What made you choose your day care

Mrs.RockyM

Just not really sure what to look for in a daycare, but I don't want to make the wrong choice.  I also know I want a bigger place, rather than an inhome day care.  I just don't know anyone around where I live with kids so I can't get any recommendations.

What made you chose your daycare?

Pesky

Low turnover rate with staff
Children, including babies, seemed interested and involved in what was going on
Close to home
I liked that they had a separate sleep area in a darker room with constant music/white noise
Liked the information sheet I would get about her day and that they were open to spot visits and calls from parents
Liked that they would follow a schedule if I preferred and that otherwise they followed the baby's cues (which I prefer)
No complaints to state that I saw except regarding billing (so I've just be careful about that)
Talked to a few parents right then and there (just snagged them before they could walk out) and the center was fine with it and encouraged me to do so
Basically got a good feeling when I was there

madhatter2003

ditto the pp. The director of my center has been there for 20 years, the infant teacher for about 10 yrs which is AMAZING in that area of work.

I just felt 'good' about it. It had good reviews from parents (I asked on our neighborhood message/yahoo group board), good reviews from inspections, and just felt like somewhere I'd want my DD to spend her days.

MrsSayre3.20.04

Low staff turnover rate Been in operation for almost 30 years, with the same owner and operator People who graduated from pre-k there now have their own children enrolled there Constant training and continuing ed for the staff (cpr, fire safety, etc.) Close to work, less than 5 minutes from my office I recommend stopping by a center unannounced to get a feel for it. Does someone greet you when you walk in? What's the atmosphere like? Ask to spend a few minutes with whoever your child's teacher would be. Ask them how long they have worked there, and what the daily routine is like.

sju

You have gotten many ideas from the pp's.  Also look at the number of windows and fire exits as well as security measures.  Each room in our center has an exit and they do drills often.  I liked how cleaned and organized our center looked compared to others in town.  The teachers, particularly those in the infant room, have many years of experience.  Check the condition of the baby gear and the diaper changing area.  Teachers in our center wear gloves, and thoroughly clean the changing station after each child is changed.  

Try to check local websites and see if there are reviews of daycare centers.  

Good luck! 

jec2006

My niece went to the same daycare where my DD will be, and had a wonderful experience, but in the end, I chose to send DD there after visiting and watching how they operate.  Each child is greeted warmly, and the teachers heard my concerns and listened.  They also engaged DD as soon as we arrived.

Mcrocker79

- The center was so much cleaner than all the others I visited.

- There are three main infant teachers who have all been there from 4-8 years.

- They had a separate area for sleeping (not a separate room, but divided from the play area).  Most centers I visited did not have this separated.

- Parent feedback - I got a reference and I also talked to a mom who was picking up her son when I happened to be visiting.

These are the main things.  There are a lot of other factors I considered but these were the things that made me decide this one versus the 10-12 others I visited.

NYCred

in addition to what all the pps have suggested, be sure to, above all, trust your gut.  once we found a daycare that met our requirements, the real deciding factor for us was that we just felt it was the right place for DD.  nothing concrete, just a feeling.   

Feb3

I would say not to rule out home daycares.  I thought I wanted a center, but when I looked at what was available in our area I like this particular home daycare much more than I liked the centers, which I didn't like at all.  It really depends on what is available to you.  You'll know when you visit whether you feel comfortable there or not.

jlw2505

The big thing for me was also being in a center.  I lvoe the educational side and the structure of my center.  I visited the center a few times and observed the infant room to get a feel.  I spent a lot of time talking to the staff.  It was clean and I hit it off with the staff which were both very important to me.  All of the staff is education in education or working towards a degree.  The main afternoon teacher in the infant room is an RN by training and had her own at home center before coming to the center 15 years ago.  While there is turnover, there are also a lot of staff that have been there 5+ years.  I also had my sister stop by for a surprise visit and tell me what she thought so I got a second opinon.  I looked at safety measures, teacher education, meal plans, etc.  Go with your gut and ask to speak to some refereneces.  You should be encouraged to stop by unanncouced at any time to check things out.