Aug 05 (newsonjapan.com) - Leaving your baby in the care of other people can be a daunting task at first, but an infant care program ultimately offers practical assistance to new parents who are based in Singapore.
Here, it’s common practice for mothers to go back to work after 12 to 16 weeks of paid maternity leave, while fathers are given 2 weeks of paid paternity leave after the birth of the child. Once their parental leaves have all been used up, many parents in Singapore seek the services of infant care organizations that provide full-day and half-day programs for infants and toddlers aged between 2 to 18 months. These programs enable working parents to pursue their careers while providing their very young children with a safe and healthy environment during the day.
The good news is that there are plenty of organizations that offer excellent childcare in Singapore. Parents would be happy to know that both the government and private institutions are highly invested in the continued training of their staff members, and this ensures that the educators in these programs are able to provide top-notch early childhood care and holistic learning experiences. Still, working parents would do well to look for an infant care program near their area that checks all the boxes. Here are some of the signs that you are looking at an excellent infant care program and facility:
A Well-Designed Environment
One of the first signs that a childcare program in Singapore offers quality services to families is that it has the facilities and spaces needed to fulfill all the needs of the infants and toddlers in their care. The environment where the children will be staying should be safe, comfortable, and appropriately -sized, and the area should encourage movement, play, and interaction.
In addition to maintaining a generally pleasant atmosphere for children, an excellent childcare facility should also have separate areas for the following activities: rest and napping, feeding and food preparation, toilet and washing up, and arriving and departing from the center. There should also be dedicated spaces for skill development, playing with peers, and storing items. The furniture and equipment used in these types of establishments should exhibit good ergonomics and sturdy construction, and they must be designed with the infants’ well-being and safety in mind.
A Support Structure for Families
The families that depend on childcare facilities in Singapore are not just entrusting their infants to childcare professionals; they are partnering with experts who can help them fulfill the needs of their children during their absence. As such, there should be enough staff members to assist and supervise the infants and toddlers at all times. Ideally, the ratio of staff to infants up to 18 months of age should be 1:5, which is 1 teacher for every 5 kids. Aside from the teaching staff, the childcare program should have supervisors, main caregivers, assistant caregivers, and nurses within easy reach. These professionals can coordinate with the family in order to provide infants and toddlers with proper support, adequate attention, and if necessary, swift intervention to address specific challenges.
Interaction with Staff Members
The staff members of a credible and highly attentive childcare facility should interact with the children under their care. Physical contact and paying attention are crucial to a child’s development, so throughout the day, the caregivers should be able to hold, talk, sing, and listen to the kids in their program. The infants would also benefit from being rocked and from being taken on short walks within and outside the childcare center.
The parents, likewise, should be able to maintain a clear line of communication with their children’s caregivers. They should be able to get in touch with the teachers and supervisors in the center through email, group messages, calls, and video conferences, among others. Some parents specifically choose to be briefed regarding their child’s progress throughout the day.
Scheduled Routine and Rituals
Scheduled activities also play a crucial role in the development of very young children. Following a routine can help infants establish a sense of balance and stability. Take note, though, that these patterns of activities should consider the culture and beliefs of the family where the child belongs to. The child can then start establishing routines, and the staff members of the childcare facility should take care to follow each child’s feeding, toilet, and napping patterns without disturbing the said child or distracting the other children in the facility. Any changes in these habits should be coordinated with the parents so that they can also follow the child’s schedule at home.
Health and Safety Policies
Putting many infants in one room together can be a recipe for disaster if the staff in charge of the facility are not well-trained in keeping a childcare environment safe. The facility should maintain procedures and policies that will allow them to make the right decisions and get in touch with the right people in case a child in their care falls ill or gets injured. Aside from this, they should also have the right equipment needed to sterilize milk bottles and toys, prepare formulas, and follow through with sanitation routines.
Should you need the services of an excellent childcare facility in Singapore, make sure to check for these policies, facilities, and other qualities. This way, you can ensure that you’re entrusting the youngest member of your family to a team of people who have what it takes to provide the standard of care that you expect.
