Going back to work can be emotionally difficult for you, and when you decide to put your baby in a daycare, you need to make sure it’s the right one. Your baby’s daycare is his home away from home, a place to have fun and learn. Parents need to learn how to choose a daycare to make the best decision.
The idea of leaving your baby with someone else during the day can be a hard pill to swallow. It’s a big decision that should not be made lightly.
You aren’t alone in this journey; over 50 percent of mothers return to work outside of the home. So, that means there are hundreds of childcare options in your area, from daycares to nannies and more. You have to find the one that makes the most sense for your family.
If you’ve decided that daycare is the right fit for your family, you must know which questions to ask daycare providers and how to choose a daycare.
Choosing a Daycare in 5 Simple Steps
Depending on where you live, you should get started looking for a daycare two to three months before you plan to go back to work. Those who live in a bigger city may need to begin searching before your baby even arrives. Daycares book up quickly, and many have waiting lists for spots to open.
1. Get Recommendations from Friends and Family
The first thing that you need to do is get some recommendations. Ask your friends and family what daycare centers they recommend. If you are in any local Facebook mom groups, ask for their recommendations as well. Your pediatrician or even OBGYN might have suggestions for highly-rated daycare centers.
Take a look at the daycares online. Many have websites that showcase what they offer to families. You also can check the online resources for your state regulatory agency.
2. Call Each Daycare to Ask Questions
Next, once you have a selection of local options, give the centers and in-home daycare providers a phone call. Most are happy to answer questions over the phone. This phone call is to wean out the ones that might not be feasible for you.
During the phone call, you want to make sure that they have openings available for your child. Discuss their hours to be sure it works with your schedule. Ask if they have a set price or a price quote that they can give you over the phone.
If the daycare’s hours don’t work for you or the staff isn’t friendly over the phone, scratch it off of your list of possibilities.
Here are some questions you might want to ask.
- What are your costs and what does this include?
- Do you currently have openings for my child’s age?
- Do you have any accreditations? State-level licensing is a minimum standard for care regulation. The daycare center should have a license, which is permission to run the business. Licenses don’t indicate care quality. You might look for national accreditation from organizations to indicate high-quality care centers, such as:
- National Association for the Education of Young Children
- The National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs
- National Early Childhood Program Accreditation
- How many children do you care for at once? Look for a maximum of six babies or eight toddlers per group with one staffer for every three babies and one staffer for every four toddlers.
- What is your childcare philosophy? You should make sure you are comfortable with the caregiver’s policies on discipline, soothing, feeding, and early education.
- What qualifications and experiences do you have? Caregivers should be trained in CPR and first aid. Ideally, in a group center, the director should have a degree in early childhood education.
- What do you serve the kids to eat? You want a daycare center that provides wholesome meals and snacks that are age-appropriate. Parental instructions for breast milk, formula, solids, and meal schedules should always be followed, and bottles should never be propped. If you are concerned about the snacks or food they serve, make sure that you can bring your own food from home (even if it requires a doctor’s note, which is unlikely to be required in a daycare setting).
- How is the staff screened? All daycare workers should be a complete criminal background check. You can ask to see proof of this if you inspect the facility.
- Do you have a comprehensive sign-in safety policy set for parents? Facilities should ensure child security by having clear and specific procedures for signing children in and out of the facility. Ask about how these policies are followed and whether the doors are locked from outside entry during the day.
- Does the daycare center have a daily routine? Children learn through repetition and structure, which is why they love nursery rhymes. Ask about their scheduled routine and how it helps children engage. Look to see if the schedules are posted on the walls.
- Do you have a visiting health professional? National standards recommend that all center-based infant-toddler programs be visited by a health professional at least once a month. All childcare programs should be visited at least once every three months.
3. Visit the Daycare Yourself in Person
Now you have a list of daycares that are in your price range and work for your work schedule. The next step is to set up a visit in person. See if it checks off what you are looking for in a daycare center.
Always trust your gut. We have instincts for a reason. If something doesn’t feel right for your baby or you feel apprehensive about enrolling your child, it probably isn’t the right choice for your baby.
What to Look for When You Visit a Daycare Center
When you visit the daycare centers, you want to make sure it as all of the features you desire before enrolling your baby. Look around closely and make sure that it’s a good fit for you, and that there aren’t any red flags. I remember touring one lovely preschool… only to find that they had scented candles lit in the main office. The smell was so strong and I couldn’t believe they would allow that (hello allergies and sensitivities!).
If you aren’t sure what you should look for when you visit the daycare center, here are some suggestions.
✅ A clean but not over-sanitized environment: Cleanliness is vital for the best daycare center for your child, but in this day and age, many schools and daycares are going overboard. You should notice its health and sanitation rules on a sign for the workers. For example:
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- Caregivers should wash their hands after each diaper change.
- The diapering and food prep areas are kept separate and cleaned after each use.
- All feeding utensils are washed in a dishwasher or disposable.
- Bottles are prepared in sanitary conditions.
- Toys are rinsed with a sanitizing solution or kept in a separate box for each kid.
You can also ask the school which cleaning products they use, how often they spray, and if they would be open to using a non-toxic EPA-approved cleaner like Force of Nature. Use discount code GENTLENURSERY40 to save on cleaning bundles. (If you’d like to work with your child’s daycare to create a healthier, less toxic environment, check out my guide to non-toxic classrooms, where some of the advice would apply to a daycare environment as well.)
✅ Make sure that proper safety measures are in place. Safety always matters. Locked doors are the first thing you should find; kids shouldn’t come and go as they please. Adult visitors need to be closely monitored. A few other safety measures that you should find include:
- No choking hazards
- No pillows or blankets in the cribs
- All babies should be placed on their backs to sleep
- Gates on open stairways
- Clean floors
- Immaculate kitchen and bathroom with an enclosed outdoor space for play
- Smoke detectors are installed
- Window guards on upstairs windows
- No candles or air fresheners
✅ Happy children and a kind staff. You want to see content, clean babies in a room with a quiet area where they can take a nap. Caregivers should be kind, energetic, patient, and interested in the kids. Visiting towards the end of the day gives you a better idea of what you can expect. Everyone has less patience by the end of the day after all!
✅ A stimulating (but not over-stimulating) environment. Daycares should have plenty of verbal and physical interaction between kids and caregivers. The staff should play and interact with the kids, ensuring that they are engaged. Look for age-appropriate toys that aren’t in good shape. You can also ask for a rundown of daily activities that should include singing, talking, reading, and dancing.
✅ Children should be separated into age groups. Infants under 12 months old shouldn’t be in the same area as toddlers and older children. Older kids are more energetic and rough.
✅ Learning and education opportunities. Language arts and reading should be a focus at any daycare facility. Children should have the opportunity to expand their vocabulary and comprehension while engaging with their peers. Reading to children and letting them explore picture books is a vital part of caregiving. Reading encourages cognitive and learning skills. There should be plenty of books available for kids. Some centers have separate areas just for reading. Ask if they have daily story time. Reading to children encourages their trust and bonding. It’s one of the essential activities for development.
4. Speak to the Staff in Person
During your visit, you will want to sit down with the manager or one of the primary daycare workers to ask more detailed questions. This conversation will help you get to know the workings of the daycare center. You want to know how many workers they have, how they put the babies to sleep, and more.
Follow-up on some of the questions you had during your screening call and make sure that the information you are given is consistent.
5. Check Their References
Most daycare centers should provide you with a list of references. These will be former and current clients. Be sure to give them a call and ask if they are happy with their experiences. It’s tempting to believe what the daycare worker says, but you need to hear about the positive experiences from clients to be sure.
What to Avoid in a Daycare Center
So, we’ve covered what you should see at a daycare center, but there are some things you specifically want to make sure you avoid.
- Vague or Undocumented Policies: Daycare policies should be clear and available to read, whether on the website for the daycare center or at the center. You should receive a packet with all of the policies when you sign your child up at the center. A lack of policies should make you question the entire center, especially regarding security and safety.
- High Child-to-Teacher Ratio: Taking care of children is a tremendous job, and to meet the needs of each child, the child-to-teacher ratio should remain low. The ideal standards advised for no more than four infants per caregiver and no more than six toddlers per caregiver. Selecting a daycare with high ratios might mean that the teachers are overwhelmed while caring for your child.
- Lack of Cleanliness: When you tour each of the daycares, take notice of the cleanliness of each room. Look for teachers that are cleaning the surface before and after meals, clean bathrooms, and other examples. Your child needs to be in a clean environment. At the same time, think twice before enrolling in an overly sanitized daycare center where industrial cleaners are used multiple times per day.
- Lack of Child-Proofing: Safety is always of the utmost importance when it comes to the right daycare center. If you notice outlets uncovered, gated left open, doors not locked, or other safety problems, that means it’s a center you want to avoid. Safety and security should be a huge priority for centers.
- Bored or Unhappy Kids: Always observe the children’s’ behaviors when you are touring daycare centers. If the kids are bored or withdrawn, it might indicate a negative environment or a lack of stimulation. If you see babies that are being neglected, that is a big red flag.
- Difficulty Communicating with the Director: You want a daycare center that has a response and easy-to-reach director or manager. Your voice messages or emails should be answered in an acceptable length of time. If you find that communication is spotty, this could negatively impact your future parent and daycare relationship.
Picking the Right Daycare Center
When you choose a daycare, you’re selecting the individuals that will care for your child when you aren’t home. They need to be trustworthy, clean, safety, and fun for your child. You have to feel comfortable leaving your child there each day. This decision is serious, so pay attention and ask as many questions as you want!
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