Questions to ask Day Care?

[Kanga]

I just realized today that I have about 15 1/2 weeks left of this pregnancy :eek: and I should probably get started on looking for a daycare. That is if I find a job :rolleyes: I have a list of questions (thanks to the oct 05 mommies) but is there anything else i should ask/look at?

1. Make sure the center has low ratios. The infant room at our center has 4 babies to each teacher
2. CLEANLINESS
*the kids ... look them over. Are their faces and hands relatively clean?
*Look at the classroom, too. Walk around, scout it out, be nosy. Are there crumbs on the floor? Does it look like spills have been cleaned up, or left to dry on the floor. Are the carpets relatively clean, or are they covered in stains? Look in the cribs ... do the linens look clean? Kids should have their own cribs, and the linens should be washed every single day.
3. HEALTH CONCERNS
*ask about their diapering system
*ask how they deal with sick children
4. CHILD/TEACHER INTERACTIONS
*watch how the teachers behave with the children
*Ask about infants who are awake but not crying... what interactions do they get. Are they left in the crib, do they play on a floor gym, etc.
*Pay attention to the atmosphere in the room ... do the teachers and kids seem happy and comfortable, or are they stiff and unnatural and generally unhappy? How long do kids cry before they're tended to? Watch how the kids behave with the teachers? Do they seem comfortable and affectionate?
5. FOODS
*ask what foods are provided by the center, and what you need to bring in. Some centers allow breast milk, some don't
6. SECURITY
* The center should have a list of people who are allowed to pick up your child if you are unable to do so
* At the center we picked, you have to be buzzed into the area where the children are... there's no way to get in without knowing the code or being allowed in.
7. OPEN DOOR POLICY
*You should be encouraged to visit your child as often as you want and you should feel welcome in the classroom at all times. There are actually centers that do not allow parents to drop by unannounced!

[lcarlson90]

I pulled my 5 month DS out of his daycare center because I was not happy with it. I am going to see a lady who runs a daycare in her home tonight. I had a great list of questions for in-home daycare providers that I got from the other web-site but I can't find it. Does anyone know where I can find a good list of questions?

[Brady]

hey Lori.. I hope this works out for you. I had saved in my email this list from last year when I was looking, I think it has questions for both in-home and center based, so you can go through and pick and choose. Good Luck.

Ask the Child Care Provider:

Is the child care center licensed?
Is the licensing permit current?
What are the tuition payments? When are they due?
What are the hours? Holiday and vacation schedule?
Is an initial registration fee required? What are admission requirements?
Are there extra charges for such things as meals or transportation?
Are fees reduced if more than one child enrolls?
Are deductions offered for periods of absence?
Is financial assistance available?
Is safe transportation provided?
What is the caregiver-to-child ratio? Federal guidelines for centers suggest no more than 1:3 for infants; 1:4 for toddlers; 1:8 for children aged 3 to 6. (but state guidelines are a little different)
What is the procedure for medical emergencies?
What are the policies regarding illness? (for example, are parents contacted if another child has a contagious disease? Does caregiver have someone to substitute in case she gets sick?)
Is a physician on-call? Are medical records maintained?
Is the staff trained in early childhood education and first aid?


Observe or Ask About:
Facility

Does the center have:

carpeting, pads, and drapery to absorb extraneous noise?
child-sized furniture?
a cheerful, colorful atmosphere?
ample toys and art materials?
plenty of indoor and outdoor space?
special areas for quiet and active play?
smoke detectors and fire extinguishers? Regular fire drills? Alternate exits?
Staff

Does the staff:

genuinely seem to enjoy cuddling, holding, and talking to my baby?
welcome my questions and suggestions?
share my childrearing philosophy?
take time to share my child's experiences with me?
have low turnover?
sensitively handle feelings of fear, shyness, upset, and anger?
respect each child's unique background and interests?
guide rather than direct behavior?
really listen and talk to the children?
kneel or sit at child's eye level?
spend individual time with each child?
actively play with children, indoors and out?
emphasize children's strengths and accomplishments?
handle discipline positively?
establish and consistently maintain limits?
Program

Does the program:

balance active, physical activities with quiet, restful ones?
provide ample rest and nap times?
prohibit play that could quickly get out of hand?
encourage children to express themselves?
patiently encourage toddlers to solve some problems on their own?
provide ample opportunities for children to feel good about themselves?
help children deal with feelings constructively?
provide security through a well-defined, predictable schedule of daily activities?
balance structured and unstructured activities?
design graduated goals for each child?
encourage language development?
Health and Safety

Are important phone numbers posted near the phone? (Examples include police, fire, poison control center, hospital, children's physician, ambulance.)
Does the staff always know how to get in touch with both parents?
Does my child receive constant supervision, indoors and out?
Is my baby checked often when in a crib or playpen?
Is all baby equipment strong, stable, and in good repair?
Are the crib slats no more than 2 and 3/8 inches apart? Does the crib have protective bumper pads? Does the mattress firmly abut the side of the crib?
Does the center have separate cribs and crib sheets for each infant?
Do strollers or infant seats have safety harnesses?
Are the crib and playpen free of toys that could be used to climb out?
Can all doors inside the center be opened from the outside at all times?
Are the outside doors and windows locked?
Do strong screens or metal bars cover the windows? (especially important above ground level)
Do all glass doors have decals?
Are the rooms well ventilated and comfortable year-round?
Are the bathroom facilities clean and easily accessible to children?
Are latched safety gates placed at the top and/or bottom of stairways?
Are stairways and walkways free from clutter? Are floors free from spills, slippery surfaces, or small throw rugs?
Are small, sharp, or otherwise dangerous items out of reach or locked in a cupboard, drawer, or cabinet? (Examples include pins, thumbtacks, paper clips, matches, lighters, knives, plastic bags, scissors, guns, razor blades, glassware, working appliances.)
Are poisonous items stored out of reach or locked in cupboards, drawers, or cabinets? (Examples include cleaning products, polish, bleach, medicines, cosmetics, perfumes, aerosol cans, first aid supplies.)
Are the center and yard free from poisonous plants?
Is my child kept away from dangerous places like the stove or hot water faucets?
Do all electrical sockets have protective covers?
Has attention been paid to objects that could be pulled or knocked over? (Examples include tablecloths, electrical cords, lamps, furniture.)
Are toys safe, clean, and in good repair?
Are play surfaces, indoors and out, softened with carpeting or wood chips?
Do children get a daily dose of fresh air and sunshine, weather permitting?
Do children seem safe with one another?
Is the outdoor area fenced and free of hazards?
Is the play equipment safe and appropriate for my child's level of development?
Meals

Is the staff knowledgeable about my baby's food requirements and feeding schedule?
Are menus varied and posted for my review?
Are healthy snacks served mid-morning and mid-afternoon?
Are children allowed to leave food on their plates? (They should never be forced to eat.)
Are portions small and second helpings available?
Who plans the menus (dietitian or other staff)?
Is the kitchen clean?

[aligirl]

My DH and I are going to start looking at daycare options this month. We've heard of all different kinds of ways to narrow down choices and get information. What did you do when trying to find care for your child?

Having a family member watch the baby isn't an option as my mom is a nurse full-time and MIL smokes 2 packs a day (and said she didn't want to do that).

I'd like in-home care if possible but don't know what resources are out there to find good people to do that.

I will have to work at least a few days a week out of the home - so we're looking for an option that would be good for between 2-4 days of baby care.

Thanks!

[twinnyme]

Just to describe quickly what I did... I searched online and in our local phone book for places, then scheduled interviews at 5 daycare centers and 2 in-home one (I preferred a center from the beginning but kept an open mind). Most of them I went to see in one day - a crazy day! - armed with lists of questions I'd researched online at baby sites (and developed from threads in forums like this). Then I just went with my gut and our budget and picked the three I liked best. Then DH and I went back together (months later, arrgh - I started to get worried about losing spots) and checked out the top three, then decided on one and put down a deposit that day. Luckily, it's the one right across the street from our house and is mid-range. DD has been there since April and so far, so good. I think it's a good fit. We just dropped down to three days since I switched to a part-time job (just FYI - you mentioned you wanted 2-4 days; even though you prefer an in-home location, know that centers sometimes - though not all of them - also do part-time). Good luck finding a place!

[Ohana]

We talked to everyone we knew who had kids. We asked them where their kids went, how they liked it, would they recommend it, how much did it cost, etc.

Then we did some research. We wanted a place that was either NAEYC accredited or licensed (for in-home), and we wanted low ratios, with teachers/providers with lots of experience and training. We also wanted a place that had been in business for a while (but that's just us).

Once we had some good recommendations and doing our research, we visited the facilities. Within about 2 seconds, it was obvious where our daughter would go. Almost everyone we talked to recommended this place, and now I know why.

[Renrel]

Personally I did some research and visited a couple of sites and ended up choosing a bright horzions across the street from where I work. It has a good reputation and it gives us a little bit of an in to other bright horizons if we move, but for me the location was key in my choice. (after the obvious sense that the place was safe and well run and had caregivers I could trust) I love that I lose no time away from my child commuting. All I do is walk across the street and that I can visit with him everyday during lunch. I can see what is happening and get a baby fix during the day. I get to spend 3-4 hours of one on one time with my kid everyday. But this is not a option for most families and I think most choose a site close to home rather than work so that both parents have access in an emergency, at least that works best if you work in different directions from home.

As far as home care, I think talking to other moms is probably the best bet. I know I see posts on a local moms site asking about available nannies and offering up nannies who are no longer needed. We also have a parenting organization in our area that puts out a book listing all the daycare options in the area and throws a event once a year where the daycares set up booths and you can come see what is available. And I recently found out that my EAP will help you find daycare as well. So you may want to look around at those kind of research assistants.

[maple]

Obviously the best thing to do is to talk to as many parents in your area as you can.

During my maternity leave, DH & I moved cross country. I had one day to find a home and a daycare in an area I had never been and knew noone.

These are the things I thought were important for my child:
1.) hours of operation and ability to adjust schedule - full time vs. part time and for part time whether it was half days or full days.
2.) staff turnover (overall) and length of employment of infant teacher(s). Generally, I've found that the infant classes have the lowest turnover.
3.) sanitation/health issues - sick policy, shared vs. own beds, cleaning of toys, etc.
4.) transition plan - when do children generally transfer to future classrooms
5.) development plans and assessments - what do they do with the children and how they communicate the children's progress to the parents (daily, weekly, monthly)
6.) waiting period and priority placement and/or discount for future children
7.) any special programs and whether they are included in price of tuition (i.e. phonics, exercise, music, art, science), obviously more applicable to preschoolers
8.) schedule - outline of a typical day and how flexible they are to adapt to your childs needs
9.) their expectations of you

I think the biggest thing is gut feeling about the infant teacher(s). I knew immediately when I met my DD's teacher that she would be well cared for. I may be in the minority but I prefer a franchised daycare center over home daycares.

Hope this helps.

[Winter Biscuit]

Ditto what the others said. If you belong to a church, you can also ask families at the church or post an ad in the bulletin (if there is one). Ask your neighbors, co-workers, DH's co-workers.

Also check to see if your area/state has a Consolidated Community Child Care program. The 4C organizations maintain a list of all the licensed and accredited child care providers and can provide free lists to parents seeking child care. I was able to get a list of child care providers in our school district, and also in our zip code (to help narrow down who was nearby), as well as in the area near my work (so I could explore options closer to work vs. home). The list showed at a glance whether the home (if it was in-home) had pets and a pool (I did not want either if we were going to drop DD off with someone who runs their own in-home care), how many children they were licensed to take, whether the center was accredited, etc.

It helps to think about what's important to you and your DH before you start searching.

I think the key for us was to interview and visit centers once we made the decision to go with a center versus in-home care. We did phone interviews first, and we immediately ruled some places out based on their responses over the phone. Also, other places promised to send me a packet of information and never followed through. I ruled them out -- if they can't follow-up on a simple promise like that, what kind of assurance does that give me about how they are going to care for my child? We decided that if we didn't get a good vibe from them on the phone, we weren't going to waste our time meeting with them in person. I also visited and toured different centers, and like Ohana said, within 2 seconds we just knew which place we liked best.

[RileyMom]

Family care was not an option for us either. Initially I had a friend who was going to do it, but that fell through (looking back, I am glad).

When I realized I was going to be faced with an 'outsider' watching my DD, my initial reaction was in-home care. I contacted a state run agency called "child care connections" (I am sure your state has a similar agency) and they asked me a bunch of questions and sent me a printout of providers who met my needs.

After calling/visiting several of these in-home folks, I realized that this was not at all what I wanted (for a variety of reasons). I realized we would be better off with a Center. I was in the middle of muddling all this over when one day my husband and I drove by one of the large daycare centers in our town. It was brand new, had only been built for a few months. We were impressed with the physical apperance of the facility, the dead-end street, and the numerous playgrounds. So I called and made an appointment for a tour and interview. The rest is history.

We really didn't have any friends in the area who had used a daycare (many of our local friends are SAHM's.) We called 3 references (families who were currently using the Center) after we interviewed the owner/director, though and that helped seal the deal.

[dbers]

I visited my first daycare today, and will tour another tomorrow. It looks like I will have to make a decision by Monday of next week to get a space! I * think* I asked all the right questions, but what should I be looking for?

[Renrel]

I did not put my child in daycare till he was almost one, so I am not that familiar with infant room concerns. Most of these are what I discovered I want after a year plus in our current daycare. We are about to move to another daycare because it will meet most of our needs and desires at half the price.

You should have at least a fairly good gut feeling about the place. Trust your instinct while being aware that it is easy to find fault with anything that is not your personal home care.


There should be a good ratio of teachers to children and adherense to these ratios should be taken very seriously. While they may go out of compliance occassionally because someone is late or had to leave sick or run to the bathroom they should be very concerns about these times, not taking them in stide as status quo.

It is hard to find but some privacy for infants to sleep is wonderful. Since infants all sleep on different schedules it can be hard for any of the to sleep since others are awake and interesting when they are ready for sleep.

Use of sign language and other languages is a nice bonus.

There should be good security to make sure no one can run off with your child.

The teachers and the program should be certified and licenced. The teachers should have some early education training. You want them to understand what is developmentally appropriate and what to do at each stage of development to help your child grown and learn.

The teachers should be trained in infant CPR and child first aid.

Medications should not be stored in a room the children have access to.

The teachers should seem to genuinely like and care about the children as individuals. Voices should not be raised often. Redirecting and modeling should be the primary forms of "disipline."

The children should appear happy and interested in their surroundings as well as comfortable with the teachers. They should, in general, appear intrested in you when you visit not shy or frightened.

The philosophy of the teachers and director should be similiar to your own, at least on issues you feel strongly about.

The place should be clean and safe. Teachers should be using fresh gloves or washing their hands between each diaper change and with older kids teaching the kids to wash their hands after toileting and before eatting. Tables should be sanatized after each meal. Toys should be sanitzed frequently.

Teachers should be noticing and cleaning runny noses and dirty hands.

The children should be learning how to care for themselves where they can- they encourage the kids in my daycare to use cups and forks and spoons and to throw away their plates and clean up after themselves. They will ask for a tissue when the realize their noses are running and many can do an OK job of "blowing" their own noses around age two.

There should be time spent every day if possible on gross motor and fine motor skills as well as on art and reading. This may just mean time on the playground, time with legos, crayons or paint available to play with and teachers spend some time reading to children.

There should be enough space for kids to run around abit.
Parents should be welcome to come and visit anytime and be taking advantage of this welcome.

Music should be played much of the day and it should be a nice variety.

I don't like to see tvs or computers being used with children under 3 and very limited use between 3-5.

Art projects should look like kids did them. Better to find two piece of tissue paper glued to a plate than a Paper turkey where the teacher obviously stuck the feather in the correct spots for the child.

A wall for photos of family that the kids can go and look at when they miss mommy and daddy.

Photos of the children doing their daycare things posted so you can see what their days look like.

Healthy snacks. More fruit than cookies, more milk that apple juice.

The hours and price and location as well as holiday schedule should meet your needs.

I like to see a big playground, space inside for kids to get some exersise in bad weather and some enrichment programs, like a visiting musician or trips to a local park, or swimming lessons (my mom teachs preschool at a community center so they can offer this). These are bonus not necessitities.

[happy1nuv]

spend more time talking to the teachers in the room than the director. its good to love the the director, but the teachers in the room are the ones that will be watching your kid every day.

And, check out the rooms past the infant room. You don't want to have to switch daycares once the baby is past the infant stage cause the next room is terrible...

eta:
Oh... and ask about feeding policies. Make sure that they will support what you want (esp if you plan to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months. My daycare asked me to get a doctors note because they thought it was weird he hadn't started solids. .. Don't get me started.)

[dbers]

Wow - thanks so much! We're dealing with NYC here, so I guess my one concern - space - will be an issue anywhere. The infant room is relatively *small*, but the space gets much bigger as the children get older. There is a tiny playground outside - which is more than other daycares have in the city.

My tour today was given by the assistant director who is also a teacher. I said "hello" to the teachers, but did not talk to them much. They seemed friendly enough, but in retropect I should have engaged them more.

I asked about breastfeeding/etc.. the only thing she said is that she encourages that a child be able to use a sippy cup by the time they're in the *ones* room - but that they're happy to give a bottle at naptime. It seems like they're flexible though - they concentrate on teaching the kids to do stuff for themselves (like Renrel said) but I got the sense that they would be supportive of my decisions as a parent.

I'm visiting my second daycare tomorrow - but that may be it since I'll have to jump on one of these ASAP since there is space - which is pretty much unheard of in the city - usually there's a huge waiting list!

[Winter Biscuit]

Wow, it looks like the first few ladies have covered most of the important things! :)

I would add that your gut instinct about the daycare is important. When we moved to a new city 6 months ago, DD was 17 months old and would be transitioning to a new daycare. I toured several - and I will not forget the one that I had a "bad" feeling about when I first walked in the door. I can't really explain it - it just didn't feel right to me. Then, not even 5 minutes into my discussion with the director, I knew I wanted to get up and leave and never come back. You need to feel comfortable from the get-go that your child will receive nothing but high-quality care there.

Ask to see their policy book and then take it home to review. Make sure you're comfortable with all their policies. Here's one example I think this is important: My DD is a biter, and our first daycare in our old city expelled her a few times for biting. (She attended that daycare from 3 months to 17 months, and first bit another child when she was 9 months old.) They had very strict policies about biting and I missed 8 days of work due to her biting-related expulsions :eek: Our new daycare is a little more understanding about biting and will not send a child home or expel them for a few days unless the bite breaks the skin on the other child. DD has been there for almost 7 months now and hasn't been sent home one single time.

If you can, try to visit unannounced at various times of the day. You should never be surprised (in a bad way) at what you see when you visit unannounced. You don't want to see infants that look like they've been sitting in Exersaucers for 30 minutes. You don't want to see screaming kids who look like they've been crying unattended for a long time, or waiting a long time to be fed. (Some crying is unevitable, and some kids may have to wait for their bottle; but you want to feel assured that the caregivers will tend to the children ASAP.)

ITA that it's important to spend time with the teachers. Ask who your child's primary teacher would be if you enrolled your child there.

[J&K2003]

DH and I considered NAEYC (http://naeyc.org/) accredited programs when searching for daycare for our child.

Here is a link to their performance criteria (http://naeyc.org/accreditation/performance_criteria/infant_criteria.asp) when rating a facility.

HTH!

[Renrel]

You might want to ask some questions about how they have handled bottles for other children over one and for how long the children used them. In infant rooms they tend to have very detailed systems for keeping food and formual and bm seperate and refrigerated. That tends to change in the older rooms. But what seems like a bad thing may not be by the time you are in that room.

[berry]

I don't know where you are in NYC, but my friend's daughter goes to Smart Toddlers and has been there for about 3 months. They love the program and their daughter is really happy there. Their daughter is now about 13 months old.

http://www.smartertoddler-nyc.com/

My friend was anxious about putting her daughter in daycare as she had been at home with her until her daughter was 10 months. She says it makes her really happy that her daughter LOVES going to "school."

Good luck to you.

[moderngal]

I haven't read all the responses, but I will say that one of the things I love about my daycare center is that the teachers love my son- they hug him and kiss him and cuddle with him. They do it with all of the kids. For me, I can see that the people that take of my son love kids and love what they do. My son loves them back and it makes me feel more secure knowing that he's somewhere with loving people and that he feels loved while he's away from me.

[hub1176]

ITA with the pp who said go with your gut. We went with a daycare because it was the only option we thought we had and DD lasted less than a week. There was no program/schedule, and the woman used the fact she was a home daycare to visit with her friends, do personal errands and generally sit around. I started my own daycare because I knew I could do a better job than that! A few weeks after I started I got a call from a mom who wanted to switch daycares, guess where her child had been?

You and your child need to be happy with the arrangement.
Good luck!

[psusna]

I couldn't agree more with what Moderngal said. Our DS had a rough patch at school earlier this week (partly due to teething) and was a lot of extra work. I put a note on his daily paper thanking them for the extra love and attention, and got a note back saying they don't need the thanks -- they do it because they love him. Made today's announced price increase for Jan. 1 easier to swallow : )

[nuhmah]

DH and I are beginning to shop around for daycare for our little munchkin when it comes - what should we look for? What kinds of questions should we ask? What should we be looking for? Anything to avoid?

I am planning to BF, and will be pumping (if that makes any difference).

Thanks!

[happy1nuv]

When you take the guided tour, you will probably be talking to the director. While you need to like the director, you need to like the caretakers in the room more. You will probably only spend 5-10 minutes in the room though. Ask if you can stay and watch for a bit ...either through a window, if they have one or just sit in one of the rockers... It's eye opening. Especially if you go around 11-12 (lunch time) ...

How long are you planning to wait to start solids? If you are waiting the 6 months or more... ask them if they support that. (Mine swore they supported b/f, but then told me I needed to bring a doctors note if I wasn't sending solids til after 6 mos. )

Ask how much time is spent interacting with the babies and how much alone time they give the babies. When will they put dc into an exercauser, and for how long? How do they put dc to sleep? (Do they cio by default, or do they follow your instructions, etc.)

There's another thread about this somewhere, and someone posted a REALLY thorough/good list of things to look for... I'm clueless at searching though I'll try and find it for you...

[EJH]

Hi,

Hopefully Littlelamb11 will post -- she's so knowledgeable on this subject!

I'm glad you posted because I'm having some misgivings about our current center.

Background -- Our center has just been built (part of a chain) and it shares a wall with my in-laws' chocolate factory. So, Grandma and Nonno are always around. Clearly, that was the biggest draw (most of the time ;) ) for this center. Of course, the center is nice, clean, they use the High Scope educational method as the kids get older, which I like.

I'll let you know my concerns about our place so that you can keep your eye out when you are shopping around. Look for age appropriate toys in the infant room. I'm afraid my center just doesn't offer these in the young infant room (DD is almost 5 months). My in-laws are in and out and said that most of the time they find her just lying on her back on the rug. I don't have a problem with her being on her back, but they don't have stimulating toys for them to be playing with or reaching for while they are just hanging out on their backs. They have a piano, but it's broken and it's been a few weeks and they still haven't replaced it. :confused: I think a lot of the other kids in her room are content to just sit and stare at the ceiling. Arden isn't. She's used to being talked to and interacted with and having things to play with. She's very verbal and we're starting to notice that by the end of the week, she's not babbling nearly as much. Thankfully it picks back up when she's home with us over the weekends, but I'm just worried that she's not getting what she needs there.

Her teachers are nice, but that just goes so far...

We're taking a look at our options right now -- my in-laws are talking about taking her for half days on the 3 days she's at daycare.

Sorry this was so long -- do take a look at what they have for the kids to play with, DO go see a class, and make drop-in visits before you send your child.

Oh, DD is bfed and they've had no issues whatsoever about that.

Good luck!!

Erin

[Winter Biscuit]

There have been several threads on this subject. You might want to do a search and see what you come up with. :) Here are 3 that I found.

http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=3960&highlight=daycare

http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=3391&highlight=daycare

http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=1627&highlight=daycare

[pixiecat]

DD is starting care in two weeks & I may have more insights then, but one big thing for us was the teacher to baby ratio... apparently in CA, the law says that you much have 1 teacher to every 4 babies :eek: We were happy to find a center w/ a 2:1 ratio.

[nuhmah]

Thanks for those links and all the suggestions - I did a search, but maybe I shouldn't do that at 11pm anymore! ;)

[meatpie]

Are you by any chance in the Los Angeles area? Would love to hear from you if you are!!!

[pixiecat]

meatpie - sorry, up in the Bay Area!

[ahavnes]

One thing to consider in regards to the ratio: I would recommend visiting and seeing what the center is really like. For example, the ratio at my DD's center is technically 1:4, but I've never actually seen it that way. Most often, each teacher is caring for about 2 babies b/c others are sleeping or there are "floater" teachers available. Because I work on-site, I frequently visit my daughter and have never seen babies crying unattended, etc. Just something to consider, b/c I know that a 1:4 ratio seems terrible, but it really does vary by center. :)

[cagey]

I'm just starting the wonderful process of interviewing daycares....I know that a LOT of it is gut feeling, but want a checklist to go by.

Baby will be starting daycare when he's about 4 months old, and I plan on BF/pumping for at least 6 months, hopefully 8-12

I've posted my list below. Is there anything that I'm missing?

Basics:

What are your fees
Are there any extra fees?
Do fees go up at the beginning of the year?
What are your hours?
How flexible are you with hours? Can I drop off/pick up at different times?
Are there any set weeks that you’ll be closed
Is there backup if you/staff is sick?
What am I expected to provide (food, sheets, diapers, etc)
How many kids are here?
Are you licensed & have state creds?

Employees:
What is the ratio of staff/kid? (should be 1:3 if 6 kids, 1:4 if 8)
What kind of background do your employees have (edu)?
Does all staff have up to date CPR and infant first aid?


Health and Safety
What illness keep/send a kid home?
How long w/o fever until return?
How do you handle emergencies/911?
Where are medicines stored?
How do you clean toys/play areas? How often?
How do you handle non-parent pickups?

Sleeping and Feeding
Comfortable w/ BF babies/expressed milk?
Is there a time when you’d like kids to stop bottle feeding?
For solids, what kind of food do you offer?
How many naps for infants?
Do infants have a different area from older kids?

Environment/Activities
Is there a daily ‘program’? (tummy time, toys, storytime etc)
Do kids watch TV?
Is there an outdoor play area?
Do you play music?

Discipline:
How do you handle discipline for things like fighting/biting, etc?


Questions for us:
-How is bathroom/changing area/sleeping area
-Are employees interactive w/ kids, or are they in swings/bouncers, etc
Overall gut feeling

[genndan100502]

Is there an outdoor play area specific to each age group or do they have to share 1 playground? (our daycare has an outdoor play area for each age group, 3month-1year; 1-2year; 2-3 year; 3-4yrs)

How is staff turnover? (crutial to know because if your child gets attached to a caregiver and that caregiver quits, the transition to a new caregiver is pretty upsetting for that child)

How are transitions handled? (are you able to stay with your child a week before actually starting daycare to get them used to the environment, for 1 week before my daughter started daycare, I hung out with her during the mornings to get her used to the surroundings, and also gave me a good feeling of leaving her there when it was time to go to work, I got to bond with the staff and see what goes on throughout the day) (are you able to come in and bf during lunch break?)

Moving up to a different group
When do children move up to the next class? (class moves all together, or after a certain age)? (ours go in classes, so even if there are new teachers, the children have their regular friends they are familiar with, they also frequent the new yard and room two months prior to the new school year, so they get used to the surroundings)

How is the Community involvement within the daycare? (ours is very hands on community, we change the sand in the sandbox where our children play, we build changing tables where our children diapers get changed, we also build lots of friendships along the way, we also have parent/teacher conferences - we meet twice with our lead teachers and see how child is developing through out 6 months, we also have parent meetings where we discuss any topics we have questions about, being a first time mom/dad we had a lot of questions and it was reassuring having other first time moms/dads around us with the same questions and concerns.)

Funding for daycare? (how often does your center do fundraising, and where does the fundraising go towards?)

[genndan100502]

Does the facility have Security cameras, doors locked all day, secured door/combination lock to get in?

[nettreefrog]

I posted a link from babycenter.com awhile back that has a checklist/form that you can print out and use when interviewing. It was in the past 3 months I believe. This is their main link though: http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/baby/babychildcare/49.html

[Renrel]

two good quesitons for any interview:

What do you think set your center apart from others?

What would you change about your center if you could?

---
Other possible questions:

How do you deal with children that have special needs?
important both if you have a special need child and if you don't since a special needs child will effect the experience of the other children. They can learn about differenence, and patience and tolerance. They can also be subjected to being hit, bite or pushed and to having the teachers less available to them because of the time taken by the special needs student. And you may not know what special needs your child might develope over time, so think carefully about the answers to this question.

How do you celebrate/acknowledge relious and other holidays?

What kinds of foods/snacks are allowed in the center?

How often do you have teacher confrences? What time of day are they held? How long to they last?

How do you approach toilet training?

Are infants each on their own sleep schedule? If so how to you keep the awake babies and toddlers/preschools from disturbing the asleep babies?

How do you handle an toddler who still needs 2 naps a day?

[ShannonGH]

In addition to some of the standards (ie. cost, availability, licensing, etc), these are what I used when interviewing in-home providers. Good luck!

Care:
1. What would a typical day be like?
2. What types of snacks are given to kids?
3. Do the children watch TV? How much? What programs?
4. What discipline is used?
5. What is the routine for naptime?
6. What do children sleep on?
7. Do the children play outside? How often?
8. Will children leave for off-site activities?
9. What is your policy for parents being late to pick up?
10. What are your thoughts of parents stopping by unannounced?
11. Do you or does anyone in your home smoke?

Sickness:
1. What is your policy for handling sick children?
2. Do you administer medicine?
3. How do you handle medical emergencies?
4. What if you’re ill?

Security:
1. Do you have guns in the home? (if yes, are they locked up? ask to see them)
2. Who else will my child be in contact with when they are in your care?

Provider Qualifications:
1. What kind of experience do you have caring for children?
2. CPR certified? (ask to see certif.)
3. How long have you been in this profession?

Payment
1. When are payments made?
2. Do we pay for weeks when we are on vacation? Summer break?
3. What days are you closed for business thru the year?

*Request past and present references*

[cagey]

thanks so much, esp for the 'in home' questions. I'm talking to a few, and you can't compare them to the big centers, so those questions are wonderful!

[babylove]

This is a wonderful thread!! Thank you!

[Littlelamb11]

are they accredited by The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

or

if they are Montessori, are they accredited by the International Montessori Accreditation Council (IMAC)

[cantwait]

You might try asking them if they use or teach sign language with the infants. Many child care centers are incorporating this now and having great success. If they look at you like you have two heads, it will tell you that maybe they are not current with what is happening in child development.

[Camdynlyn]

Ooh this is such a good thread. I'm saving it!

[shellbell516]

How do you warm bottles of EBM?
How long do you let the child stay in one area (i.e. swing, exersaucer, tummy-time, bouncy seat)?
Are we allowed to bring in our child's own mobile or crib toys?
What kind of information do you send home each day (bottles, foods, naps, poops, mood, etc.)?
Do you allow the parent to drop in during the day to BF?
What kinds of foods do you provide (ask to see the daily menus if available)?
Can you bring in your own food for your child if you don't like what the daycare offers?

[lml41981]

Be sure to ask about their sleeping policy or get a copy in writing.

Are their staff trained in infant sleep safety?
Do they adhere to the Back to Sleep campaign?
Do they allow toys or blankets in the cribs?
How often do the teachers check on sleeping infants?

[cartersmommy]

Ok ladies, need some input here. DS has been at home with me or my mom for the last 8.5 months... now I am having to come back to work full time and put DS in daycare :(

there is a daycare right across the street that DH and I went to today to check out, and honestly because of the proximity, I can't see NOT taking DS there because I can go visit, etc. but I do have a question for you mommies:

What things do you look at when taking DS to daycare?

The kids were very well-adjusted and happy, the place was clean (not organized, but clean) and they seemed to have a lot of good things going on. I just want to make sure that I'm not missing something, or not thinking of something that I should be, you know?

TIA!!!

[cr8zyforaf]

I looked for clean, neat areas, happy children and happy teachers.

I asked a ton of questions - however, I followed my gut. I got a warm happy feeling at the place she is at now that I didn't get at the other 20+ places I visited. I was three month pregnant when I started my search and the place I choose was the only place I could visualize dropping my baby off at.

[Winter Biscuit]

There are several threads on this topic already.

http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=17409&highlight=daycare

http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=16066&highlight=daycare

And in this thread, I posted links to 3 other threads on this subject:
http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=14375&highlight=daycare

Good luck with your decision :)

[ajlanden]

I agree with the follow your gut comment.

I would also recommend going to visit other centers, if only to have something to compare it to. Good luck!!

[PLNUBRIDE]

Bump...

I am meeting with a day care facility next week:)

[rochacha]

I will be starting a new job in a couple of weeks that will require me to go back to working 5 days a week, as opposed to 3 days I currently work. We have found a daycare center that we are comfortable with, half-way between work and home. My 8.5 month old DS will be going there 3 days a week, while his grandparents watch him the other 2 days at our house.

My question to other moms, is what is your morning schedule like? How much extra time do you build into your morning to get your child up, dressed, fed, and both of you out the door? Did you center provide breakfast or did you feed DC breakfast at home?

[Camdynlyn]

I'm meeting with a daycare today and wanted to bump this since I was checking in.

[IUAlum]

We're thinking of switching DS to a home daycare in our neighborhood. I am meeting with the woman next week.

So far what I know is that she has 6 kids up to age 4, only one infant at a time.

Anything else that I should ask specific to a home daycare?

What things that we got from a center should I expect to get at a home?

[allyray231]

subscribing

[jh124]

bump

[dragonfly_71]

My 20 months old DS is currently in a daycare center and he is doing great except for the fact that he gets sick all.the.time, and every time he runs a temperature (about every 2-3 weeks) I have to pick him up and he can't come back for 24 hours. So I had pretty much decided that I was going to just bite the bullet and stay home with him for a while but before I do that I do want to take a look at home based daycares.
I have two questions so far for those of you who have experience with home based daycare.
Do home daycare providers take children when they are sick? I am not talking about a child that is gravely ill but rather when they have a cold and running a temperature, or if they run a temperature for no apparent reason like DS does.
I got three names of home daycare in my area from a referral service and I visited one of them so far which was not very encouraging. This particular provider takes in up to five kids up to the age of five and she has them all in her tiny little front room. That is where they play and that is where they take their naps. She also has two teenage kids who will also use the room to watch tv etc when they are home. She didn't show me the rest of the house but I don't think there is any other family or living room than that front room. Neither her front yard nor her back yard are fenced in but she does take the kids outside about an hour a day. While I don't think that is nearly enough I would also be exptremely worried about one person watching five small children outside in an unfenced yard. So my question is, is this setup typical for a home daycare of did I just see an extremely bad one?

[jenjen0713]

dragonfly - Personally, I think that wasn't a great set-up she had. Maybe I've been spoiled by our provider, but she has a seperate room that is the play room for the kids, a different room for the toddlers to nap in and a different room for the baby to sleep in (all are bedrooms). She has a fenced in backyard as well. She is a retired widow so noone else lives with her, but occassionally one of her kids or grandkids will stop by, but they are usually in the basement where the kids rarely get to go.

[jeanine]

bump

[MrsBeckyLP]

I interviewed an in-home childcare provider yesterday, and I need to call her references today. My gut tells me to go with her instead of the daycare center I have DD lined up to attend in three weeks, but I still want to talk to her references. What do I ask them??

[allyray231]

Mrs. Becky-ask them if they left why? If they felt that the daycare provider was reliable, if they felt their kids were taken care of, if she was easy to approach and talk to when there were issues.

The choice between inhome and center is a hard one. We went with inhome and ended up losing a spot at a great center. When my babysitter came back a year later and told us she couldn't watch DS anymore we couldn't get into the center again. We found one just as good (thank god) but it a risk. However, I see that you little one is young so I am sure it will be good.

[Loud_curly]

Mrs.Becky - I also heard to ask the references what the one thing the provider did that you weren't happy about. FWIW, we went with an in-home after we were waitlisted at a center. We just got the call that there's a spot in the center, but I think we're going to pass and wait until he's a bit older to move him into the center. Good luck!

[MrsBeckyLP]

Thanks! I called the references and asked the questions you guys suggested. I also asked about the level of cleanliness in her home, which is a biggie for me (I was hoping she didn't just clean it because we were coming over)! We decided to go with the in-home provider. Like I said, I was having second thoughts about the center, and I think in-home care will be a perfect fit for us. :)

[MrsBeckyLP]

Bump so I can find this easily in the morning, when I need to e-mail a list of questions to my SIL, who returns to work in 4.5 weeks and has yet to line up a daycare. :rolleyes: