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Many churches are responding to the boomlet of baby boomers by upgrading their daycare centers and nurseries. That can be a win-win situation—the parents have a safe place to leave their children during work or church services, and the church can help children develop spiritually at an early age.

Many pediatricians approve of such arrangements. "I think that the value of daycare is clear, and it is a major asset for congregations, churches, and synagogues to have," said Dr. Henry Harris, a retired physician and spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics. "It is not only a place for people to drop their children but also a place to get the Word out. It's a nice way to tie in spiritual themes that kids often are not getting."

Follow the Rules
To be truly safe places, however, church nurseries and daycare centers must operate according to state regulations. "They have to get appropriate licensing and follow state guidelines regarding the number of required toilets, step stools, sinks, caregivers per child, food storage and preparation, napping facilities, square footage per child, assistance for disabled children, and other issues," Harris says.

The state isn't the only regulating body for childcare facilities. According to Devon Conover, health services supervisor with Connecticut's Department of Public Health, different agencies, such as health, social services, or child protection, oversee daycare licensing in individual states. But town or city departments, such as zoning, health, building, and fire, may also have requirements for childcare facilities on procedures like admissions, personnel qualifications, record-keeping, first aid, and garbage removal. Conover suggests that before you start a nursery or daycare center, you should research state and local requirements, talk with daycare operators, visit other programs, and decide exactly what you want in your program.

State-of-the-Art Products
Once you're ready to start a childcare center or upgrade your existing program, you'll want everything in it to be safe. Here are some products you might want to include:

• Scent-sible. Alan Fields of Denver, Colorado, who wrote Baby Bargains (Windsor Peak Press, 800-888-0385), says the in product right now for childcare facilities is the "Diaper Genie," by Mondial Industries, an odor-free diaper pail that wraps diapers in deodorized plastic. The Diaper Genie retails for $25 to $30; refill canisters of plastic that wrap 100 diapers cost $5 each. Diaper decks—wall-mounted diaper-changing stations—are also popular. The deck operates like a built-in ironing board; it can be pulled down to change a baby and pushed back when done. Diaper decks hold baby wipes, rubber gloves, and other diaper-change items. "It saves space, and you don't need another piece of furniture to use when changing diapers," Fields says.
• Specially designed. Portable cribs and playpens, such as Graco's "Pak-N-Play" and Evenflo's "Happy Cabana," can be useful in a nursery, especially if they include a bassinet feature. Also helpful are glider rockers and matching ottomans. "Gliders are easier to rock, and they're super-padded," Fields says. "They're a big trend in nurseries."

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