Child Care – Developmental Needs Of A Child

Child care services are gaining more importance since they are more in demand today than ever before. The pressures of life are pushing families to seek the services of child care centers. Some parents have to work, others have decided to go back to school, and others have other activities they need to attend to. It is for this reason that centers offering quality services in child care have come up. All you need to do is take your time to identify a center that will cater to your needs.

Childhood programs

Most childhood programs are mainly focused on both care and education. The educational component was added to child care programs due to many studies that were conducted. The studies found that the early experiences of children have a great impact on how they develop and even on their future academic success. A center that is offering quality in child care should have programs that include activities and materials that take care of the cognitive, social/emotional and physical developmental needs of the child.

Physical development

The best indicator of physical development in a child is the growth of the child. A healthy and nutritious diet is important for the growth of the child, while genetic factors also have a role to play. Motor skills are physical actions that are learned by a child to produce movements that are well organized and coordinated. Gross motor skills are larger and include walking, running, crawling and rolling. Fine motor skills include hand and eye coordination, drawing and coloring. The care center you select should have activities that will develop the motor skills of your child, as well as providing a healthy diet.

Cognitive development

The cognitive development of the child has to do with the development of language skills and the ability to evaluate a situation and determine action. The child is able to recall past experiences and can retain information and make comparisons. A small percentage of cognitive skills come from within the child; however, most of the cognitive skills have to be learned.

Cognitive development should take place naturally and in a healthy environment. If this does not happen, a child will develop a shortfall in cognitive skills which are difficult to correct at a later stage. A quality child care center will have a program that encourages experimenting, discovering, listening and speaking skills.

Social/emotional development

Caregivers have a good opportunity to enhance the healthy social/emotional development of your child. Positive social experiences in early childhood result in emotional maturity in later stages of the child’s life. A child may forget their childhood experiences; however, these experiences still play a big role in influencing the child’s emotions, personality and social/emotional health as she continues to mature.

Care centers should ensure that children work in groups that are not too large so they can interact comfortably with their peers. They should help the child in developing decision making skills, and provide an environment that allows them to grow and learn.

Decision

It is important to select a center that addresses all the developmental needs of your child in order to give them the best start in life and prospects for academic and social success in the future.