You trust that your child is in competent and caring hands when you drop her off at day care and say good-bye for the day. But you may discover that some situations may not be suitable for your child. You should not hesitate to pull your child out of a day care that you do not feel is safe, secure and enriching.
Child Not Flourishing
One of the benefits of child care is that your child is exposed to professionals who stimulate his mental, emotional, physical and social growth. If you believe that your child is not flourishing in his day care environment, it may be time to re-evaluate the situation, advises KidsHealth. The site reminds parents that kids have bad days from time to time, but if your child does not seem to be growing and learning over an extended period, he and the center you have selected may not be a good match. Day care should be a positive, rewarding experience, not a place he dislikes or an organization that is stifling his abilities. If you have tried several different facilities and the day care environment does not seem to be helping your child grow and develop, day care may not be for him.
Unsafe Environment
If you witness an unsafe situation in your child's day care or if your child tells you about dangerous activities or faulty equipment, it is best to find a new facility. No parent wants to put her child in danger. You aren't there to protect your little one during the day, so you want to put her in care where you know she will be safe. The website Safer Child advises parents that every decision for moving a child out of a day care center is a personal one, but the site suggests contacting local authorities if you feel something illegal or unsafe is happening in the facility.
Lax Rules and Regulations
A good day care center has thorough policies and rules and welcomes parents to visit at any time. The staff is well trained on emergency situations, and a strict sick-child policy is in place, advises the website BabyCenter. If you find that the day care center where you send your child lacks well-thought-out guidelines, you may want to consider another facility. If you notice the staff allowing sick children to come to day care, you may want to find a center that prohibits sick children. BabyCenter recommends day care centers that don't allow kids or staff members to come to day care until their fevers have been gone for at least 24 hours.
