Tips: Joining a Gym with Child Care

Fairfax County shared these tips for parents looking to join a gym that offers child care.

Now is the time of year when the number of people buying health club memberships skyrockets.

If you’re a parent, one criteria you may use to decide which gym to join is whether or not it offers on-site child care. When considering a gym’s child care service, it's good to make sure:

1. Adult-to-child ratios ensure your child is safely supervised.
2. Caregivers have passed criminal background checks and are certified in first aid and pediatric CPR;
3. The child care area is a clean, safe, comfortable place for children;
4. There are a variety of toys, books and activities that will interest children in each age group;
5. The caregivers are actively involved with the children, and are warm and friendly with children, gym members and each other;
6. Foods that are choking hazards for small children (such as raisins, gum, candy, grapes, or nuts) are not allowed in the facility;
7. Sick children are not allowed in care.

The Fairfax County Office for Children provides child care resource and referral services for the community. We also regulate Fairfax County child care homes in which providers care for up to five children in their homes. We operate the School Age Child Care program, the Head Start/Early Head Start program, the Child Care Assistance and Referral program, the Community Education and Provider Services program, and the Institute for Early Learning.

For help with finding child care, becoming a child care professional, or enhancing the quality of child care your business provides, call 703-324-8000 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ofc.