Chris R. Koehler
County Specialist, Communities, Families and Youth
University of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension
Copyright/Access Information
- how to talk about your day care program on the telephone.
- how to meet with parents at your home.
Your main job is taking care of children. Starting a good relationship with parents is important, too. When you are honest with parents about your day care business, your beliefs, and your parenting style, you should have a better relationship with parents.
Parents will hear about your day care program through your local support agency, word of mouth, or ads in the newspaper. Most parents will call you first to see if you have space for their child. They will also want to see if their child will "fit" into your program. The phone call is your first chance to begin honest communication with a parent. Listen to the parent's questions, and answer them as best you can.
Give each parent who calls enough information about your day care program. He or she will then decide whether to visit you at your home.
Tell each parent about your program. Have your Parent-Provider Agreement handy so you can answer the parent's questions about your rules and policies. Some parents may be very interested in how you discipline children. Other parents might be more interested in how you help children learn and grow.
Feel free to ask questions about the child. Ask about the parent's work schedule. Find out how the parent feels a child should be raised. You want to make sure the child will fit in well with your other children.
If the phone interview goes well, invite the parent and child to your home. Set up a time with the parent. Explain that you want to give the parent and child lots of time and attention. Perhaps an evening or weekend meeting would be best. You may also want the parent and child to come during day care hours for a short visit. This way the child can meet the other children. Also, the parent can watch you with the children.
Set aside time to spend with the parent. The child can play with toys so that you can talk with the parent about the child and your program. See what toys the child chooses. Watch how the child and parent talk to each other. What do they say?
During this first meeting at your home, you can go over your Parent-Provider Agreement with the parent. Try to cover all your rules so the parent understands how you run your pro-gram. Learn about the child. Ask questions about his or her likes and dislikes, habits and routines, and favorite foods and toys.
Show the parent and child around your home. Show the child the yard where she or he will play, the table where she or he will eat meals and snacks, the play area, and the nap area. Share what most days in your day care program are like.
When will the day care start? You may want to suggest a trial period of a few weeks or a month to see if you and the child get along well. The parent or you can change your mind during this time. You can ask the parent to pay
in advance for this period.
*A Parents' Guide to Day Care*. Gryphon House, 1981. Pamphlet. Available from the publisher, 3706 Otis Street, Mt. Kanier, Maryland 20822 ($2.95).
1. Think about what you have read. If you were a parent, what would be important for you to know about a family day care provider?
Write several questions you would ask a family day care provider.
2. What do you need to know about a parent and child as a family day care provider?
Write several questions you would ask a parent looking for day care.
Contact Us | Non-discrimination Statement and Information Disclosures | © Iowa State University, 2002