Question: Help! My Child Is Not Adjusting To Day Care!

“Help! My toddler is not adjusting to her new day care. She is there on a part-time basis. The center is threatening to remove her if she doesn’t stop crying. What should I do?” (This question was recently posted on the Child Care Forum. The answers below are from professional child care providers who post on the site.)

Answer: Here are several suggestions from child care providers to consider:

• Maybe a day care setting isn’t the right option for your child. Try a home care or a part-time nanny or even a college student. Different kids need different places. Plus, she may not attend the day care center enough to fit in and become comfortable so you may wish to at least temporarily increase her hours of attendance.
• Contact a local resource/child provider referral and locate a day care setting that meets your family’s needs. They should be able to narrow the search.
• Find a day care that promotes your basis beliefs and try it. Many centers have pets or special interests or activities. Try and locate a match that works with your child’s favorite things.
• Ask the day care center to offer tips and suggestions for you to try. Perhaps a special attachment could be encouraged, such as getting a laminated classroom photo of her friends and teacher at day care that she can be reference when she is not at day care.
• Begin working on attachment/separation issues with your child now. This may or may not have anything to do with the day care specifically, but more about her fear of being away from her mom/dad. Hire babysitters at home on occasion and always reassure your daughter that you will always come pick her up and can’t wait to hear about her day.