential to ensuring that he or she receives the best possible education and has a positive preschool experience. There are many factors to consider when choosing a preschool for your child. One of the most important is the curriculum.

A good Pre School in Delhi curriculum should cover all aspects of child development, including cognitive skills, social-emotional skills, physical skills and creative expression. Another important consideration is the teachers. The best preschools have qualified, experienced teachers who are dedicated to nurturing the development of each child. Teachers should be able to create a safe and nurturing environment where children can explore, learn and grow. The facility and location of the preschool are also important factors to consider.

The preschool should be clean and well-maintained, and the location should be convenient for you and your child. Ultimately, the best way to determine if a preschool is right for your child is to visit the school and meet the teachers and staff. Ask lots of questions and get a sense of what the school is like. The best preschools will welcome you with open arms and be excited to have your child join their community.