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Double Duty
Finding the Right Daycare for Multiples By Heather Johnson Durocher
After speaking with friends and family about daycare options, as well as researching resources in her community, Smith decided to place an ad in her metropolitan newspaper for an in-home caregiver. Smith ended up receiving dozens of calls for the in-home position and conducted about 10 in-person interviews without her children present. "Before I let them meet my kids I wanted a sense of who they were," she says.
From there, she gathered personal information on each candidate and ran background and criminal checks. She also checked on references and inquired about candidates' experience with First Aid training, including CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
Finally, Smith narrowed her choice to one and had that woman come for another visit, during which Smith left the house for an hour or so at a time. "I would just leave, go up the street to the neighbor's or go sit in the coffee shop," she says. "I wouldn't leave at the quietest time of day or the craziest time but a busy time."
Smith knew she'd found someone suitable when she returned to find the woman, a certified preschool teacher, actively involved with her children. "She was so interactive with them, to the point she was sitting on the ground with them and breaking apart acorns and telling them how trees grow," Smith says.
As Smith discovered, a caregiver's educational background can prove beneficial. Having at least the basic level of certification is important, no matter the daycare setting, Wagner says.
"In some states, the basic requirements for teacher's aide or even teacher are extremely low," Wagner says. "For example, in some states, caregivers must be at least 18 years old, free of communicable diseases and able to prove that they have never been convicted of a felony against children. Some states add college courses in child development or early childhood education as a requirement for certification, but routinely waive the educational requirements because the need for early childhood staff is so great."