Quality indicators

How do I choose a quality child care environment?

Some basic quality indicators for you to consider when searching for child care are:

Staff: child ratios and group sizes for child care centers and group child care providers are based upon the age of your child. Of course, the best environments will offer small class sizes and more adults per child. Georgia requires the following:

* Children may be combined in mixed-age groups provided that infants and children younger than 3 years are not grouped with children three 3 years and older except as set forth below. In mixed-age groups, the required staff: child ratios shall be based on the ages of the youngest children in the group if more than 20 percent of the children in the mixed-age group belong to younger age groups.**

1) During early morning times of arrival and late afternoon times of departure, infants and children younger than 3 years may be grouped with older children so long as staff-to-child ratios and group size are met based upon the age of the youngest child in the group.

2) Children who turn three 3 years of age during the regular school year may remain grouped with 2-year-olds for the remainder of the school year provided that the continued placement in the younger group is with the agreement of the older child's parents and is developmentally appropriate for the child.

**Maximum group size does not apply to outdoor play on the playground routinely used by the center or for special activities in the center lasting no more than two hours. However, required staff-to-child ratios must be maintained.

• Family involvement should be encouraged by child care providers. Staff should regularly discuss highlights of the child's experiences with parents and show respect for families of varying cultures and backgrounds. Parents or guardians should share information that will aid staff understanding of individual needs and sometimes difficult behaviors.

• Caregiver education is important to the quality of the child care environment. Specialized training in child development and early education helps ensure that child care providers understand how children grow and learn so they can be more effective teachers and caregivers.

• Health and safety of the children should be of great concern. Smoke detectors and fire extinguishers should be accessible to the child care areas. The provider should practice and model proper hand washing and cleanliness. You should not encounter cords, uncovered electrical plugs, unsecured electrical equipment or any other possible hazard in a child care environment.

The Basic Child Care Checklist for Parents (doc) has been provided for your convenience in evaluating your child care options. For more information on these and other child development topics, visit the following Web sites:

The National Association for the Education of Young Children is dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age 8.

The National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies is the national network of more than 850 agencies located in every state across the U.S.

The Georgia Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies is the network of 14 agencies located throughout the state.

Child Care Aware is a non-profit initiative of the National Associations of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies committed to helping parents find the best information on locating quality child care and child care resources in their community.

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is the state agency responsible for overseeing child care and educational services for Georgia’s children, ages birth through 4 and their families and for administering the nutrition program for children and adults. Licensing Inspection Information is provided as a public service on this site.

Georgia Association on Young Children is a non-profit professional organization that promotes quality early care and education for young children. GAYC is affiliated with the Southern Early Childhood Association and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

In Georgia, reports of child abuse (PDF) should be made to the Department of Family and Children's Services office in the county where the child lives. Locate Georgia DFCS offices using this state map.

Safe Kids of Georgia sponsors several programs to assist parents with providing a safe, secure environment for their children. These programs include car seat safety training, bicycle safety training, pool safety training, etc. This new Web site will provide details of upcoming events.