Day Care Center Question: Would this bother you?

RobinaUMCP · February 2012

I have started going on daycare tours and went to visit one yesterday that I really liked. It's a little on the expensive side, but that's okay, I guess. The director showed me around and we toured all the rooms where she told me the staff ratios (1:3 in the infant room) and other information. We get to one room and there are 9 babies (mostly sleeping) and only one provider. The director didn't mention it and I thought maybe I was missing something (there was a somewhat hidden section of the room where another person could have been standing, but I don't think so). While we were in the room talking, another provider came in kinda in a rushed state, but I still never saw a third person. All the other rooms had the correct number of people, overall the center was very nice, clean and I liked the curriculum. So would this one thing be a deal breaker/issue for you?

TIA!

inthewater · February 2012

If you feel comfortable with them, then I would go back and do a second tour - say a week or so apart and test the waters one more time. If it still looks off, ask the center director (or whomever is giving you the tour) directly at that time. HTH!

amh_navyblue · February 2012

It might be worth a second visit, but my guess is that if most of the kids were sleeping, someone may have stepped out for something. Another thought might be to give the director a call and ask her about the situation and see how she reacts, which might give you a better sense of how things are handled there and whether you're comfortable with it. I don't think that particular situation would be dealbreaker for me if everything else seemed good...mainly because you said the kids were mostly sleeping.

BTW, have to comment that your anniversary is the birthday of my first daughter--nice day all the way around:)

WinesNotWhines · February 2012

If you liked everything else about the daycare, I'd make a follow-up call to the director and ask her about it. I know they have to adhere to ratios, but if most of the kids were asleep and everything was totally in control, I can understand a teacher running out of the room for 2 minutes for an emergency bathroom break, or something like that.