Daycare Help (XP from April 2013)

Sunny0710

I am a FTM and am starting to look into daycare centres for my LO. He wouldn't be starting until next Sept, when he would be 17 months old (in my area daycare is tough to find, so you need to get on waitlists early). I have found one close to my home and have heard through word of mouth that it's a good one. They have invited me by this afternoon to check it out and see the centre in action. My question is, what questions should I ask? If you have a LO in daycare now, what do you wish you knew about earlier/should have asked when you visited? I am nervous about the thought of daycare (I always had a SAHM), so I want to be thorough. TIA ladies.

twirlyjack73

You should ask if they hire criminals.  If so what level crime is their cutoff for hiring.  I asked one place & they said 'well if they pass the state criminal inspection then we hire them without further inspection'.  yeh, that's comforting-not.

VPGIRL06

- what is the teacher:student ratio for your DD's age?   What is the room capacity? (i.e. at 17 months, the ratio might be 1 teacher per 5 kids, but the room maybe only hold up to 10 toddlers)

- Are they accredited? by what organizations? what are the criteria to reach that accreditation?

-What is the illness policy?  When will your DD be sent home for illness, when can she return, etc.

- Will your DD have the same teacher every day or will she have different teachers at different times of day? You'll want to meet all the teachers she has in contact

- How often do they go outside? For how long?

-When/what is nap time policy? (you'll want to know so you can try to align your daughters nap time when you get closer)

- What is their medication policy?

- What does a daily schedule look like?

those are just some questions off the top of my head

amykins1283

twirlyjack73 said:

You should ask if they hire criminals.  If so what level crime is their cutoff for hiring.  I asked one place & they said 'well if they pass the state criminal inspection then we hire them without further inspection'.  yeh, that's comforting-not.

Are you talking about a basic background check? That is pretty much all they can do.

Bueno1234

Ask them how they handle discipline. While it may not be a huge deal at this point, as your LO gets older you want to make sure you are both on the same page. Because let's face it, if they are in day care full time, they are a major part of raising your kid.

Sunny0710

Thanks everyone. I got a good vibe from the one I visited. I have had 4 positive recommendations as well. I'd like to go back another time when my H can come and ask a few more questions, and I'd like to visit a few more to get some comparison. Thanks again for your responses!