Lesson 15 : Requirements for establishment of child care center - Equipment, materials and supplies
Managing equipment
Before equipment is delivered to the center, the director must consider its management. All equipment must be checked and inventoried on delivery and before it is stored or put to use. A maintenance plan should be set up to minimize repair and replacement needs.
Checking and inventorying equipment:
when equipment is received it must be checked against the order to ascertain whether or not it corresponds with the order in terms of quantity, size, color, and so forth. Ascertain that only the items actually received are listed on both the order and the packing slip and that prices are correct. If discrepancies are found, the vendor must be notified immediately. An inventory of purchases can be recorded with inventory number or with an identifying number for easy identification in stock verification. After the equipment is checked in and inventoried, the director must notify the staff that the new equipment is available for use.
Maintaining and storing equipment:
as soon as equipment is placed in the center, the job of maintenance begins.
in the very act of placing equipment maintenance decisions are made.
equipment used by children must be checked daily and removed if it is in need of repair, even if immediate replacement is impossible.
storage of equipment also is directly related to its maintenance. It is easy to return equipment after it has been used when each has a specific, clearly delineated storage space.
the storage space must be accessible to all staff members.
In whatever way equipment is stored, its placement should be neat and easy to find so that children and teachers alike will be encouraged to maintain some degree of order in their attractive environment.
Participants