OCR Text |
Show Child day care homes needed By Marie Nelson Do you enjoy caring for young children? Have you been thinking about getting a job, but hesitated because you wanted to be home when your children came home from school? According to Mrs. Debbie McCor-mack McCor-mack of Uintah Basin Social Services, there is an urgent need in the Vernal area for licensed day care providers who will care for babies and or children whose parents work nights or swing shifts. Utah State law requires that anyone who cares for three or more unrelated children, four or more hours per day, be licensed, and that no more than two children under the age of two, and no more than six preschool children (including the provider's own) be cared for in a single family home. Other regulations pertain to health and safety considerations and are designed to prevent pre-vent child abuse and neglect. For information infor-mation regarding licensing, contact Mrs. McCormack at 789-5850. Licensed day care providers are expected ex-pected to provide professional quality child care. Quality child care is more than just "babysitting". Frequently, babysitters are content to let children play or watch TV all day with little or no supervision or direction, and to attend at-tend to family and personal chores and errands with little thought given to meeting the child's needs. Licensed day care providers generally recognize that they are self-employed professionals dedicated to meeting each child's needs in a planned, thoughtful way. Many licensed day care providers follow a daily schedule which allows for such activities as those which will enhance eye-hand coordination, reading readiness, large and small muscle development and social skills. Rest-time, arts and crafts, nature walks, storytimes and free-play are important im-portant parts of the day. Menus are planned to ensure that meals and snacks will meet each child's daily nutritional requirements. Quality day care providers are usually aware of normal patterns of child growth and development, communication, behavior management and discipline skills, and the special importance of nurturing a positive self-image in every child. The local office of Social Services supervises each licensed day care home by making periodic home visits to ensure that the licensing standards are -being met and to provide training and technical assistance. The licensing and supervision of the day care homes is designed to help promote better quality day care for those children whose parents need that service. As more parents find it necessary to use child care in order to maintain employment, training or schooling, the need for professional pro-fessional quality day care will increase. That need will necessarily be met in part, by warm, caring, nurturing licensed family day care providers. |