Day care

almendarez

DH and I are touring a day care today.  Any advice on questions to ask, things to look out for, etc?  

I found this day care on yelp; are there any other good websites for finding local child care?  I'd like to check out a few and get on multiple waiting lists to ensure LO gets in somewhere good before I have to go back to work.

chickpea912

I tend to peruse Craigs List - I've been able to find licensed home day cares that way, although many don't know at this point what their availability will be in September (when I'm hoping to start).

tbmadeamistake

I googled to find mine, but I think care.com covers centers as well as individual caregivers.  Most states also have a website with all licensed daycares/homes listed. 

I asked about bottle/BM policies.  I was allowed to bring in frozen milk and they would make up the bottles, some places require you to prep all bottles each morning.  Same with formula, I took in powder, some places make you mix it.  Ask about hours and what happens if you are late (I get charged $15 for the 5 minutes, $1 a minute after that).  When do they send a child home for being sick, when can they come back, will they need a doctor's note.  Payment schedules (we have to pay in advance).  A list of what you'll have to provide (can differ slightly).  Are the caregivers all licensed.  Baby/Teacher ratio should be state mandated, but you can ask and then check your state to make sure they are following that.  Look at all the rooms, even the bigger kids, because that's where your LO will end up down the road. 

I also just paid attention to see if I got a good vibe from the kids there.  Were they happy?  What kind of toys did they have, were there TVs in the rooms, were the teachers really paying attention and interacting.  All those things that you can't really ask but want to pay attention to.  It's overwhelming, but try to take in as much as you can and if you need to write down notes.  I go a lot based on gut instinct. 

Oh, and ask rates, most places don't post them online but will provide when asked. 

firsttimeaunt

Lilygrace48's post suggestions are great.  Also, when I went to tour daycares with DS, one center had me come at naptime.  Another center had me come mid-morning.  The center that had me come mid-morning wanted me to be able to see the control teachers had over classrooms. If you are planning on staying at the center a while, ask about the curriculum they have after they move out of the nursery area as well as the food.   I was also able to inspect the lunch they were making the older kids when i went on my tour.  My daycare provides a hot breakfast, lunch and snack for the kids that are able to eat real food.  Some centers didn't provide breakfast and it helps so much.  We chose the center that we had the best "gut" feeling about, and we are still there 3 years later. 

Disclaimer:  This is my first post on this board.  I'll make an intro post and because I have not posted, i have no idea what my siggy will look like, but I'm guessing it all messed up.

amackattack

H and I have toured 3 different centers and have our names on waiting lists at 2 places. I don't think we'll put our name in at any more places as they said we will likely get a spot at one of those places! We toured one center at 5:30, and one during the day. I'd say it's much better to tour during the day if you can, to really see the center in action! Differences I saw in places that were important to me were:

Do they allow clothe diapers? Can you come in and breastfeed during the day? Can you drop your children off at any time and pick them up at any time? Can you pay with a credit card (for the points!!)? Do they provide meals? Can you keep clothes at the center for your child? Is there a discount for siblings?

Good luck!

lucreciac

I agree a lot of it is a gut feeling. I saw about 15 places (no, not kidding. I'm crazy) before picking one. A lot of my questions have been asked, but I also asked about security - ie, is there a camera/video on-line. Some people like this, so you can see your kids, but I didn't want that because I have a fear of it being hacked. Also, what are their evacuation policies - I was looking for my son right around the time of the Sandy Hook shooting, and this was crucial. My center practices their drill monthly, including hauling all of the cribs out, etc. I was interested in a center that went up to kindergarten so we had that option, because my town previously only did half-day kindergarten, which wouldn't work if I was back at work. I asked to see their curriculum, copies of their monthly schedules, and a sample end of day letter. I asked about formula vs BM, keeping extra stuff there (a HUGE help), and how meals work. Also the obvious, like cleanliness, how often they disinfect their toys, do the kids look happy, etc. I always show up unannounced and I like to see how they handle busy morning times. I love, love love my center and am so happy with how they've treated my son.

RaeJ004

I totally agree that it is a gut feeling you get when you walk in a place. DH and I toured one that all the kids just looked dirty. Not like they were outside playing the dirt having a blast, but like their clothes hadn't been washed, their faces hadn't been wiped, etc. We walked out. Our current provider is not licensed (something that I was convinced I wanted) and is head and shoulders above the licensed places we went. And LO LOVES it there. I asked about cloth diapers, what and when they ate, scheduled activities vs free time, any screen time, who else came to the home (since it is in her home), and amount of time outside.

bigdreams24

We love our daycare. They have smaller classrooms, 10-20 kids in each room depending on the age. They move up a room about every 6 months. It goes all the way to kindergarten as well.

Must have for us:
-Open door policy, parents can come at any time
-Safe, locked main-entrance door
-Attention to cleanliness, and no sick children allowed in the classroom
-No TV
-Allow part-time (believe it or not a lot of daycares dont)
-Indoor and Outdoor areas (Tons of daycares only have indoor)

The bonuses:
-2 Week transitioning period when moving to a new room so its not brand new
-Each classroom has their own backyard and age appropriate play structure
-They help with potty training and other milestones like weaning off the bottle
-Days are structured which helps with nap time
-Socialization for my DD is great!
-Healthy lunch and snack menu

Hope this helps! We had a hard time starting her in daycare at 7 months but we love that place. Our next little one will be going there as well.
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MamaDuck2013

The other thing I look for is no exersaucer or swings....plenty of time to crawl around the floor and just explore. I also look to see how connected the kids are with the teachers...if they actually cry when the teacher leave, it is not a bad thing, just means they are connected.

tbmadeamistake

Adding a couple things: Ask for references. Most places will have a list of current parents that you can call to get their take on it.  This is what really clinched it for me, how much the other parents all loved it there.
Do they separate the mobile babies from the non-mobile babies?  Mine has an infant room that's divided so the non-mobile babies don't get run over. 
Locked front door, as PPs have mentioned.  Mine has a code that we have to plug in to open the door, and a button way up high that the kids can't reach to open it from the inside.  No one can get in without the code, and kids can't escape.
How do they handle having other people pick up your child?  Do they card, do they require a note, is there a pre-approved list in case of emergencies?
Do they offer teeth brushing for older kids?
How do they handle potty training?