Daycare questions

JBing131

For those on their second - what types of questions did you ask/look for when you were picking out a daycare facility?  Did you tour during the day and see interaction between caregivers/teachers and the kids?

ArtlessIbex

I looked for cameras in the rooms, a minimum of two teachers in the room at all times, and familiarity with food allergies and the appropriate emergency reactions thereto. Also I asked questions about what they teach (if anything) and how they are taught to resolve conflicts.
The allergy thing was specific to our situation with my DD, but knowing their emergency plan is always helpful. You want a place with a comprehensive emergency plan for storms, floods, fire, tornadoes, medical emergencies and anything specific to your region. Avoid anyone who does not have a comprehensive written plan in place for major disasters.

Greencows4812

I asked about meals and what some of their lunch options looked like. I asked about snacks and fluids, Outside time and what temps mean they do not go out. I asked if they did activities on the days they couldn't go outside, I asked about crafts. I asked about discipline and potty training. I asked about any teaching things like colors, shapes, numbers, ect. When I did the tour I looked at the teachers to see if they were sitting or on their phone or if they were interacting with children. I looked at the toys in the room and if their was evidence of creative items like coloring pages or paint. I also asked to see their emergency plans. 

Knottie1458416769

The few places we inquired about only have daytime tours so you would always see interactions live when you toured. I searched the national database online for national certification - forget what it's called but there's a special designation and not every center gets one

SandNStarsNJ

To add on to everybody above - I asked about specific curriculum (reading regularity), schedules (to see if the transition would be challenging), and caretaker turnover. That last one is still a big deal; there are some places that can't keep people for more than 6 months. 

And most places encourage you visit during active hours. I would suggest before nap times because that's when they address most curriculum (ie 9:30/10:00). 

seven6five

Definitely go somewhere that you can drop in any time. Any kind of parental limitations like that should be a red flag. And ask on Facebook. People will be honest about who they know that's good and who isn't.

shevaCC

My biggies are being able to drop in whenever I want, what's their teacher turnover rate, and staff/child ratios. The ratios are often dictated by the state, but some centers use lower ratios voluntarily. I also want to know if they accept kids that aren't vaccinated, and if so, how many. 

For babies, how often do they go outside and in what conditions? How/where do they take the kids outside? I like daily at least. How many current moms send expressed breast milk versus send formula? For me, more is better since I plan to pump. When you visit, check and see what the caregivers are doing. Are they actively engaging with the babies, sitting on the floor, reading books, etc.? How many baby-containment devices do you see around the room (bouncers, jumpers, etc.)? Ideally none, apart from a high chair or two. If/when a baby is upset, how do the caregivers react? How often do you hear crying when you're visiting?

A nice-to-have is a regular way of getting updates (photos are even better) about your child. But I'd rather trust the careproviders I've gotten to know and observe that my child's comfortable at drop-off/pick-up, than get random pics, so this is a bonus one for me.

For older kids: how often and for how long do they go outside? When they're in the classroom, what are they doing? Do the caregivers talk to the children or talk about the children? If they serve food, what's their menu for this week? How do they deal with misbehavior?

Kittens22

Are there any Canadian moms on here who put their baby in day care at around 6 months?? I can't afford to take a while year off work but in my initial searches online I can't find any places who take kids under 12-18m o... it seems weird??? 

ficbot

@Kittens22 I am concerned about this too. Due to the school year schedule (I'm a teacher) he'll be about ten months when I would plan to go back. Most daycares I've looked into start at 18 months. The one at my husband's workplace, for which we are eligible, will take him at one year and they are firm about that, he has to be technically past his actual birthday. We may be looking at me doing subbing work part-time and cobbled-together grandma care until then. But on the other hand, husband's co-worker has a kid in that daycare and says her kid gets sick a lot. So...not sure what we'll do. We are starting to look into nanny sharing as an option.

Kittens22

@ficbot Yeah, it's really weird. I'm assuming it's totally normal in the USA but not here. So stupid! It really seems like nanny or private daycare providers are the only option.... which wouldn't be my first choice  

seven6five

@ficbot @Kittens22 that's stressful! The daycare DS is at currently will be taking LO at 6 weeks when I go back to work! But America is a minority in their leave time. I wish I could be with LO until they're a year +.

ficbot

18 months just seems so random to me. I mean, I understand maybe charging more for a higher-maintenance infant. I'd pay extra for the 12-18 month period. But not to have the option? Where are they supposed to go between 12-18 months?

thenali

@Kittens22 I'm a Canadian expecting mother and this baffles me as well. I am planning on taking the full year maternity leave, but even the options between 12-18 months are super limited. From what I've seen online so far (mostly Kijiji searches) you might have more luck at a day home as opposed to a day care for younger ages?

Speaking of which, anyone have any experiences in day homes vs day cares they would like to share? DH and I are looking at both options as a possibility and day homes are cheaper.

dreamcatch-her

My stepmom is able to login to her daycare providers database whenever she wants and watch everything live and recorded. That would personally make me feel much more comfortable if I knew everything that was going on throughout the day.