How should an infant room be run?

I don't know if I have unrealistic expectations...but can you basically share with me characteristics of an appropriate situation and how it works, balancing several babies at a time?

NJ law is 4 babies to 1 caregiver. Fine. But how should it work with feedings, playtime, changes, etc? Is it really kosher to leave a baby and their bottle propped up on a pillow?

Just wondering what the benchmarks are. Thanks!

Re: How should an infant room be run?

Tara - They are NOT allowed to leave a bottle propped. I believe it's against state law.

From what I've observed with DD's daycare, with infants, it's really not too structured as they go by the infants schedule, and they all have a different schedule. Very rarely are babies having bottles at the same time.

Where Samantha is now, in regards to playtime, they are very interactive with the kids and I know this because I watch her alot during the day on the webcam They also let them play independtley as well.

Re: How should an infant room be run?

I know how my daycare works. Yes, there are two teachers in DS room. If they need a floater they call to the front on an intercom and someone comes in. Most of the time all the babies don't eat the same time. DS eats as soon as he gets there and he's the only one. They also rotate the kids... exersaucer, bouncy, mat, etc. They play music, do artwork, obviously naps too.
Whenever I pick us DS he's always in something different... sometimes on the mat with a teacher and another baby playing with something and they're playing music. Another teacher may be changing someone and/or feeding. According to his chart he gets changed every 2 ours unless there's a BM inbetween.
ETA... no, they are not allowed to prop a bottle. They hold DS when they feed him. I've NEVER seen them prop either

Message edited 12/22/2009 3:22:37 PM.

Re: How should an infant room be run?

ugh...okay...I had a feeling my gut was telling me something. I loved these ladies running it...their warmth and all, being there for such a long time..

but the ratio thing...it seems like people are running around, covering for each other constantly. I dropped her off last week, it was one caregiver to only 3 babies, thank goodness. But today...there were 5 to 1...and the main caregiver said so and so was coming, she was just waiting for someone else to get there to move into the infant room, blah blah...

I pick her up...different caregiver than the one I dropped her off to. Granted, she could have been on lunch, but this lady talked about Riley as if she was with her all day - which is definitely possible as she's supposed to be one of the two...but I get the sense she was covering the toddler room as well.

Man, it should be state mandated that each room has video that you can look in on!! I just don't know how I feel anymore... Riley just did not look like herself. I know...it's an adjustment...but I need to feel good about this place. I just emailed a parent I know that sent all three of her kids there...

uggghhhh You know it's bad when you drop her off, you're all happy, then you pick her up and you drive home crying.

Re: How should an infant room be run?

Posted by TaraGotHutched

ugh...okay...I had a feeling my gut was telling me something. I loved these ladies running it...their warmth and all, being there for such a long time..

but the ratio thing...it seems like people are running around, covering for each other constantly. I dropped her off last week, it was one caregiver to only 3 babies, thank goodness. But today...there were 5 to 1...and the main caregiver said so and so was coming, she was just waiting for someone else to get there to move into the infant room, blah blah...

I pick her up...different caregiver than the one I dropped her off to. Granted, she could have been on lunch, but this lady talked about Riley as if she was with her all day - which is definitely possible as she's supposed to be one of the two...but I get the sense she was covering the toddler room as well.

Man, it should be state mandated that each room has video that you can look in on!! I just don't know how I feel anymore... Riley just did not look like herself. I know...it's an adjustment...but I need to feel good about this place. I just emailed a parent I know that sent all three of her kids there...

uggghhhh You know it's bad when you drop her off, you're all happy, then you pick her up and you drive home crying.

Re: How should an infant room be run?

Re: How should an infant room be run?

wow im surprised -- i was told by my daycare that in NY its 2 infants to 1 caregiver -- due to fire safety regulations. how can 1 caregiver carry out 4 babies if need be (GOD FORBID)??

Re: How should an infant room be run?

Posted by sweetsurprise09

wow im surprised -- i was told by my daycare that in NY its 2 infants to 1 caregiver -- due to fire safety regulations. how can 1 caregiver carry out 4 babies if need be (GOD FORBID)??

Re: How should an infant room be run?

Posted by sweetsurprise09

wow im surprised -- i was told by my daycare that in NY its 2 infants to 1 caregiver -- due to fire safety regulations. how can 1 caregiver carry out 4 babies if need be (GOD FORBID)??

Re: How should an infant room be run?

Re: How should an infant room be run?

Posted by dpli

Posted by sweetsurprise09

wow im surprised -- i was told by my daycare that in NY its 2 infants to 1 caregiver -- due to fire safety regulations. how can 1 caregiver carry out 4 babies if need be (GOD FORBID)??

I don't think that is correct. our daycare has 4 to 1 in the infant room. They have evacuation cribs in the infant rooms that have wheels and if there was a fire, they would put 4 in each crib, just to get them out in a hurry (I asked.)

I don't think they are supposed to bottle prop - I am pretty sure that is not allowed by the state regulations. Our daycare has 2 teachers in the room most of the time and sometimes 3, depending on the time of day and how many babies are in the room.

Re: How should an infant room be run?

Posted by sweetsurprise09


i looked it up and youre right, its 4:1 in NY. now im really glad i chose the daycare im sending DD too! im thrilled they go by 2:1!! for $200/week you cant beat it

Re: How should an infant room be run?

Posted by dpli

Posted by sweetsurprise09

wow im surprised -- i was told by my daycare that in NY its 2 infants to 1 caregiver -- due to fire safety regulations. how can 1 caregiver carry out 4 babies if need be (GOD FORBID)??

I don't think that is correct. our daycare has 4 to 1 in the infant room. They have evacuation cribs in the infant rooms that have wheels and if there was a fire, they would put 4 in each crib, just to get them out in a hurry (I asked.)

I don't think they are supposed to bottle prop - I am pretty sure that is not allowed by the state regulations. Our daycare has 2 teachers in the room most of the time and sometimes 3, depending on the time of day and how many babies are in the room.

Re: How should an infant room be run?

Hey Tara.................first, . I know it must be SO hard to have to leave Riley especially if you are feeling unsure about the place. Hopefully it all works out.

Way back when I was working in the infant room of Computer Associates day care center the babies were pretty much on their own schedule. The only "scheduled" thing which was the same time every day was the lunch and snack times once the infants were older and on table food. (because CA provided the meals and they were delivered the same time each day) But until then we followed the parents requests for feeding, we changed the babies diapers at least every 2-3 hrs. and more often if there was a poopie in there, and we basically played with them throughout the day.

The eating area was separate from the play area and was tiled. The open play area was carpeted and the sleeping area with all of the cribs was separated in it's own room which was kept quiet and dark. Sometimes we had 6-8 babies in the open area play room, sometimes we had one depending who was sleeping, who was eating, etc. We NEVER propped bottles, NEVER left babies in swings doing nothing all day, etc.

Even in the infant room we did arts and crafts, played music, went on walks outside or around the inside of the building, played with toys, etc. They were always kept busy and entertained and they rested and slept as much as they needed to throughout the day.

I would be pretty pi$$ed off if they left my kid sitting there with a propped up bottle. I would be concerned too if teachers were running all over and there wasn't enough coverage, especially in the infant room. I feel like if you're not comfortable and there is something in your gut that doesn't feel right then you are probably right to feel that way and maybe you should look around for other places. You want to feel comfortable leaving her each day and you don't want to have to worry.

Love ya........hope this helps!!

Message edited 12/22/2009 10:18:26 PM.

Re: How should an infant room be run?

I use to work for daycares years ago and the ratio was 4 to 1. And yes at times I had 5 babies by my self for an hour until another teacher came in.

Yes it was hard when all of the babies had to be fed around the same time. If I had to babies who needed a bottle at the same time then I had two bouncer next to me and I would hold a bottle in each hand and feed them. We NEVER propped bottles.

The only time we had different staff in our room was to cover lunch and when we left at the end of our work shift. It was always someone who had experience with newborns.

We always had fire drills and when we did we would put the babies in the cribs ( 3 per crib depending how many LO were in that day).

We always tried to keep the babies on there schedule and sometimes it didn't work out that way.

I always made sure the LO were sent home with clean clothes, dry diaper and a full tummy. I would tell the parents if I had a child then that's how I would want my child sent home. Now that was said when I was 20-22 yrs old and I am 32

If you have a gut feeling don't hold back, express it to the director of your school. You are paying money for your child to be taken care of. HTH

Re: How should an infant room be run?

Um, no, bottle propped up on a pillow is totaly unacceptable.

I'll tell you how our infant center works - I love it. They have two rooms that are connected - the play room, and the sleep room. The sleep room has all the cribs, the lights are low, and they play soft music. The play room has lots of windows, bright, sunny and carpeting on the floor with lots of toys for the babies, a few rocking chairs and two bouncy seats.

There are a total of about 8-9 babies who are in the infant center, but some are part-time. There are always at least 3 teachers in the room. The Director is always there, and they have the same two women in the morning helping, and two different women who are always there in the afternoon who help. Of course, if they are short of staff for a day, one of the floaters comes to help out with the babies.

They do not stick to a set schedule for all the babies. When a baby is hungry, (s)he eats, when tired, (s)he sleeps, and when awake, played with. They do not have any TVs or swings in the center, and the Director's philosophy is that, when awake, the babies should be on the floor, with the teachers, playing, which is how it always is when I walk in the room.

When a baby cries, they immediately tend to him/her. If insonsolable, or having trouble sleeping, they usually put him/her in the stroller and walk him/her around the school to fall asleep.

While it's mostly freeplay, the babies do join in on many of the scheduled classes at the school, like sign classes, music classes, and all the shows.

At the end of the day, I get a sheet telling me when Yael ate, pooped, and slept.

Message edited 12/23/2009 9:08:57 AM.