Who's watching your kids? BBB offers tips for choosing a safe child care arrangement

The school year has come to an end, and summer is right around the corner. For parents, choosing a child care situation can be a difficult decision. One has to consider safety, affordability and convenience to home, work and school. BBB Serving Metro Atlanta, Athens & Northeast Georgiaadvises asking a lot of questions and doing some homework before settling on the arrangement that is best for you and your child.

Whether you decide to go with a day care center, someone who provides day care services at their home or an in-home provider like a babysitter or nanny, it’s important to check licenses, certifications and make sure background checks are in order.

Before you settle on a child care situation, BBB recommends that you:

• Check out the business first. Whether you’re looking for a day care center, a home day care or a nanny service, visit bbb.org for a company’s Business Review page. It may be a good idea to check with Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. Bright from the Start is responsible for meeting the child care and early education needs of Georgia’s children and their families. It administers the nationally recognized Georgia’s Pre-K Program, licenses child care centers and home-based child care, administers Georgia's Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program, federal nutrition programs, and manages Quality Rated, Georgia’s community powered child care rating system.
• Tour the facility. It should be clean, toys and equipment should be in good condition, and it should feel age-appropriate for your child. Make sure the bathroom facilities are age-appropriate and that hand-washing stations are accessible for small children. Food prep and serving areas should be separate and well-marked.
• Ask about employees. Ask if background checks are conducted on all employees and volunteers. Ask about employee turnover. High turnover of full-time staff is a red flag. Make sure employees are CPR and first-aid certified. If it’s a home-based day care, ask for names of friends or family members that regularly visit the home when children are there.
• Find out about policies. Ask what the facility’s policy is for punishment of misbehaving students. Punishments should be age-appropriate and non-corporal. Also, get a copy of the payment policy and schedule to make sure there are not additional fees or late penalties.
• Ask around. Get recommendations from parents in your neighborhood. When visiting a facility, ask parents of current students about their experiences there.

For companies you can trust please visit bbb.org/atlanta.