1 Open communication. Your childcare provider should give you frequent and full updates on your child’s progress and problems. Your provider should welcome your questions and ASK you questions, so you can come together to better help your child. If you have open communication with your provider, the two of you can develop ways to deal with problems and to build on activities and accomplishments of your child’s day.	10 Things You Should Expect from your Child-Care Provider		6 Advance notice of any changes. Since it is often very difficult to find adequate care, providers should tell parents well in advance if they are going to stop or limit the time of caring for a child. Parents need at least a month, or better yet, six weeks’ notice if a provider is no longer going to care for a child. Except in the case of an emergency, parents should be given at least two weeks notice, even if the provider won’t be available for just one day.
2 Open Access. Your Provider will make parents welcome at any time and allow them to make a reasonable number of phone calls to check on the child’s well-being, in case of illness or if there’s a special problem such as separation anxiety. You and the provider should work out the best times for such phone calls and determine how many calls are reasonable.	Whether your child is cared for by a babysitter in your home, a family day-care provider in her home, or a number of people in a child-care center, you should be able to expect certain things.		7 No interference in the child’s family or family problems. Providers shouldn’t talk to children about their families’ problems, lifestyle or values. Likewise, the provider should be careful not to take sides in any family disputes such as custody battles. Providers should not try to impose their religious or other beliefs on the children they care for.
3 Safety for your child. Providers should take all possible precautions to keep children safe. This includes plugging light sockets, putting away knives and other sharp objects, closing off stairways and using only safe and well-maintained equipment, among other basic safety measures. It also includes always using child-safety seats and seat belts when transporting children in cars.			8 No advice offered unless asked for and no judging of parenting practices. Providers shouldn’t criticize or advise parents on child rearing unless their advise is asked for, or set themselves up as experts on parenting. If providers see something that is seriously wrong, such as child abuse, they should discuss the problem with parents and contact legal authorities if needed.
4 Honesty and confidence. Providers shouldn’t make commitments that they can’t or don’t intend to keep. They shouldn’t cover up problems or accidents that occur. They shouldn’t expect parents to help them avoid income taxes by slipping them money on the side. They also shouldn’t gossip about your child or your family to friends or co-workers.		9 Assurance that everyone in contact with the child is trustworthy, properly trained and supervised. Providers are responsible for everyone who enters, visits and works at their program. This includes screening custodial help, not admitting strangers to the home, seeing that all transportation workers are properly trained and all visitors will not harm the child.
5 Acceptance of Parents’ wishes. Providers should abide by parents’ wishes on matters such as discipline, TV watching, food, adult smoking and toilet training. If providers feel they can’t abide by parents’ wishes, they need to tell the parents before agreeing to care for the children so parents can look for other care.		10 No Surprises. This means that your family childcare provider won’t suddenly tell you that since she has taken a part time job, her teenage daughter will watch your child part time, 3 days a week, or that your child’s favorite teacher at the program just disappears without warning or communication.

1 Open communication. Explain clearly and carefully your wishes and expectations about how your child will be cared for. Also provide updates on problems and progress that your child is making. Give your provider information about your child’s routine, activities and preferences. Good communication helps parents and providers work together in the best interest of the child.	10 Things Your ChildCare Provider Should Expect from You		6 DO NOT send sick, hungry, overly tired, diaperless, bottle-less children to your provider. Agree with your provider in advance about what you are suppose to bring for your child and when you can and cannot bring a sick child. Never bring a child whom you know is not feeling well enough to be away from home and family. Likewise, you shouldn’t expect your childcare provider to cope with a child who has not had a recent meal or who went to bed four hours later than usual last night.
2 Agreement on terms or arrangements. You should fully understand the expectations of the provider and what you as a parent are agreeing to. A written agreement between the provider and parents is usually helpful for both parties.	While expectations will differ somewhat, depending on whether your child is cared for in your home, or in a family childcare program, providers should be able to expect certain things from you.		7 Payment on time and NO ‘Rubber Checks. Childcare providers have to pay the house note and buy food, just as you do. Make the proper arrangements to see that your provider gets paid the correct amount, on time, every time.
3 Honesty and trust. This includes being honest about how you believe the arrangement is working; whether your child is happy with the provider and whether YOU are happy with the care your child is receiving. Although you need to be vigilant in order to safeguard your child, you should still trust your provider to do the best for your child. Show your trust by asking questions rather than jumping to conclusions when problems appear to develop.			8 Respect. Realize that taking care of children is a big job and the childcare provider is a worker – often a working parent – just as you are. Recognize also that this is not an easy job. A childcare provider is not “just a babysitter”. Your provider is one of the most important people in your child’s life and in yours, too.
4 Advance Notice of and Agreement to Any Changes. Providers have to earn a living too, so they deserve advance notice if you are going to stop using their services, take a vacation or when your change your care hours. Give your provider as much notice as you would like to have in return.		9 No Jealousy. Try not to be jealous of your child’s attachment to your childcare provider. Children who spend hours every day with a babysitter or childcare provider, come to love that person. That love though, doesn’t diminish the love the child feels for you. Don’t feel that you have to compete with your provider for your child’s affection.
5 Pick-up Time and Follow Through on all Agreements. Providers have personal lives too and should be able to expect that you will pick up your child at the agreed time. If it takes you longer to get to and from work than you expected, you need to discuss a new agreement with your provider.		10 No Surprises. Your sitter or childcare provider shouldn’t’ learn on Friday that you have decided to take next week off from work and that you think you won’t need to pay the provider for that time. Your provider won’t like surprises any more than you do.