Which daycare centre is right for your child?

Education in daycare centres or at pre-school age in general encompasses all aspects of learning. However, this does not mean that two- or three-year-olds have to cram mathematics and English. It means that they receive educational support and optimal encouragement in their emotional, social and cognitive development. Learning at this age means gaining a wide range of experiences at all levels.

A person never learns as many new things as in their first year of life. It is generally accepted that the first six years of life are formative for emotional, social and cognitive learning for the rest of a person's life. This applies in both a positive and negative sense. That is why every action in everyday life at the daycare centre is educational: every word, every gesture, facial expressions, the games on offer, the design of the room, the composition of the group. The work is always educational. The question is rather what quality this everyday education has and whether it is based on professional principles.

Two points are important here:

• The number, training and competence of the childcare staff
• The relationship between caregivers and children – in the first 1000 days, the relationship is the most important foundation for development

Perceiving and recognising needs and responding appropriately creates trust, provides security and support for the child and encourages their curiosity to discover.
Well-trained and competent staff, as well as an optimal staff-to-child ratio are essential for the proper care of your child. A professional childcare provider is not solely focused on profit, but invests in training and further education and thus in ensuring competent staff. The costs for a childcare place in a daycare centre are correspondingly high. Enquire with your local authority and/or employer at an early stage so that you can apply for the relevant subsidies in good time. Each canton regulates subsidies independently.

Good pedagogy in everyday daycare centre life can look like this:

• Your child is greeted warmly and at eye level in the morning, and the caregiver is attentive to your child's mood and welcomes them to the daycare centre.
• There is a cheerful atmosphere at the daycare centre, and children and carers treat each other with love and respect.
• Your child is immersed in a variety of themes through games, activities and projects and can gather many different experiences with their senses.
• Your child becomes more and more independent because they are allowed to do many things in daily life themselves, as the carers give them the time and space to do so.
• Caregivers praise your child's behaviour and not the girls' pretty dresses or the boys' speed. They act in a gender-conscious manner and pay attention to behaviour patterns – because these can be developed. With this conscious communication behaviour, the caregivers specifically strengthen your child's resilience.
• The daycare centre provides plenty of space and time for free play. The rooms are tidy so that the children have access to play materials and can choose and decide freely according to their needs – letting off steam in the playroom or garden, building, crafting, role-playing, etc.
• The carers also offer exciting daily activities such as crafts, movement games, building and designing
• With you as the most important caregiver, the daycare centre builds a respectful and appreciative parent-teacher relationship through regular discussions, and you and your child are accompanied and supported in a resource-oriented manner.

The educational concept of kids & co daycare centres takes into account the development of quality in early childhood education and after-school care in Switzerland as well as the latest findings and developments of the Marie Meierhofer Institut. Educational quality is a very high priority at kids & co daycare centres. The childcare staff engage with key focus areas such as nature and the environment, social learning, health promotion, participation, and collaboration with educational and parenting partners on a daily basis. Your child will benefit from this when they start daycare centre or, at the latest, when they make a smooth transition to kindergarten.

kids & co operates over 20 daycare centres throughout Switzerland. Each region invests in a central specialist unit that sets quality standards in collaboration with daycare centre managers and supports their implementation. Caregivers receive regular training at conferences and meetings as well as in their everyday work, and the central administration allows them to focus even more on childcare. The quality of our care is continuously reviewed and improved, and we also collaborate with the Thurgau University of Teacher Education to this end. There are tools and channels for sharing knowledge and experience within the teams, both within and across daycare centres. As a parent, you have an additional point of contact in the central educational management team.

Are you looking for a suitable daycare centre for your child? Then download our checklist with useful tips for finding a daycare centre now.