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As a parent, nothing is more important than knowing your child’s safety and well-being – isn’t it? And why not consider how much time and effort is spent on finding that perfect daycare for your little one? Well, every child deserves to feel safe and secure with their safety and health being the top priority in a daycare center. And as parents, it is important to go through the day care safety checklist before deciding on a particular daycare center.

Be it the staff-to-student ratio or various discipline tactics it is necessary to ensure that the daycare center is safe for your kids, both physically and emotionally. That being said, want to know more about indoor and outdoor day care safety checklist before getting your little one enrolled? Well, let’s get into it.

1. Importance Of Accreditation in Early Childhood Education

A center needs to be accredited or at least should have a license from the state. A license helps you understand a bit about the quality of education that is provided. The license also ensures that the facility sets the minimum requirements while also making sure that the programs are properly monitored. This is why as a parent, before making any important decision, double-check the paperwork of the daycare center.

2. Safe And Secure Location

When parents are dropping off their kids in a child care center, they need to feel confident about the child’s safety. Although no parent is looking for prison-level security still some preschool safety check needs to be in place so that the center is safe for both kids and the staff. Look out for the following things when choosing the daycare safety checklist for your little one:

• The day-care center has proper security cameras positioned facing the parking lot, front desk, and the playground
• Regular cleanliness and building health inspections are conducted
• Childproof locks on every window and door
• A sign-out and sign-in system for non-family members and visitors
• Post your state or local certificates and accreditations where parents or others can view them easily

3. Proper Staff-To-Student Ratio

The staff-to-student ratio can vary from place to place. But while ensuring that your child is really safe at day care, make sure that there are fewer kids per adult. More adults with respect to children ensure that classrooms are a safe environment for your little one. This is why while paying a visit to the daycare, it is important to keep in mind the staff-to-student ratio.

4. The Facility Is Childproofed and Secure

Day care safety checklist is important, as kids tend to get into all kinds of trouble during their playtime. Therefore, the playground and the daycare center need to be as safe and child-friendly as possible. This is why while preparing for a checklist for child care centers, parents need to keep in mind outdoor as well as indoor safety for day care. To keep kids from harm’s way throughout the day, make sure the child care centers have the following safety measures in place.

• Cleaning supplies and medications are locked away from the reach of kids
• Furniture is low and secured to the floor or walls
• Outdoor playing zones have secured fencing and have soft landing areas as safe fall zones
• All electrical units should be covered with safety covers to keep them tamper resistant
• Sharp corners are covered with soft foam material
• A gate should be kept at the bottom as well as the top of the staircase for the safety of toddlers and babies
• Regular checks are conducted for holes, cracks, molds, or any water damage
• Playground equipment is regularly checked for rusty areas, protruding nails, splinters, etc.

5. The Health of Children in The Classroom

What is a daily checklist in childcare without the individual health of each kid being in focus? Any daycare center needs to be fully prepared for any sudden healthcare needs, and that’s not just keeping band-aids nearby. Several other things need to be in place to make daycare a safe place for kids. Here are a bunch of things every parent should keep in mind:

• A proper fully stocked first aid kit that is easily within reach of children and employees
• Prescription medications for kids stored carefully in a childproof container with proper labeling
• Staff and teachers are aware of any food allergies kids have and what to do in such situations
• Regular thorough daycare cleaning is done because daycare centers can easily become a petri dish for various germs and bacteria

One of the key missions of any day care center is to provide a safe environment for children. Now, as a parent, it is very natural to get confused while putting together the checklist that will help you identify the best day care center for your kid. Well, if that is the case, then, hopefully, this article will help you understand how the outdoor and indoor safety checklist is necessary to help children feel safe while they are learning and developing.