Angela Gandiana Thomas
Contributor
Are you a working parent, single parent or a grandparent raising children again?
What do you look for in a quality program? Are you looking for a program that supports child development and promotes health and safety for all children? And what about the teacher who will be with your child all day? Does the program support their teachers’ mental health and well-being?
My name is Angela, and I have been in the childcare industry for 23 years.
I have done a little of everything, from teaching all age groups to being a site coordinator. I have experience with accreditations. I have been a director for over five years at a facility with 122 children. I have seen and experienced a lot of things over the years. I have seen a lot of changes in childcare, but one thing that has never changed is the state laws on ratios.
I believe the ratios are unfair, unjust and downright ridiculous, and whoever created them originally did not have children of their own and never worked in childcare, just my opinion.
When you choose a center that suits you, ask about the room ratio for your child. I think some of you would be shocked. I have listed the Florida state laws for staff-to-child ratios:
- Infants to 1 year = One teacher to four infants
- 1-year-olds= One teacher to six
- 2-year-olds = One teacher to 11
- 3-year-olds = One teacher to 15
- 4-year-olds = One teacher to 20
- After school age = One teacher to 25
Let those numbers sink in for a second. Now, imagine being in a classroom with 15 3-year-olds running around, some potty trained, some not, learning to share, learning to sit in a circle, teaching them social skills, supporting their health and safety, 15 noses and faces to wash. Superpowers are required for this age group, just so you know.
Please take a second and try to understand I have done it, and I still do. I am very passionate about my job. I am currently part of the administrative team at a smaller center, where I work with an amazing group of teachers who struggle, and the ratios are part of that struggle, which frustrates me because in 23 years, they have remained the same. So will they change? I have little hope.
In conclusion, when you pick up your child from your center today, try to understand why your child’s teacher looks like they just fought a war, or why we can’t find a sock or sippy cup. Just know, no matter how horrible the ratios are, this teacher chose this profession, and believe me, it's not a money-making profession. But speaking on behalf of my center and myself, I can promise we are not babysitters; we are early childhood teachers. Your child learned something today, was loved today, cared for today, was emotionally supported, and kept happy and safe, even amid the everyday struggle of unjust ratios. Please remember ratios matter.