Choosing a preschool or day care centre in Singapore is not an easy task. While every parent will want nothing but the best for their tiny tot, but given the plethora of day care options, the process of choosing the best one and reaching a final decision can be difficult. No doubt, most infant and toddler care facilities in Singapore boast excellent services and amenities. However, as a parent you need to be absolutely sure that they deliver on their promises and claims. Consider these 9 questions which you should ask educators of a preschool before you decide on the best-fit for your child.
1. What is Your Philosophy Towards Child Care?
The philosophy and principles of the day care centre should be aligned with what you believe is right for your child. No doubt you want to entrust your infant’s care to professional and expert caregivers while you are at work. The day care centre should have a holistic approach combining both academics and fun activities to engage the children. You should interact with the preschool staff to ensure that they are absolutely spot on with every aspect when it comes to providing the necessary physical, emotional and psychological care and development of your child.
2. How Qualified are the Teachers and Caregivers?
The government mandates that preschool teachers in Singapore are registered and hold the appropriate certification level for the age group they wish to teach. in early childhood education. As such, do not hesitate to enquire about the qualifications of all the educators and caregivers at their facility. It is also important to know about the teaching experience of the educators. The responsibility of creating and enforcing an efficient curriculum rests on the shoulders of the educators, that’s why it’s important that they have the relevant qualifications.
3. What is the Teacher-Student Ratio?
Infants and toddlers need personal attention and care to be able to thrive and be happy. Every child is unique and needs individualised care geared towards addressing their personalities and needs. A low teacher to student ratio ensures that the teachers and caregivers have the time to understand each child in the preschool and thus provide adequate guidance and support that enables holistic development of the child.
Our teacher to student ratio of 1:5 at Tots & Teddies is one of the lowest in Singapore. This allows our teachers and caregivers to give each child more personalised attention to ensure their unique needs are met; and provide vigilant care so that all our students grow in a safe and nurturing environment.
4. What Non-Academic Activities Are Available?
Preschoolers are energetic and curious, and thus they need various activities to keep them busy and express their creativity to the fullest. Make sure that the preschool you choose keeps your tiny tots busy with plenty of exciting and hands-on activities such as indulging in art and crafts, games, childrens’ park visits, and more.
At Tots & Teddies, in addition to day trips and excursions, we also provide activities through external specialists including gym, speech and drama activities, music, and coding at no additional cost.
5. Are Toys and Equipment in the Centre Safe for Children?
The toys and equipment in the day care centre should be child-proof with no sharp edges or hard surfaces. The toys should not be made of harmful plastics and toxic colours which can affect the health of the children. Also ask if all the equipment, play area and toys are cleaned regularly.
We at Tots & Teddies source most of our toys from reputed brands known for manufacturing safe and creative toys. We believe that the best playthings are often simple concepts that inspire children to be at their creative best. We clean all our equipment rooms with non-toxic solutions and the sanitisers and disinfectants used are derived from natural sources, free of any harmful chemicals.
6. Do You Provide Meals?
Healthy nutrition constitutes the most important aspect of child care, and children should have access to freshly cooked nutritious food daily. Ask the day care centre if they provide meals, and what their meal time routine looks like, so that you know your child eats a well-balanced meal everyday.
At Tots & Teddies, we offer our children a diverse, flavoursome menu which is designed by a paediatric nutritionist so that all our food meets the nutrition requirements of most children. All the meals are freshly prepared by our in-house chef, especially designed to address children’s picky tastes and eating preferences.
7. What are the Health and Safety Measures in Your Preschool?
When you drop off your infant or toddler at the day care or preschool, you should be at peace of mind knowing that they will be absolutely safe and protected. Ask pertinent questions regarding emergency procedures and the staff’s preparedness to handle them. What happens when a child injures themselves? What are the protocols they follow when a child suddenly gets ill? Do they have any medical training or medical personnel on site to handle such incidents? Do ensure that the staff and caregivers have all the procedures and protocols in place to maintain optimal hygiene and safety measures.
At Tots & Teddies, every child undergoes health screening to check for visible signs of any infections or illness. We also take and record temperatures at least twice a day for every child. We also hold regular fire drills so that our children are ready should we need to evacuate.
8. What Does Your Parent-Teacher Relationship Look Like?
Parents are an integral part of child care, and the day care you choose should work in close partnership with the parents of the children. Apart from daily updates and reports on the child’s progress and behaviour patterns, the parents should be encouraged to join field trips, excursions and other activities to build confidence in the children.
The parents at Tots & Teddies can join activities such as reading programmes, field trips and some classroom activities. Parents are kept up to date with their child’s development through our exclusive digital app, as well as phone calls and email.
9. What is Included in the Fees?
Are the fees all inclusive of the services and facilities provided by the preschool? Are there any extra charges for excursions or trips? It is always advisable and highly convenient if the fees are all inclusive, because you don’t have the stress of remembering to pay for some activity or other, and it also ensures that your child doesn’t miss out on anything just because you couldn’t remember to pay the fees on time. As such, be sure to enquire about the payment structure of the specific centre, especially as they differ from school to school.
At Tots & Teddies, we want your child to enjoy the fullest benefits of all the premium facilities we offer, and that is why we follow an all inclusive fee structure with no hidden extra fees to pay.
A Preschool in Singapore with a Difference
You create a loving, protected, clean, healthy and motivating home environment for your child. Naturally, you want the preschool to be an extension of that same environment to ensure your child feels cherished at all times.
Tots & Teddies is a leading day care and preschool in Singapore offering a bilingual, P1 ready curriculum. We aim to be the best in Singapore with our award- winning curriculum, world class facilities, safe and nurturing environment, and the best nutrition for all the children in our care. Schedule a free tour of our facilities and check for yourself how we are a class apart.
In addition to the tips on finding the best child care in Singapore, the answers you get for these questions will help you to select the right day care and preschool for your child. Contact us for more information.
