When selecting the proper child care suitable to your needs, it's very important to choose one that provides a safe, protective and high quality environment. Make sure you seek a child care provider that allows for your child to interact and form stable relationships with nurturing adults and caring children. Children must also feel challenged and stimulated, therefore, when selecting child care, make sure your child can participate in activities appropriate to their age.

Researching child care settings can be time consuming, but it is well worth the time and energy to find the situation that you feel comfortable with. View the environment, talk to the caregiver(s), and observe your child is spending their time. Always observe the program in action. Ask yourself:

• Do the caregivers enjoy their work?
• What type of training is required of them to work with children?
• How do they treat the children - are they friendly and interested in what the children have to say and do?
• Are the children's safety and health needs met?
• Are activities centered around the children's interests?

Establishing a good relationship between child and caregiver is crucial. As a parent, make sure your child is spending time with someone they like, respect, and with whom they feel comfortable. Communication is vital to finding, establishing and maintaining a positive relationship between parent and caregiver. Mutual respect, trust and cooperation are critical to maintaining a relationship. Caregivers want and deserve respect for the important work they do. Parents also deserve respect in their role as a working parent and in the way they have raised their children. Good communication means understanding your caregiver's background and the credentials they have to offer. Find out what the caregiver expects from you and vice versa. Know the rights of the caregiver and yourself. To better communicate with your caregiver, there are some helpful guidelines to follow.

• Maintain an open and honest relationship with your caregiver.
• Offer encouragement and feedback.
• Schedule weekly meetings with the caregiver to discuss your child's development and other pertinent issues.

• Develop a checklist before approaching your caregiver by listing questions you should ask during the interview.
• Research different child care options in your area and talk to other parents who are familiar with these options.
• Read books and other materials concerning tips on how to select child care. Search the Internet for other sites related to child care settings around the country.
• Recognize the safety issues to look for and how to recognize the warning signs of poor child care.
• Continue to monitor your child care arrangements to ensure they remain safe and of high quality.