Posts Tagged ‘child safety’

Selecting a child care provider need not be confusing. Consider these 15 criteria, adapted from a list provided by ACCENT on Arrangements, Inc., a New Orleans-based company specializing in child care programs:

Recommendations: Ask the convention bureau at your meeting site to recommend local and national child care providers. Also, check your PCMA directory.

Insurance: A minimum of $1 million general liability is needed. Read your association’s policy to be sure the proposed program is not among the exclusions.

Waiver or Release: Ask your provider for a waiver or release and have your legal staff review it.

Standards: Make sure the provider in your destination state meets all day care standards, from staffing to physical requirements.

Staff-Child Ratio: Look for a favorable child:adult ratio. The National Association for the Education of Young Children proposes a child-to-staff ratio of 3:1 for infants, 4:1 for toddlers and 6:1 for children up to eight years old.

Security: Check-in and check-out procedures are very important and should be strictly enforced using signatures, proper identification, etc. A security guard is recommended.

Emergencies: Ask your provider how emergencies are handled. Use a medical authorization form for emergencies. An on-site nurse is recommended for large programs.

Staff: Ask about the provider’s requirements. Are they CPR-certified? Do they have education degrees or experience in child care centers? Do they understand children’s needs? Find out who your staff contact will be on site and how you can reach your contact during the day and after hours.

Location: The child care center should be located near emergency exits but not close to heavy traffic areas. A minimum of 35 square feet per child is recommended. Bathroom accessibility is very important. The building must have water sprinklers and an evacuation plan should be posted.

Communication: The provider should be able to reach meetings staff and/or convention services at all times. Some groups provide beepers or cellular phones to be rented by nursing moms or anxious parents.

Staff Orientation: A minimum two-hour orientation is recommended for all child care staff to outline check-in/check-out procedures, child care procedures, and familiarization with the location. The bigger the program, the more detailed the orientation.

Logistics: Think about who will handle crib rental costs, audiovisual equipment, moving of children’s supplies, meals and snacks, registration badges, etc.

Parent Orientation: Provide as much information as possible to the parents. Designate staff to answer questions or refer to child care provider with calls.

Cost: Remember that child care and children’s tours are more expensive than spouse tours. Think about how cost will be met – individual members, sponsorships, subsidies or grants.

Evaluation: Provider should help planner to establish a method of evaluation.

Consistency of service is extremely important in child care. Parents like and expect to receive the same type of service year after year.

Diane E. Lyons is president and founder of New Orleans-based ACCENT on Arrangements.

Photo c/o Santa Ana College

Offering child care for business employees is a wonderful opportunity to help parents balance the demands of work and family. More companies are offering child care within the business setting, and the long-term benefits are worthwhile. Not only are you creating a supportive network, but also encouraging employees to have an alternative source of affordable child care so they don’t have to compromise their workload.

Establishing safety guidelines is an important part to any child care facility. Licensed facilities must adhere to the state laws that are set in place to regulate safety, sanitation and food preparation. By following these guidelines, you can rest assured that your facility will stay licensed and continue to offer the quality child care that your employees depend on.

Your child care center will need to follow the health and safety regulations established by the government. This will ensure that the spread of disease and infection is controlled, and that safety is a prime concern. Your facility will be licensed and you’ll need to hire on the appropriate staff to care for the children. Be sure to follow suit with the teacher-to-child ratios, which are dependent on the age of the children. For example, for every 8 2-year-olds, there must be one teacher.

There will need to be protocols for cleaning and sanitizing toys and tables, preparing food, handling accidents and ensuring the safety of outdoor play equipment. A sick policy will need to be given to all parents so they understand which children are excluded. While you want to encourage your employees to come to work, there are certain conditions that make a child too sick to be at day care.

Another consideration that makes onsite child care different from others is that the parents are right around the corner. While most daycare centers allow parents to “drop in”, this will be especially feasible at the workplace. Since you don’t want children coming and going during lunch hours or having parents dropping in at all hours, there are additional guidelines to set in place.

By taking all safety considerations into play, you can create a safe, nurturing child care facility within the boundaries of the workplace.

Image: usaathleticclubandspa.com

Have you ever thought it would be great to take your kids with you on your next big trip but couldn’t figure out how?  Or what about taking your kids with you to great cities all over the world to explore and have fun while you participate in a conference, meeting, trade show or other business event?

If you’ve had those thoughts but couldn’t quite figure out the logistics you are not alone.  And the good news is you’ve come to the right place.

Welcome to the ACCENT on Children’s Arrangement Blog where we will be discussing all topics related to traveling with your children while you are on business.

What We Do

ACCENT on Children’s Arrangements, Inc. is a national company with staff trained to provide convention, conference and meeting child care and babysitting services. We will supervise and entertain children with age-appropriate, curriculum-enriched environments containing many hands-on creative activities. ACCENT’s talented staff produces stimulating children’s programs on-site with scrupulous attention to children’s health and safety needs. Our specially trained, professional supervisors are CPR and Pediatric First Aid certified. ACCENT’s on-site staff includes teachers, professional child care providers and mothers who simply love working with children and have completed ACCENT’s specialized training program.

ACCENT employees’ references have been thoroughly checked. ACCENT’s goal is to produce positive and lasting memories for the children attending the Camp by adhering to high standards of quality and building educational curriculums to engage the children.