Finding the Best Preschool or Childcare Setting for Your Child: A Conversation with Matt McNiff of St. David’s Center for Child & Family Development

We all have heard how important early childhood experience is for a child’s lifelong learning and development. So thinking about choosing the best preschool or childcare setting for your young child can feel daunting.   Matt McNiff, Assistant Director of Early Childhood Education at St. David’s Center, joins Marti & Erin to help clarify some of the different philosophies and approaches to early childhood education and to identify resources that can help assure you of the quality of programs you are considering. Most important, Matt advises you to think about what is most important to you and your family, as well as what will be the best match for your child’s personality and strengths. Matt wisely emphasizes the importance of observing the programs you are considering, paying special attention to interactions between teachers and children and to how happy children and teachers appear to be.   Reflecting on this Mom Enough discussion, what kind of program do you think would best suit your young child’s strengths and needs? Why? What values or priorities are most important to you as a parent and how can you discover which programs are consistent with those values?   Related Resources: Childcare Provider Selection tip sheet by St. David's Center Quality Childcare Check List for Parents by Parent Aware Ratings St. David's Center Child and Family Development