Finding The Ideal After School Care Center
Parenting can be stressful – especially for working parents. One of the best ways to ensure that your children improve and develop their social interaction, communication, and behavioral skills is to find an after school care center.
Choosing the ideal center ensures they thrive in a safe, creative, engaging, and fun environment. However, finding the right center for your children can be difficult. Here, the childcare experts at All Sports Kids provide a comprehensive guide to finding the ideal after school care center.
Why Is Quality After School Care Important?
Having a positive, safe, and rewarding environment after school is critical for the well-being and growth of your children. Not only does it support their learning, after school care also helps to promote their emotional, social, and physical growth. The ideal after school care center will cater to students’ different academic, emotional, and physical needs. Some of the main benefits of attending an after school care center include:
Better Grades
According to the Institute of Education Sciences, students who attend after school care centers are more likely to regularly attend their regular school days. Having an environment where children can receive help with their homework leads to better school performance and higher test scores.
Exploring Interests
After school care allows children to explore interests that are not offered during the usual school day. All Sports Kids gives your children a low-stress, low-pressure place to try new activities such as sports, cheerleading, arts and crafts, and other fun learning activities! Not only does this provide hands-on entertainment after school, it also helps to promote social and life skills.
How Do I Find The Ideal After School Care Center?
Are you looking for the best after school care center in your area but don’t know where to start? With so many options, it can be difficult to find one suited to your child’s needs. At All Sports Kids, we suggest that parents:
Start Early
With more and more children attending after school programs every year, it is critical to begin finding the ideal center as soon as possible. Starting early gives you the opportunity to learn more about potential centers while also giving you time to complete the enrollment process. It also saves you from becoming overwhelmed by making a last-minute decision or not getting accepted to the center you want. The experts at All Sports Kids recommend starting your research at least two months before you will require after school care services.
Ask For Recommendations
Having so many options for after school care centers can often feel overwhelming and confusing. One of the best ways to narrow down your options is to ask friends, relatives, neighbors, and educators where they send their children. Asking for recommendations from people you know and trust is much more valuable than blindly trusting reviews on the internet.
Do Your Research
After you have a list of after school care centers that spark your interest, it is critical to research each center to see if they are a good fit for your family. Research each of the centers online to determine if they provide age and developmentally-appropriate activities. Also, make sure that the program and employees are licensed and well-qualified. After you have narrowed down your list, call the after school center to schedule a tour. During your visit be sure to ask questions like:
- What is the child-to-caregiver ratio?
- What are your rates?
- Do you have a weekly schedule of planned activities?
- How do you discipline children?
- How do you communicate with parents?
- What does the typical day look like?
- How do you accommodate for allergies and health issues?
Prepare Your Child
It’s completely natural for children to feel nervous about starting after school care. As a parent, there are several steps you can take to make them feel at ease. One of the most effective ways to prepare your child for after school care is to talk to them about what to expect. It is critical to speak about this in a positive light. Get them excited about all the exciting activities they’ll do and the new friends they’ll meet. Be sure to address any fears or concerns they may have.
Taking a tour of the after school care center with your child before their first day is also important. This visit will allow them to become familiar with the staff, and the environment, and get a sense of the daily routine. Encouraging the benefits of after school care and allowing them to understand their surroundings is critical to preparing your children for their first day.
Finding The Ideal After School Care Center In Tamarac
Finding an after school care center can be a nerve-wracking experience. Choosing the right one for your child is one of the most difficult yet important decisions you will have to make as a parent. The right after school care center needs to provide a safe, stimulating, and nurturing environment for all children. Starting early and doing your research is critical to finding the ideal after school care center for your child.
At All Sports Kids, our newly renovated 11,000 sq ft facility offers a variety of exciting activities including a sports arena, basketball court, cheer floor, multi-purpose room, arts and craft room, dance and exercise room, game and exercise room, and a cafeteria. Aside from the ample activities children can enjoy, we also offer a designated room for studying and reading.
All children are welcome to enjoy our free food program and can also bring their snacks. At All Sports Kids, we understand the importance of the well-being of your child. You can rest easy knowing that all of our staff have undergone Level 2 background checks, and physical checks, and are certified in child care training and CPR/First Aid.
We proudly provide an environment that balances fun activities with designated work time. All Sports Kids truly is the ideal after school care center in Tamarac. If you have any questions about our after school care program or any of our other programs, call us at (954)-746-5437 today!