| Till quite recently, finding affordable, | | | | Daycare services provided under a valid |
| quality daycare services for children was | | | | license offer more safety and better care, as |
| almost an impossibility for working parents, | | | | the facilities are more likely to meet |
| especially working mothers. This often | | | | government standards and the minders |
| resulted in many qualified and talented | | | | themselves are more likely to have been |
| ladies having to stay home to care for their | | | | trained in first aid, child care and |
| little ones or accepting less demanding, less | | | | preschool education. |
| time critical assignments for a lower salary. | | | | |
| | | | The fastest growing industry in the country, |
| This situation has now undergone a dramatic | | | | desperate parents can now find quite a |
| change with daycare services being offered | | | | comprehensive list of daycare services listed |
| throughout the country and the number of | | | | in the yellow pages. The usual practice, |
| working parents reaching an all time high. | | | | after narrowing the list down to about ten |
| The services themselves fall into a few main | | | | promising candidates is to get all the |
| categories. Profit and non-profit 'centers', | | | | pertinent details (license details, referees |
| and profit and non profit home based daycare | | | | etc) over the phone and then go in person to |
| services. | | | | look around before making a final decision. |
| | | | |
| Most centers are licensed and operate for a | | | | If parents are lucky, they will be able to |
| profit. However, centers run by the | | | | find daycare services that accepts their |
| government, local churches and charities | | | | children while they're still infants of 6 or |
| sometimes operate on a non profit basis. In | | | | 7 months, and who will care for them right |
| addition to these institutions, daycare | | | | until they enter preschool. Some centers even |
| services are now also offered by an | | | | accept children on a part time basis on |
| increasing number of business organizations | | | | weekends. |
| for the benefit of their employees. | | | | |
| | | | However, no matter what form of care the |
| Home based daycare services are usually | | | | parent decides upon, it is the child who |
| provided by a reliable nanny hired by the | | | | ultimately experiences the good and the bad |
| parents, or by child minders who use their | | | | of daycare services on a daily basis. Thus, |
| homes to care for small groups of children. | | | | at the end of the day, the one thing parents |
| The one rule home daycare is subject to under | | | | should always pay particular attention to is |
| the Day Nurseries Act is, the five children | | | | whether or not the child likes and is |
| or less per house rule (not including the | | | | comfortable with the daycare services being |
| carer's own children). | | | | used. |
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