Tips for Choosing Vacation Childcare

There's nothing wrong with using childcare services while on vacation. Many resorts and hotels have certified, top-quality people on staff that will take fantastic care of the little people.

If you're wondering what to look for as you make your decision to use their services, here are some tips, courtesy of BabyCenter.com, that will help you make a decision and establish peace of mind:

• Do the caregivers know CPR and other emergency procedures?
• What are the program hours?
• Is there any flexibility to come and go? (Your child may want to leave the group to spend some time with you, for example, then return later.)
• What are the prices?
• Are there discounts for siblings?
• Which meals (if any) are provided?
• Are both indoor and outdoor activities offered? What are they?
• How many children are expected to be there at the time of your visit? Will the program operate if only a few children show up?
• What's the ratio of caregivers to children? (The National Association for the Education of Young Children recommends an adult-to-child ratio of one to four for infants; one to five for 12- to 18-month-olds; and one to six for 24- to 36-month-olds.) Are extra staffers added if more children unexpectedly join the group?
• Are children grouped by age? If so, what are the age ranges? What are the minimum and maximum ages?

In addition to those suggestions, you may want to ask for the qualifications and any certification of caregivers. You could also, in advance of your trip, try and locate childcare reviews for your particular destination. A good place to look for reviews, and local caregivers, is CareSquare.com.

At Suite Golf Travel, we believe vacations are essential to healthy family development. If you have recommendations for resort or hotel childcare, please leave comments below for others to see. We need all the help possible to protect and nurture our little ones, and not so little ones.

Happy traveling.