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Taken from Growing Concerns -- A childrearing question-and-answer column with Dr. Martha Erickson

Question: In a few months my wife will return to work after a year offto care for our second child. With our first child, who is now 3, my mom provided childcare in our home, but that is no longer an option, so we need to find childcare for both children. There are so many different kinds of care (private home, centers, and different educational approaches) that we're not sure where to start. Are there any guidelines to help us decide what kind of care is best?

Answer: Choosing childcare is among the most important decisions parents make, and many factors enter into that decision. Although each different type of childcare has its general advantages and disadvantages, the decision boils down to what best fits the unique needs of your children and the values and preferences of your family. Allow yourself plenty of time to investigate the options in your community and to carefully evaluate the quality of any home or center you consider. To help you getstarted, here are some steps to follow:

Begin by doing a self-inventory. Sit down with your wife and make a list of the qualities and values that are most important to you in a child care setting. For example, are you looking for a certain child-rearing approach? Exposure to certain kinds of educational experiences? Opportunities to interact with a diverse group of children and adults? What kinds of experiences are you already providing for your children and how could childcare reinforce or complement those experiences?

Next, contact your local childcare resource and referral organization and request a list of licensed facilities near your home and/or workplace.

Arrange to interview providers at several facilities, using your self-inventory to help you decide what questions to ask. Rather than simply asking general questions such as "What kind of discipline approach do you use?", pull for specific examples by saying, "Tell me about a discipline problem you encountered this week. What did you do? How did it work?" Do the same for topics such as comforting children when they're upset, providing educational activities for different ages, communicating with parents, and dealing with a medical emergency. (Getting specific examples will give you a more accurate picture than asking broad, general questions.) Since quality and stability of staff are important ingredients in childcare, ask about how staff are trained, supervised, and what is done to keep turnover low. (For a checklist to use during your visit, go to the website of Minnesota Childcare Resource and Referral Network, www.mnchildcare.org/FAMILIES.html.)

In addition to interviewing providers, visit the facility and observe when children are there. Look at the environment through the eyes of a child, paying special attention to safety, availability of colorful books and interesting playthings, opportunities to explore, responsive adults, and happy playmates. (The mood of the children in the home or center will tell you a lot about the quality of care!)

Next, check references. You are choosing someone to do the most important job in the world--caring for your children. So arrange to talk with other parents who have used this provider. Also check with your local resource and referral agency to get more information about the facility. (Since you're a Minnesota resident, the website noted above will help you find the resource and referral agency in your own region of the state.)

Editor's Note: Dr. Martha Farrell Erickson, director of the University of Minnesota's Children, Youth and Family Consortium, invites your questions on child rearing for possible inclusion in this column. E-mail to mferick@tc.umn.edu or write to Growing Concerns, University of Minnesota News Service, 6 Morrill Hall, 100 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455.