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Best Practices
What are best practices in family day homes? Here are some examples:1. Books
Nina has an early morning routine that makes the transition from parent to provider an easy one for the children. She has found that by arranging in her living room fun groups of picture books and stuffed animals, the children just race to the books and their favorite animal. By the time all the children have arrived, this first activity of the day ends with a story time. Going to the library and choosing the right books is an important part of Nina’s week.
2. Guidance
Bradley, age 3, had just started at Julie’s home As soon as the consultant walked in the door the first time to see how he was doing, she watched him grab a truck from a little girl, pushing her down and bumping her head. Julie was there instantly. She stooped low to their level, put her hand gently but firmly on Bradley’s shoulder and turned him to face little Jennifer, who was crying. (Afterwards she said “You know, children don’t look at someone they are hurting. You need to get them to look at them to understand how their actions affect the other”). She likewise put her hand on Jennifer’s shoulder and had her face Bradley. “Jennifer”, she coached, “tell him how that felt”. “He hurt me”, she said. “Bradley”, Julie continued, “tell her what you wanted”. “I just want to play with that truck”. Jennifer replied, “Well, you can have it when I’m through”. Julie said, “Bradley, at our house, you wait until someone puts a toy down before you take it. There are lots of other trucks. Shall we go find them so you can choose another truck to play with until Jennifer is finished with the one you want?” The next week when the consultant dropped in again, Bradley and Jennifer were playing happily together.
3. Discovery
When a child noticed caterpillars on some tree leaves during a walk to the park, Ruth took the time to talk to the children about it and asked “Why are they on the leaves”. One question led to another and to another and by the time the children were home from the park they were all excited about trees. That afternoon they walked to the library and came home loaded down with books about trees. The next day the provider drew and cut out a big tree from newsprint and secured it to the living room wall. For the next 3 months the children read about trees, talked about trees, sang about trees, wrote stories about trees, danced trees, did art work, played and learned all about trees and what lives in trees. All the while the provider printed out words of the things they were learning about – tree, bird, bug, leaf, etc. and put them on the paper tree. Their stories, printed by the older ones and written by the provider as dictated by the younger children, also went on the tree. It was a joyful time and the best example of the whole language approach to learning we’d ever seen in a family day home. Not hard to see why every child who turns 4 in the home can read!
4. Hygiene
Marnie’s hygiene practices are exemplary. She has a step stool and a big stack of wash clothes for drying hands that she keeps in a basket by the bathroom sink. She brings in each child first thing in the morning and washes their hands. She sets a good example by washing her own hands before and after diapering, after helping a child blow his nose, before preparing food, etc. Each child has her or his own toothbrush that is used after every meal. After naps she sits them on her lap and combs their hair. When a child has a runny nose, Marnie is careful to pick up the toys the child has used and clean them with a bleach solution before another child plays with it.
5. Caring
During the initial interview, Julie asks the parents what the child is most interested in. If the child starts in her home, she makes that first day special for the child by focusing on that child’s interest. If the child is fascinated by trains, he walks into a world of trains. A train set was set up in the playroom. There were books about trains, pictures of trains, train cookie cutters with the play dough, and train cookies at snack time. It takes a little more work but having the child feel wanted and welcome that first day makes it worth the effort.
6. Creativity
Minal knows the children’s little minds are like sponges and that they are happiest when they are learning. She enjoys turning every activity into a learning experience. Instead of just getting out the paints and paper for an art activity, Minal found a picture of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, told the children the story of Michelangelo and then taped paper to the underside of the kitchen table and had the children paint upside down. Another time she showed the children a picture painted by Emily Carr, told them her story, then took the paints and paper on clip boards out to a grove of trees in the nearby park so they could paint nature.
7. Working with Parents
Karen provides exceptional care to the children in her home and as well has developed a particular expertise in working with parents. They trust her, appreciate and respect her highly. Some of the things she has done to develop this excellent relationship with all the parents of the children in her care are to:
- Interview the parents very carefully, showing them where the child will nap, eat, play, have quiet time and being very clear about how she operates her day home. Her portfolio with her sample menus, weekly program schedule, training certificates, letters of recommendation from other parents, and pictures of her day home, is an important part of every interview. She always asks to hold the baby or spends time talking to the child in question.
- Parents are very clear about the fees they will pay, including the Agency Service Fee, because Karen herself is clear about it.
- She finds ways to share the activities and menus with the parents on a daily basis – a notebook for infants, a bulletin board for older children. Her confidence in herself and her enjoyment of the children breathes confidence and trust into her relationship with their parents.
8. Administration
As an agency we just thoroughly appreciate the providers who show professionalism in the administration of their day home business, who:
- Record the children’s hours on the attendance sheet on a daily basis.
- Have the parents sign to confirm those hours on a weekly basis.
- Have part-time parents initial the hours every day they come so an absence the last day of the month will not hold up their pay cheque.
- Have an effective filing system for the children’s information, medication, agreements and other forms.
- Keep confidential information about the children and parents in a secure place and who do not share it with anyone.
- Demonstrate ethical practice by showing respect and fairness for each child and parent.
- Parents are all charged the same amount of money
- Openness and honesty are an integral part of her business
- Once an agreement with a parent is made, it is honoured
- Use calmness and humour to solve just about every problem
- Have a simple but effective accounting system for their expenses.
- Give receipts to parents for any extra money paid to them directly.
