Tips on selecting childcare

By Katherine Nichols
Advertiser Staff Writer

Advice for parents seeking high quality childcare or pre-schools:

•Look for a nationally accredited program. This is not the same as a licensed child care facility, which addresses only basic health and safety. Accreditation is "another level up and represents a higher standard," said Elisabeth Chun, executive director of the Good Beginnings Alliance, which develops an early childhood system for the state of Hawai'i. Schools that do become accredited have met rigorous national requirements, often set by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and are viewed as achieving high standards in the quality of their program, materials, environment, teacher/child ratio and their ability to work with the entire family. There are currently 76 accredited pre-schools throughout Hawai'i.

•If you choose a licensed in-home child care provider, inquire about national accreditation. Just like pre-schools, these caregivers can achieve higher standards.

•As a parent, you should be invited to observe at the facility any time. When you do, trust your instincts.

•Watch teacher/child interactions. Is there plenty of nurturing? Are teachers trained to help guide children through the process of conflict resolution? Do they allow children to express their feelings?

•Look for small groups and lower child-adult ratios.

•Seek programs that have a low turnover rate with teachers and administrators, and use scholarships, pay raises or opportunities for professional training to encourage teachers to further their education.

Ask yourself:

•Do the teachers or caregivers appear to enjoy what they are doing?

•Look beyond the philosophy (the fast track to elite private schools isn't everything!) or the excellence of the materials, said Geri Kunishima, director of Kupono, a learning center in McCully. Make sure teachers who share your values have lots of direct contact with students.

•Look for a stimulating (but not chaotic) rotation of activities in a clean, safe physical environment. If the activities do not change from day to day, boredom can cause frustration, said Rheta Kuwahara, demonstration teacher at UH Manoa Children's Center.

•After a long week in care, children can get just as exhausted as parents do after a week of work. Allow your child plenty of quiet time and understand that some misbehavior could be attributed to fatigue.

•Choose wisely the video games and television shows to which your children are exposed.