Daycare Moms please come in!

FunkyPhoenix · December 2013

I'm beginning my search this week for a daycare for Ben. I've asked for recommendations from a local Moms group and have reviewed the Texas Dept of Family & Protective Svcs website for inspections, citations and reports. I'm going to "pop-in" versus call ahead for a tour so that I can see how things look when they aren't expecting company. Outside of that I was hoping to get some good feedback from you guys on what to look for and what to ask. These are the questions I have so far:

1. Baby to caregiver ratio

2. What do you provide/ What do I provide?

3. Sick policy

4. How do you handle naps? (since I'm not sure Ben will nap well in a bright noisy environment)

5. Is their a daily schedule/ curriculum?

6. When/ How do you decide to move a child up to the next class?

7. What foods are served when he is ready for table food? Copy of menu.

Lastly- I'm not sure how to ask this or if I should at all, but Ben is a fairly high needs child. I'm curious how they handle these types of babies versus very laid back babies? I've noticed he is more demanding when it's just us two or DH, and he sometimes becomes less high maintenance is social settings with other people around. Therefore, he may adjust really well, but I know he obviously won't get the one-on-one attention I give him daily. I'm curious if they will see/ pay attention to his frustrated cues, acknowledge that he is maybe more demanding than some, etc. I'm not sure how to bring this up or position the question...

TIA ladies!

kelly422 · December 2013

That's a good start - I googled "questions to ask daycare provider" and got a ton more questions when I was doing my search. You can also try XP this on the Working Moms board!

BLT20051 · December 2013

Ask if they have a vacation policy. Our daycare offers one tuition free week a year.

Also check out your state's policies. Ex: I know in PA the child to teacher ratio for infants is 4:1. There are only kids in the infant room anyway but I also know that if I go in and there are more than 4 in there, I will be speaking with the director.

Also their visitor policy. Our facility has a coded door. All visitors are supposed to ring the bell and be asked for ID by the staff before they're allowed to enter.

Do you BF or FF?

FunkyPhoenix · December 2013

melOHdy said:

Ask what you're able to leave there. Lilly's at a home daycare so she can't leave anything but I know that at most centers you're able to.

Also, remember that they're the professionals. They may be able to do something in a way that you don't (i.e. for a long time our DCP was the only person who could get Lilly to nap outside of her swing).

Totally agree with this! I am happy to have them help him learn to do things that I haven't been necessarily successful at doing so far. I'm most certainly NOT a professional. LOL.

ETA- I'm just curious and would like to ask how they do that. His naps for example. It would be great if he slept in the classroom with other babies around, lights on, on their schedule, etc. I'm curious as to how they help him make that adjustment. YKWIM?

Nix55 · December 2013

I would ask about the payment schedule. I pay my provider for holidays even if LO isn't there. I do get 2 weeks of vacation time though which I don't have to pay for. I don't get credit for sick days. I use an in home provider, so things are a bit different. Also ask about earliest drop off and latest pick up. Is there an additional fee?

If you are BF, ask if you have to bring it daily or if you can bring it weekly.

I would skip the last part. See how he does the first few days/week. You might also want to try to stop by for an early pick up unannounced to see how it is going.

Ask if they provide a standard daily log of feedings/pee-poop/activities/temperament. If not, they should allow you to bring one for them to fill out. I found one online to use.

CPR and/or first aid certified? Will they allow LO to tummy sleep? If that is applicable to you. I had a friend who had a horrendous time getting her daycare to allow LO to tummy sleep-even with a doctor's note.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

ASmallWonder · December 2013

This isn't meant to deter you from asking every question you want the answer to. My honest answer to you though is that few of those questions/answers are going to be what REALLY matters (that's not to say all). We went to a daycare that gave all the right answers but something about it just didn't sit well with me and it turns out we were never happy with the place for several reason. In the end, your gut is going to tell you most of what you need to know. Another reason some of it can end up not mattering is because the baby you stay home with is not the baby they're getting lol Daycare tends to turn babies on their heads. Mine is "high needs" at home and loathes tummy time and will only drink from level 2 nipples or he chokes. There? He's a DREAM! Does everything the exact opposite of what I had told them to expect lol

BLT20051 · December 2013

This isn't meant to deter you from asking every question you want the answer to. My honest answer to you though is that few of those questions/answers are going to be what REALLY matters (that's not to say all). We went to a daycare that gave all the right answers but something about it just didn't sit well with me and it turns out we were never happy with the place for several reason. In the end, your gut is going to tell you most of what you need to know. Another reason some of it can end up not mattering is because the baby you stay home with is not the baby they're getting lol Daycare tends to turn babies on their heads. Mine is "high needs" at home and loathes tummy time and will only drink from level 2 nipples or he chokes. There? He's a DREAM! Does everything the exact opposite of what I had told them to expect lol

Totally agree with the bolded. We ended up going with the less fancy DCP because I LOVED the staff. The newer, fancier place was very sterile and unwelcoming to me.

Also ask about part time/full time options.

RissNRuss · December 2013

Those are good questions- our DCP was the "cheapie" option but also more inclusive, and less sterile feeling than some of the big names around. They include diapers, wipes, food, formula, bottles, pacis, etc. If they provide alot, ask if they have a problem with you bringing in your own (if there's things your specific about, for us I don't like A using pacis/bottles other kids use).
We EBF, so she only takes a bottle from the DCP, and she refuses bottles and pacis at home, but takes them with no issue at DCP. Also, she will nap in a crib or bouncer there, but she will not nap unless on us or wrapped at home. Our DCP nursery is a 4:1 ratio, and they will combine the rooms (two 4/baby rooms and 1 8/baby room) to allow for a quiet napping area that is teacher-manned and a play room for the awake babies- the awake room connects to the other three rooms so teachers can tag team the rooms for proper coverage.
Also- I'll join the posters saying the baby rooms often have criers- one of A's classmates ALWAYS cries. I think I've seen every baby in there cry before, but they are also well tended to- I've seen all the teachers try out different soothing techniques, different ones for different kids. Trust your instinct as you visit- I felt comfortable from moment one there, while at some others I felt nervous or like they were interviewing me instead of the other way around.
Also- check what their rate increase policy is- our center is technically that they can change it with one tuition period (two weeks) notice. We just got our rate increase letter at the beginning of December- to take effect with the January 13 tuition payment.

needanustart · December 2013

We went less fancy and went with my gut. I liked the owner and she was a mom of two kids there. Loved the staff and outdoor space for playing. They accepted cloth diapers so good for us.
Arlo is really high needs and he does fine at daycare. Honestly he's probably more high needs with me because he can get away with it. The ladies there have dealt with all kinds of babies so I'm sure it won't be their first tough customer! Also our place won't do drop by tours because of privacy, so you may come across that.

JessicaKS · December 2013

We went on several tours. They all said the same things (more or less). The ones I liked and the ones I hated had nothing to do with what their policies were or the ratios. It all came down to gut feelings. I know that not super helpful, but in the end I found all my thoughtful questions were met with the "right" answers everywhere I went. I went with the one I felt most comfortable with and the ones I got really really good references for. We love it! They are so good to my daughter and I promise you that they will figure out your child without lots of complicated instructions. They have been doing this for a long long time with hundreds of babies.

FunkyPhoenix · December 2013

Thank you all for the great feedback! This was a big help!

SummerSnow11 · December 2013

I highly agree with all of those that mentioned the gut feeling. That is what helped me decide and I've been very happy with our daycare center. The other one I visited was nice, and probably is great for some people, but I didn't click with the people there like I do at our daycare.

Monkeybutt80 · December 2013

I asked a ton of questions, in the end, I picked mine because 1) the teachers in the room were very nice and 2) they had a good answer when I asked them about their vaccine policy. All three centers had essentially the same policy of requiring a pedi filled form each year stating that the child is age appropriately up to date on their vaccines. However, the other two places we decided against started with ' well, we can't force them to be vaccinated...' Whereas the one we picked, the director said 'the parents must provide the forms filled out by the pediatrician in order to remain enrolled'... It just gave me a feel for how the center is run.
But overal, I think you have good questions. You might also want to ask about their late pick up penalties just in case.

Want a personalized experience?

Daycare Moms please come in!

Re: Daycare Moms please come in!

Choose Another Board

Search Boards