Are you at the stage where you have to decide who to take care of your infant or which infant care centre to place your child at? Are you starting to feel anxious or perhaps a little flustered, as you do not know what is the right decision to make?
Don't worry! You are definitely not alone in this.
How are some factors that you should consider to make sure that your infant will be in good hands.
Curriculum
The curriculum of the Infant Care centre is crucial in stimulating the intellectual development of your baby. The programme that the children are exposed to should help them develop to the best of their abilities. Check if the infant care centre’s curriculum is aligned with the Singapore Early Years Development Framework (EYDF), so you can be sure your child is growing up in a holistic environment.
At Nurture Infant House Tampines, the principal, teachers and caregivers carefully plan the curriculum to emphasize on the following:
Sensory-motor Development, Language and Cognitive Growth, Creative Stimulation through Sense and Social and Emotional Connection. You can find out more about the curriculum here. If you wish to visit the Infant Care centre to see how we execute our curriculum in action, do drop us a line at 96664141, we will be happy to share more information with you.
Equipment and environment
Besides the curriculum, the resources within the centre are significant as well. The equipment used should be age-appropriate and are able to help children get the most out of their daily activities. Look out for supportive features that can help infants learn to stand and walk better. Well-padded equipment is essential too, especially for children who are mastering their gross motor skills like tumble and roll.
Space. See whether there is sufficient space for the children. Are they able to sit/stand comfortably and participate fully in activities, whether in groups or individually?
Sufficient indoor space is also indicated via clear pathways for staff and children's movement with minimal disruption or distraction to others. For example, are there clear pathways to support infants and toddlers’ free movement throughout the day?
At Nurture Infant House Tampines, we use soft playmats and large playpens in designated areas that are safe for babies. In addition, we have a huge selection of toys, books, arts and craft materials, picture cards that have been carefully selected to stimulate the baby. These materials are also cleaned daily to ensure that they are safe for baby to play with.
Meal plans
After a time of learning and playing, your baby will definitely be hungry! You should also consider the meal plans that infant care centres offer, since food is a crucial factor for proper growth and development. Some centres do ensure that the children are provided with nutritious meals that are suitable and recommended for infants, and this can definitely give your child a boost in physical and cognitive development.
Inculcating healthy eating habits from a young age is important as it determines a child’s diet when he/she grows up. A balanced and nutritious meal is what a child needs to improve brain function, memory and concentration.
At our infant care in Tampines, we provide meals that are healthy and savoury. Most importantly, they are prepared in a manner that is suitable for our babies to consume. Our in-house chef would prepare fresh meals daily for our children, with a menu that has the nutrients recommended for children their age. Not forgetting milk, the most important nutrient for babies. Our caregivers ensure that milk is stored properly and prepared at the right time for the babies to drink.
Regular Updates
The Infant Care centre should regularly communicate with parents. Communication is key as it helps the parent to be aware of your child’s growth and development. This is especially important as infants between 2 to 18 months old are beginning to develop cognitive, social and emotional skills. Hence, the Infant Care Centre should keep you constantly informed about your baby’s progress to help you ensure your child’s healthy growth.
At Nurture Infant House Tampines, we use various means to actively communicate with parents. For example, we use the app “ClassDojo” to send messages to individual parents, broadcast messages and also as a platform to post photos of the individual child. It is also used to share more details about what the child did during his/her day at the Infant Care. For caregivers or parents who might not be comfortable using the app, we will still use a “personal communication book” for all children to communicate important information with parents.
In addition, at Nurture Infant House Tampines, we also use other online platforms like facebook to share more useful tips on parenting. Do check out our blog section on this website for more insights on specific areas which parents are concerned with.
Invitation to book a visit at Nurture Infant House Tampines
Would you like to make a personal visit to find out more? Do make an appointment to visit us at Nurture Infant House Tampines. We would be happy to share more information about our Infant Care centre. Not only are we EDCA registered, we guarantee a holistic learning environment that is cultivated by our dedicated and passionate caregivers. With more than 30 years of experience as a childcare centre and 10 years as an infant care centre, we are confident to be able to provide your infant with high quality and dedicated preschool services.
For new parents who want to find out more about what we do, feel free to drop us a message at https://wa.me/6596664141