Tips For Communicating A Concern To A Child Care Provider

Care providers are professionals invested in the successful development of children. However, when you consider that the needs and desires of every parent and child are different, it would be false to believe that issues never arise. More often than not, these issues are minor and can easily be resolved with clear and positive communication. For many parents, this can be an uncomfortable assignment. Understand that providers want what's best for your child and are always open to hearing your concerns.

Know Your Desired Resolution

Providers want to help you solve your concern; however, they can only do this if they know exactly what you want. Take a situation where the center's menu primarily consists of green vegetables, but your child only eats carrots and cauliflower, for instance.

It's not enough to simply say you have an issue with the menu. Instead, you need to tell the provider what your desired resolution would be. In this case, this could either be a request to alter the menu sometimes or maybe allow you to bring in vegetables for your child to eat. Before speaking with the provider, always know what you want.

Pick The Right Time

It's always important to pick the right time to communicate with the provider. Providers are invested in every single child at the facility, so if you attempt to express your concern during a time when they are supervising other children, they may be unable to give you their full attention, which could leave some of your concerns unaddressed.

When you have something you want to speak with your provider about, it's best to ask them when the best time to meet based on their schedule would be. You want to express your concern, but you also don't want to put the safety of the children in jeopardy by serving as a distraction.

Be Open To Listening

When discussing your concern with the provider, be open to listening to what they have to say. More often than not, a concern is simply a difference in understanding either on the part of the parent or the provider. For example, you might be concerned that your child is always sitting alone when you arrive to pick them up, but the other children are outside.

In your conversation, you might learn that since you always pick up your child at 3:05 p.m., they bring your child in at 3:00 to wash their hands and prep them for pickup so that you don't have to wait when you arrive. Simply listening might resolve the issue.

If you have a concern, don't hesitate to speak with your child's care center. They are there to help. For more questions, talk to a provider like Kid's Country Child Care & Learning Center.