Evaluating
Child Care
How
can I evaluate child care centers, babysitters, and
persons in whose care I leave my children?
Be
aware of the behaviors mentioned earlier in any people
who have access to your children. For babysitters,
be sure to ask for references and check them. Listen
to your children's reactions to any babysitter. Ask
them about how things went with the sitter, and listen
not only to their words but also to the feelings they
express.
Reports
of sexual abuse in child care centers naturally arouse
worry. A child care center should be carefully selected,
using these guidelines:
-Ask
for references on all staff members, and check
them. The fact that a center has received
a license to operate usually means only that the center
meets certain physical requirements, not that its
staff is necessarily trustworthy. Ask if background
checks (including fingerprinting) have been done on
all staff. While the number of sex offenders caught
and fingerprinted is extremely low, since the majority
are never even reported, a background check can at
least ensure that a known offender will not have access
to your child. Remember that all staff includes janitors,
aides, and anyone else who has access to the center.
-Tell
the authorities at the center that you have talked
to your child about sexual abuse, and that your
child has been told to tell you of any touching of
his or her private body parts. Ask the authorities
if they plan to talk to all children about how to
prevent sexual abuse.
-Visit
the center with your child, and look it over thoroughly.
If there are any places that are off limits to you,
do not use the center.
-Know
your child's proposed schedule. Who is with the
child at naptime, or when the bathroom is being used?
-Watch
the staff interact with other children. Notice
whether the children are unusually quiet or compliant,
or seem fearful. How does the staff respond to a child
who is hurt, or who misbehaves? Make sure that you
agree with the methods of discipline at the center.
Ask specifically about the use of corporal punishment.
-Ask
your child after the visit how he or she feels about
the center, and why. Listen to your child's opinions.
-Contact
other parents and ask about their experiences with
the center. If there is no list of parents, or
if the staff discourages contact with parents, do
not use the center.
-Once
you've decided on a center, try it out for a short
time. Ask your child about his or her experiences
there and listen.
-Visit
the center unannounced from time to time. If you
are discouraged from dropping in unannounced, do not
use the center.
-Finally,
if you have an unpleasant experience with a center,
or you suspect that your child has been mistreated
there, even if the mistreatment was not sexual abuse,
report your suspicions to your state agency responsible
for licensing centers or for investigation child abuse.
Merely withdrawing your child to avoid making a fuss,
or not acting on your suspicions about a center, means
that many other children will be left at risk.
From
"Talking About Child Sexual Abuse," by
Cornelia Spelman
©1985 Prevent Child Abuse America.
All
rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.
For a
complete brochure, contact Prevent Child Abuse America,
800-CHILDREN.
Prevent
Child Abuse America
200 S. Michigan Avenue, 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604-2404
phone 312-663-3520; fax 312-939-8962
