The Purposes of an Infant Day Care
There was a time when mom stayed home with the children and the idea of an infant day care would have been absurd. Today, the majority of working parents are faced with the need for an infant day care provider from the time the new mom's maternity leave is over. That means that many babies, from the age of six weeks or so, are in the care of an infant day care facility.
Choosing to operate an infant day care is an incredible responsibility. A baby is a very helpless creature and is absolutely at the mercy of the caregiver. That means that you have the added responsibility of ensuring parents that the baby will be in good hands.
Consider the needs an infant day care worker must meet. Instead of entertaining and teaching - the major needs of caregivers for toddlers and older children - the infant caregiver's primary responsibility will be to meet the baby's demands. That means feeding, burping and changing diapers, but the infant caregiver has some additional duties. Even a baby can feel neglect and react to a situation. If only the basest of needs are met, the child will be less likely to thrive. So an infant day care is also charged with the duties that once fell only to the parents and grandparents - rocking, cuddling and holding.
This is one reason that some infant day care facilities have volunteer grandparents who spend time with the babies on a daily basis. The job of these volunteers is simply to nurture the baby, though many of the volunteers say they are greatly rewarded by their contact with the babies. Remember that simply allowing someone to volunteer in an infant day care isn't prudent (or even legal in most places). All day care workers, including those who simply volunteer for rocking chair duty at an infant day care, should be screened for criminal activities. Parents leave the baby in your care for safekeeping and screening those who come into contact with the children is a necessary step toward making that happen.
Infant day care facilities are in high demand and those who provide the service are meeting a need in their community. But substandard care is not accepted, especially when it comes to an infant day care.
