Child Care Resource Library

Safe Sleep for Newborns: Tips for Childcare Providers

Newborns and young infants spend much of the day sleeping, making safe sleep tactics and essential skill set for childcare providers. Neglecting the basic tenets of safe sleep can place infants under one year of age at risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, which occurs with no warning signs while a baby sleeps. Since the American public, including parents and childcare providers, began to widely adopt the safe sleeping rules set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the SIDS rate in the United States has plummeted by more than fifty percent. Still, one in five deaths attributed to SIDS occurs when a child is place in the care of someone other than a parent, like daycare or with an in-home childcare provider.

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Florida Childcare Licensing and Regulation

Florida child care facility licensing requirements can be confusing, but the Florida Department of Children and Families has provided a wealth of information to both providers and parents.

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Apply for Childcare Assistance Programs

One of the biggest challenges parents face is finding affordable child care. It is usually incredibly expensive, often forcing parents to make some very difficult choices. Even for those who can afford it, quality daycare centers often have long waiting lists, so good care can be hard to come by.

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Child Care Assistance Programs in the U.S.

Millions of parents in the United States struggle to find affordable and quality care for their children. The costs of childcare can be expensive, but fortunately there are federal, state and local programs to help parents who need assistance. Although many of these programs are geared towards single mothers, there are opportunities for all parents to receive aid.

Choosing a Quality Childcare Provider

Although there’s no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to child care, there are basics to look for which will ensure that your children are well cared for. Take it one step at a time, and trust your instincts.

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What Certifications Should Parents Look for in a Babysitter?

Parents may only require the services of a babysitter on an occasional basis, but part-time childcare hiring decisions still require their full attention.

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How Childcare Providers Can Accommodate Children with Special Needs

The primary goal of high-quality childcare providers is to ensure each and every child under their care gets the attention they need and deserve, but it can be challenging for those with limited experience to accommodate children with special needs.

Childcare for Children on the Autism Spectrum

Emerging data from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the number of autism spectrum disorder diagnoses continuing to rise, surpassing the estimates in 2002 by roughly 120%. For childcare providers, this means an increasing influx of children into center based and group care settings whose needs are very different from those of their peers.

Where Can I Find Information on Child Care Regulations?

The care of children in a professional setting can come with a host of rules and regulations mandated by the government, which creates a necessity for research in order to ensure the full compliance of a business venture. Child care regulations can affect the daily operations of large-scale center-based systems and small home daycares alike.

Incident Reports: Documenting Accidents and Behavioral Issues

Where there are children, there will inevitably be accidents and behavioral problems. Even under the best and most attentive care, injuries and misbehavior can and do occur.

While childcare professionals must obviously make every possible effort to limit the risk of personal injury to the children under their care, some situations may not always be avoidable. When accidents, injuries and problematic behavior do occur, however, caregivers should document such situations thoroughly.