10 Questions to Ask when Choosing a Daycare

Choosing a daycare provider for your child is the most stressful process you will go through as a parent. You must trust a stranger to take care of your pride and joy. After I had my son, I had no idea what I was doing. I was doing exactly what you are doing now! Sifting through blogs, Googling different childcare providers, and reading pages of reviews. There are so many factors to consider when choosing the one for you.

Thankfully, after giving birth to my second child I knew exactly what to ask when looking for care. When choosing a daycare provider it is so important to cover everything – starting with the day-to-day routine, meals, naps, diaper changes, disciplinary actions, and so much more.

Before I begin, the BIGGEST advice I can give and that should be number 1 on your list is to SCHEDULE A TOUR IN THE AFTERNOON! Do not schedule the tour at a time when most of the children have already gone home. The reason for this is so you can see the classroom structure. Scheduling a tour during an active afternoon will give you a look into how teachers engaged with the kids, how they comfort a child that is having a tough time and the type of activities that are done throughout the day. I recommend scheduling a tour either before or right after the lunch hour. Typically, lunch is between 10:30 AM and 11:30 AM. You can ask the director to confirm. If you are in need of a later time see if you can tour anytime before 3:30 PM.

SCHEDULE A TOUR DURING AN ACTIVE AFTERNOON! .

– the MomTog

Now, we all know parenthood is no walk in the park. I am here to make your life a tad bit easier. Use the checklist below at your childcare interview.

1. Tell me about the classroom’s daily schedule.
2. How many kids are in each class?
3. How many teachers are in each class?
4. What is the employee turnover?
5. Do you have cameras in each classroom?
6. Do you have a mobile app, so I can receive updates on my child throughout the day?
7. What is your approach to discipline?
8. Is the building protected with a keypad lock that only parents and staff members know the code to?
9. Where do the children nap? (Make sure you are shown the nap area)
10. How do you communicate with the parents? Are we immediately notified if there is an issue or if our child was hurt?

I hope these questions help in a way that day has helped me.