Terrie Graves has been taking care of kids in her house for seven years. She's a registered day care provider in North Carolina. To register inour state you must be at least 18 years old and literate, pass a criminalbackground check, and take both a first aid and CPR class. Graves has gone so far as to get national accreditation for her business.
"I think parents just need to be educated no matter where their childrenare," Graves says. "I think they need to check up on where their childis and know what's going on."
That means a lot of legwork for parents before their child leaves home.For parent, Tim Evensen, it was well worth the effort. Evenseninterviewed day care operators, inspected their homes, and talked to otherparents who use the center.
The state also does its own investigating, inspecting homes before a businesscan open up. State representative, Peggy Balls says if a a complaint hasbeen filed about a center, the state is also likely to make a surprisevisit.
In addition, parents can check with the state to find out if a home daycare business is registered or if there have been any complaints.
With the demand for day care growing every year, the number of day carecenters is also growing. In selecting one parents need to look at basicsbeyond cost.
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