Do you have your daycare enrollment checklist ready? Spring is coming and daycares are going to be opening for new enrollments and students.
Preparing is key to helping with the enrollment and transition process smooth for the daycare, your child, and you. So, what do you need to check off for your childcare enrollment?
Fill Out The Paperwork
Let’s start with the assumption that you already found a daycare center to enroll your child. The next step is filling out all the necessary paperwork. These papers are meant to document everything they need to know about the child. You will be signing the enrollment form, questions about your child, emergency contact forms, medical consent forms, and other forms that will cover different permission that is needed.
Afterward, you will go through confirmation about the start date, how many days will your child be at the daycare during the week, go through first payments, and potentially pre-visits to help your child adjust to the classroom slowly. After the essential paperwork is done, it is time to prepare for your first day of daycare.
Preparing For the First Day
Depending on the age of your child, the items that you will need to have for the first day can vary. So, let’s cover some universal needs that children of all ages will need. First of all, you need to bring the required paperwork about medications or other ointments your child may need. If these papers do not arrive, the daycare and teachers cannot give or use anything for the child. So, if your child needs extra care, bring those forms along. You should also bring sunscreen for your child. Although you will need to fill out a form, it will protect your child while they are playing outside.
Always bring a change of clothes for the day. Commonly, children will change their clothes because they are dirty after an activity. In addition, accidents can happen. Having a nice set of clean clothes will prevent your child from needing to wear dirty clothes or use any extra clothes that daycare may have.
Finally, you should consider bringing a family photo. Many classrooms will hang or places their photos in places where the children see. This can help with the transition and allow for them to talk about their family with their peers. Regardless of age group, you can find family photos in many classrooms. Now that we have covered general items that you will need, let’s discuss specific things your child will also need based on their age.
Preparing For Daycare: Infants and Toddlers
When it comes to preparing your infant for daycare, you will need to provide breastmilk, formula, and bottles for your child. While some daycares provide formula, most parents are more comfortable providing their child’s formula. In addition, if you prefer your child eat specific foods during daycare, you will need to provide them as well. You must label all of these items, so they do not get confused with another child’s belonging.
Many daycares provide diapers and wipes. However, if you would prefer your child use specific diapers or wipes then you should bring them during the first day. If your child needs powder and ointments, bring those as well. This also applies to toddlers, who are transitioning between diapers to the potty.
Preparing for Daycare: Toddler to School-Age
Toddlers to School-Age students have specific nap times, unlike infants. As a result, students will need some naptime items. It would be good to buy a small cot sheet to go over nap pads. Naptime can be a hard transition, especially on the first day of daycare. So, bring in their favorite blanket, pillow, or soft stuffed animal to help them during their new nap time routine at daycare.
Enroll at Paradigm Care & Enrichment Center
So, have everything on your daycare enrollment checklist?
Paradigm Care & Enrichment Center has open enrollments at our Canton and Waterford locations! At Paradigm, we strive to enrich our students to become lifelong learners through detailed programs. All of our classrooms are crafted to help your child meet the milestone that they are working on with our caring staff and teachers. Our centers have additional services, including a nutrition plan, shadow program, and extra-curricular activities.
