FAQ for Parents
When starting a dayhome the agency that you choose is crucial to the success of your new venture. At The Child Day Homes, we do everything in our power to ensure that our educators are set up for success. We provide business support, and administrative support and put you in touch with experienced consultants so that they can help guide you forward. By choosing to open a dayhome with us you gain the following benefits.
1How do licensed day homes differ from private babysitters?
Dayhomes are very different as compared to regular day care centers or preschools. We often get many questions from parents and more often than not they're very similar. Please have a look below on commonly asked questions so see if it can answer any questions that you might have about sending your kids to a dayhome.
2 How many kids can a day home educator have under care at one time?
According to the dayhome standards of Alberta an educator is allowed to have six kids under the age of 13 not including their own under care at one time. In addition to that an educator can only have a maximum of two kids under the age of 2 and a maximum of 3 kids under the age of 3.
3How much does it cost?
Each day is different in terms of their fees as the Educators are free to set fees. factors like if the educator provides food, diapers or if there is some additional programming influences pricing and it varies across the agency. If you would like to get a specific price, reach out to us and we could prepare a few options.
4 How do you screen dayhome Educators?
We go through a very thorough testing procedure to make sure that the educator is qualified to provide care. Our thorough checklist includes criminal record checks, medical references, personal references and our childcare consultant assesses each dayhome site to ensure that it has adequate materials and equipment to facilitate a child's development.
5 How do you monitor Dayhomes?
With each day home we weekly monitor their attendance, sick logs and such through our internal systems. In addition to that our consultant visits each home at least once per month and we do quarterly safety checks to ensure that each day home is keeping up to our standards.
6 If I choose a day home with you, am I eligible for government funding?
Yes you are! We are fully licensed with the government of Alberta and have signed on to the affordability Grant as well as the subsidy program. We are onboard with the government's plan to promote $10 day childcare and our parents get access to all Government funding.
7 Do parents have to pay for days that the child does not attend the day home?
The monthly fee set with the educator does not fluctuate if the child attends a few last days. The fee is effectively used to reserve that spot for that child. The educator relies on this monthly income for their living expenses and for days that the child is sick or on holiday the agency does not issue refunds.
8 Is the day home ever closed throughout the year?
Yes the day home will be closed throughout the years as the educator does take time off. These days will be communicated to parents in advance so they have time to arrange for the backup care.
9 Does the educator get paid by me directly?
No, all payments go through the agency we do the billing to the government of Alberta and pay the educators. The money comes out of your account directly at the beginning of every month and you get a receipt for your records.
10 How do I find homes with available space?
You could start by looking at our map of dayhomes and identifying ones close to you that might be of interest. You can also reach out to our agency and we could send over some options to you.
11 What are the hours of operations for your day homes?
Each educator sets their own hours and we have great Variety in terms of our hours of operations. There are some Educators that choose to provide care overnight and many that operate outside of traditional business hours.
12 Is there a waitlist that I need to place my child on prior to getting care?
Some dayhomes might already be at capacity and have a waitlist going whilst others will have room for children. If you decide that you want to go with a certain educator and they are full you can be placed on the waitlist until they have space open. However in most circumstances we are usually able to place you in a day home when you come looking for child care.
13 How much in advance should I start looking for childcare?
When you get in touch with us we can place you in a dayhome as early as within a week if there is availability. However at times when there aren't spots available you get placed on the waitlist, typically we find 3 months in advance is plenty of time to ensure that you have care.