Once you’ve chosen your child care arrangement, you’ll begin the transition into the new program, and begin new relationships with providers, teachers, and other families. Staying in close touch and monitoring the care your child receives is very important, no matter what type of child care you have chosen to use.

Making the Transition

So you've chosen a child care program, now you're probably thinking about that big first day.  Carefully planning and preparing for the transition with both your child and your provider will go a long way to making a successful change.  Remember, you are beginning a new, and hopefully long-term, partnership.  Starting out on the right foot can make a big difference.

Communication with Your Child Care Provider

A solid relationship with your provider, built on mutual trust and respect, is key in making your child care arrangement work out well for everyone involved.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Another way to build understanding and communication between you and your child’s care providers are through parent-teacher conferences. These are a more formal way for child care providers and parents to discuss a child’s development, and make the connection between home and child care. When thinking about getting the most out of these conferences, here are some points to consider:

• Be prepared. Have a list of questions or concerns that you may have about your child and his development.
• Talk to your child before the conference about what she likes to do at child care, who her friends are, etc.
• Find out what you can be doing at home to enhance your child’s learning and development
• Arrive at the conference on time: Usually there is a very limited time for these meetings, and you’ll want to make the most of it!
• Most child care providers will have examples of your child’s work on hand to look through. If not, or if there’s something you want to see, ask about it.
• Talk about any action you both may want to take regarding to your child’s progress and future growth.
• Stay in touch!

Discussing Difficult Issues

There are bound to be certain topics or situations that are difficult to talk about with your child’s provider or teachers. If you have developed an honest, open way of communicating with one another, discussing these issues as they arise won’t be so hard. Things to consider when discussing difficult issues:

• Raise issues when they first develop. If you put off a discussion, it may be harder to bring it up again later, or you may never bring it up at all, and instead end up harboring resentment.
• Avoid confronting your provider in front of other parents or children. Set up a time to speak privately, in person, or over the phone.
• Think about what you want to discuss ahead of time, and even practice how you want to say it.
• Be specific about your concerns: Give examples of things that have happened or observations you’ve made.
• Never discuss a problem when you are feeling angry or not in control of your emotions.
• Remember that conflicts are normal and part of most relationships; they can usually be resolved when both parties can see each other’s views and are willing to compromise.