Deciding on a caregiver for your baby

The type of care you decide on for your baby will be influenced by various factors, including your budget, the amount of time that the baby will need care, your circumstances and your baby’s special needs.

But no matter which option you go for, some aspects of your baby’s care are non-negotiable.

A good caregiver will…

• • Have no more that three children per carer in her care, with no more than six children in a care group. This ensures that each baby gets enough attention

• • Allow babies to eat and sleep and play according to their own body rhythms and not according to a set schedule that applies to the whole group

• • Be patient with parents and babies to allow them to settle into her care

• • Have an open-door policy with parents, allowing them to drop in at any time while their child is in her care

• • Provide a clean and safe environment that has distinct areas for eating, sleeping and playing and allows the children to explore, play and learn throughout the day

• • Constantly speak to and interact with a baby, giving cuddles, talking to baby as nappies are changed, reassure baby as the day-to-day things are tended to

• • Be loving and nurturing – love and attention is crucial to babies’ emotional and social development

• • Respect the baby’s parents and family, take their emotional needs into account and welcome their involvement in the baby’s day-to-day care

• • Support young children in building relationships with other children

• • Have been trained in basic first aid and will know how to do CPR on young children.

Our Employee Wellbeing Programme (EAP) is available 24 hours a day of you wanted to know more about deciding on a caregiver for your baby.