For working parents, selecting a quality summer caregiver for children can be a difficult task. The selection process demands more than casual scrutiny since the experience can offer the child numerous learning and growing opportunities.

“Quality summer care should allow your child to discover, explore and be active in a safe, well supervised environment,” said Pat Minish, Ph.D., executive director of the Georgia Association on Young Children. “It is a great time to develop new skills and new friends.”

The Georgia Child Care Council's pamphlet “The Most Important Decision You'll Make For Your Child” offers information about researching providers, with a “child care checklist” of questions to ask prospective caregivers about the program, the place and overall care.

“The biggest challenge is finding available summer care that your child enjoys and that provides a variety of age-appropriate activities to expand growing skills,” said Minish. “There are several factors you should examine when determining summer care for your child. You will want to start your search early and make sure that the child care provider shares your philosophy.”

Here are six key tips provided by the Council to parents seeking quality childcare providers:

Find a caregiver who understands the principles of child growth and development.

Does the caregiver understand what activities are appropriate for each age group? Offer children the opportunity to select their own activities? Promote a positive self-image for children? Create situations and provide support for children to develop new skills? Recognize and provide quality experience and interactions for children with special needs?

Find a caregiver who establishes and maintains a safe and healthy learning environment.

Does the caregiver provide a safe environment to prevent and reduce injuries, provide appropriate supervision, follow emergency plans and procedures? Promote good health and nutrition? Create an environment that is interesting, secure, and enjoyable and encourages play exploration, learning and a feeling of ownership?

Find a caregiver who advances the physical and intellectual competence of the children in his or her own care.

Does the caregiver provide a variety of equipment, activities and opportunities that promote the physical development of children? Provide activities and opportunities that encourage curiosity, exploration and problem solving appropriate to the developmental levels and learning styles of children? Does the caregiver actively communicate with children and provide opportunities and support for children to understand, acquire and use verbal and nonverbal means of communicating thoughts and feelings?

Find a caregiver who supports the children's emotional development and provides proactive guidance.

Does the caregiver provide physical and emotional security for each child and help him or her know, accept and take pride in self and develop a sense of independence? Help each child feel accepted into the group? Provide a supportive environment in which children can begin to learn and practice appropriate and acceptable behaviors as individuals and as a group?

Find a caregiver who establishes positive and productive relationships with families.

Is the caregiver open to your thoughts, suggestions, questions? Does the caregiver welcome visits from parents anytime? Does the caregiver support the child's relationship with his or her family by providing various opportunities to appreciate families as part of the regular program? Provide support for families in stress or in crisis? Use information about the family's culture, relationships and child-rearing practices in experiences offered to children?

Find a caregiver who maintains a commitment to professionalism through training, activity in the childcare field, etc.

Does the caregiver take advantage of opportunities to improve competence for both personal and professional growth and for the benefit of children and their families? Demonstrate a positive attitude toward his or her role in working with children? Trained in CPR and first aid?

For a pamphlet, bookmark or additional information on selecting a caregiver, call the Georgia Child Care council's toll-free “Choose to Care” hotline, 1-888-4GA-CHILD (1-888-442-2445), or visit the Council's Web site at www.gachildcare.org to locate the childcare resource and referral agency in your area.

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