For parents, finding a good day care is often a process fraught with anxiety. Miranda Boffo, a working mother of two says, "You have to have an incredible amount of trust to leave your children with strangers every day. I have to be able to trust my day care provider 100%.". It is for this reason, that day care providers need to take every reasonable step to lessen a parent's level of anxiety regarding their child's security while attending day care. To ease a parent's anxiety, try the following:

* Maintain a log for signing children in and out of your child care facility noting the date, time, child's name, and name of person dropping off or picking up the child.

* Only release a child to a person for whom you have written consent by the custodial parent and have the person provide a piece of identification upon pick up of the child.

* Avoid telephone authorization unless there is prior written consent by the custodial parent on file. Telephone authorization can be easily falsified by a person pretending to be the child's custodial parent.

* Invest in a security system that allows only people with passcards to enter the premises. Strangers and solicitors attempting to enter the facility can only enter once authorization from a child care employee has been granted.

For advice on how to avoid releasing a child into an unsafe situation, such as a parent/guardian who is somewhat hostile or a parent/guardian who is intoxicated, contact your local police department.