References from parents:
"Wow, where do I start about Kelly and her at home daycare. Kelly
watches my two year old son Kamryn Monday through Friday. She has made
a huge impact on my sons life! Kamryn wakes up every morning excited
and ready to go see Miss Kelly. Having to put your child in daycare and
go to work everyday is a hard decision, but with Kelly, we have NO
WORRIES. She loves our son as if he were her own. We now think of Kelly
and her family as a part of our own family. Kamryn is constantly
learning new things, songs, shapes, and his numbers. I love to pick up
Kamryn and find that he has made something special for my husband and
I, like a special Christmas ornament or a macaroni necklace. She
teaches my son respect, discipline, manners and all about life. Each
week they have a new theme, so I love hearing about what Kamryn has
learned. Last week it was the ocean, so everyday he talks about going
to the ocean and seeing the turtles and octopus. It's amazing! She also
helped Kam with potty training, and it was tough at times and she stuck
to it with us! We know that when we drop our son off at Kelly's, that
he is safe and loved. Kelly you're a blessing to us."
-Misti
"I brought Christian to Arnold family childcare about 7 months ago
because there was a real need for him to be in a SAFE, happy, loving
and fun environment, not only for his well being, but for my own peace
of mind. I love Kelly, the owner and primary caregiver, and she has done
a wonderful job of teaching Christian. Kelly has shown me what really
happens to your child if they are enjoying the environment they go to.
I can’t say enough wonderful things about the daycare. I would highly
recommend Arnold Family Childcare to any and all of my friends and to
those of you who need great family childcare."
Sincerely,
Joey
~~~~~~
Having two kids myself, I understand the dilemma parents face when deciding where to place their children for childcare. I know that I always wanted to have my kids with someone I knew I could trust, who would treat them as well as I would, and where they would be happy to spend their days.
Days at our house are as fun as we can make them! I truly love being with children and watching them develop and thrive. I enjoy teaching preschool curriculum and watching their little eyes light up as they are learning! And I'm like a kid myself when it comes to doing crafts and playing games.
A lot of home childcare providers would want to tell you everything that is wrong with larger daycare centers or with personal nannies. I don't want to say anything negative about either, as I have worked in both settings. Each family has to decide what is right for them. That being said, I do believe that licensed home childcare is a wonderful environment for kids. My mom ran a daycare in our home when I was growing up, and I loved it! It was like having built-in friends over every day! I formed a lot of close friendships during those years, and I know all of my little kiddos will do the same.
I wanted to share an interesting article I found on The Colorado Association of Family Child Care website:
Why Choose Licensed Family Child Care?A License is mandated by State Law for anyone caring for children from more than one family.
Fingerprinting with criminal background check for provider and all individuals over the age of eighteen residing in the child care home.
Inspections of the entire home and grounds by a State Licensing Specialist, with continued monitoring.
Current physical exam for the provider and every individual residing in the child care home.
Current vaccinations for all cats and dogs.
Required training certifications.
These are some of the minimum requirements for a standard license. There are other types of licenses which require additional requirements.
Training and Education Required for Licensing
Safety First Certificate:
CPR Infant / Child / Adult re-certification annually.
First Aid re-certification every three years.
Universal Precautions (infectious disease prevention, controlling the spread of germs and viruses), re-certification every three years.
Medical Administration (what medications can be legally given and how to give them, plus the associated record keeping), re-certification every three years.
General Training
Initially twelve hours of pre-licensing training is required. A minimum of nine hours of additional training is required annually. The subject areas as specified by the Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Child Care are:
-Child growth and development, Healthy and safe environment
-Nutrition
-Developmentally appropriate practices
-Guidance
-Family relationships
-Cultural and individual diversity
-Professionalism
The Advantage of Licensed Family Child Care
In their search for child care, many parents of young children prefer family child care homes because they offer smaller group size, a personal relationship with a primary provider, and warm individualized care in a family setting.
Often these small groups are made up of various ages who develop sibling like relationships. For the little ones it is like having older siblings. They learn quickly from the older ones, and are exposed to a broader range of activities, toys, stories, and play, enriching their daily lives.
Eventually, they become the oldest child in care. Now they have the benefits of being the oldest sibling. They become the group leader, are the most knowledgeable, competent, and grow in maturity, confidence, and responsibility, promoting the development of natural leadership.
The Colorado Association of Family Child Care offers this information as a service to families. It is not an endorsement of any individual provider. Parents or guardians must evaluate, and monitor each child care placement in terms of safety, and appropriateness for their children. The Colorado Association of Family Child Care assumes no liability for any child care placement.