Choosing a daycare for your child can be one of the hardest decisions you need to make as a new parent. You are leaving your baby in the hands of someone else to care for them; of course, you want to make sure that person is best fit for the job, that you feel at peace with your decision, and that you choose a quality daycare. Before you enroll your child in a daycare, you will likely want to interview the child care provider and do a tour of the facility. Read on for a complete checklist for choosing a daycare and questions to ask the daycare provider for your infant/toddler.
Checklist for Choosing a Daycare
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Questions to Ask Your Daycare Provider
Hours and Schedule
- What are your hours?
- Are you closed on holidays? If so, which holidays?
- What time (or range) is pickup? Drop off?
- Is there any flexibility in pick up and drop off times?
Meals and Snacks
- Who provides meals? (Parents or school)
- Who provides snacks? (Parents or school)
- Who provides utensils and serving bowls?
- How do you handle allergies?
- How do you handle breastmilk (fresh or frozen) or formula preparation?
- When do children eat? (Meals and snacks)
- Will you heat food?
- Is there a refrigerator to store food?
Supplies
- Are diapers provided?
- Are sheets and blankets provided?
- What other supplies are required?
Parent Requirements and Visits
- How do you communicate with parents? (email, newsletter, daily activity log, app, etc…)
- What are your expectations of me as a parent?
- Can parents visit during the day?
- Do you offer parent/teacher conferences?
Size and Class Structure
- What are your class sizes?
- What’s the caregiver-child ratio for each class?
- When does my child “graduate” to the next class?
- How many children attend the daycare across all classes?
Schedule and Activities
- What will my child’s activities be on any given day?
- Do you have a safe, enclosed outside play area?
- How often do children play outside?
- (For babies and infants) Will you follow our suggested schedule or do you put all children in the class on the same schedule?
Comforting/Disciplining Policies
- How do you comfort children?
- How do you discipline? Do you do time-outs?
- How do you handle hitting or biting?
- How do you handle bullying?
Health
- Are immunizations required of all children?
- What is your sick policy?
- Will you administer medicine and/or emergency allergy treatments?
Safety
- Do you have a sign-in and sign-out sheet?
- Are doors secure?
- What is your policy for others (besides parents) picking up children?
- What is your disaster plan?
- What is your plan for other emergencies?
Staff
- How do you train your staff? How do you keep staff educated?
- What degrees or certifications do employees have?
- Do you conduct background checks on employees?
- What is your employee tenure?
- What licenses/accreditation do you have?
Cost and Enrollment
- What are your fees?
- What is the late-pick up fee?
- What forms of payment are allowed?
- When is payment due?
- Do you have an annual registration fee?
- What is the termination policy?
- Do you offer any discounts? (Such as multiple child discounts or early pay discounts)
- Is there a waitlist? If so, how long is the waitlist?
- Do we pay when our child is sick or on vacation?
Miscellaneous
- Are cloth diapers allowed?
- How do you handle potty-training?
- Do you transport the children for any reason?
- How often are toys/supplies sanitized?
- Are there references that I can connect with?
Signs of a Good Daycare
In addition to scheduling a tour and interviewing your daycare, you may want to hear what others are saying. One of your best sources of information is other parents. Ask around to see if you can obtain feedback from other local parents. If you do not know anyone locally, consider joining a local Facebook parent’s group and ask for feedback within the group.
You can also contact your state’s childcare licensing agency to learn more about licenses and potential infractions.
How to Choose Your Daycare Provider
After your interview and tour, take a few minutes to let your visit soak in. While the answers to the questions are important, it’s also important for you to listen to your gut. Did you feel comfortable at the daycare? Did the child care providers show love and respect to the children? Don’t be afraid to check out multiple daycares so you can compare.
And remember, while choosing the perfect daycare is the goal, if you select one, and it ends up not being the right fit, you can change your mind!
Don’t Forget to Print These Questions for your Tour!
What other questions would you suggest asking a daycare? Do you have any other signs of a good daycare that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
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I like that you said that when choosing a daycare program one of your best sources of information is other parents. I am looking for a daycare for my son right now because I am going to start working again soon and I want everything to be ready when I do. I think it would be smart to talk to other parents because then I could get firsthand accounts of what the daycare is like and what I should expect from them which would be helpful.
Thank you for the comment about looking around for local recommendations from other parents. My sister has been thinking about getting a new daycare for her son since they moved. I will forward this to her so that she can know what she should be asking them when she is choosing a daycare.
I like that you brought up how you can ask other parents about a daycare service. I plan on sending my daughter to daycare soon. Perhaps, I can find someone who can help me find a quality service.
I am thinking about putting my son in daycare soon. I appreciate that you mentioned that it’s smart to ask the daycare center how they communicate with parents. I think that would help make sure that I wouldn’t miss important announcements.
It’s good to know that you should consider talking to other parents to determine whether or not a certain daycare is right for your child. My son has ADHD, and I need to find a facility that can take care of children with disabilities. Perhaps it would be best to find a reputable daycare that has experience with taking care of children with special needs.
I like that you explained how you should speak to other parents to determine the quality of a daycare facility. Now that my brother is divorced, he will need someone to watch his daughter while he goes to work, and he wants to make sure that his child is in an environment that encourages education. Maybe he should look for a service that has an excellent reputation.
Thanks for mentioning to see what the hours are and if they’re closed on holidays when choosing a daycare. My wife and I are thinking about putting our son in daycare next month because she wants to start working fulltime again to bring in more money. I think it’s a good investment to put him in a reputable facility that has great hours to work with her schedule so that it’s convenient to drop him off and pick him up.
Thanks for mentioning that you should consider whether or not a daycare service treated the children with respect before choosing one. Now that my wife and I need to attend college classes during the day, we need to find a child care service that will help our son avoid feeling anxious while we are away. Maybe we should find a service that will love and respect him.
Thank you for explaining the importance of determining whether or not you were comfortable at a daycare facility after you have finished taking a tour. My sister has been looking for a child care facility that will take care of her daughter while she attends a few college courses during the day, but she wants to ensure that she will not have an allergic reaction when at daycare. Maybe my sister should find a facility that makes her feel comfortable.
I like that you said I should pay a visit to the daycare center I am considering and check if they show love and respect to the children in their care. My mom is looking for a daycare center for my youngest sibling, Dara. I’ll share what you said with Mom and tell her to check out different daycare centers in the city so she could compare their services. Thanks.
I appreciate the suggestions on what questions to ask a daycare provider. I am looking for a daycare for my children and will take your advice. I hope I can find a good child care center in my area that will help my children thrive and grow.