What should we be asking potential daycare providers?
January 25, 2011 7:57 AM Subscribe
What should we be asking about and looking for when selecting a daycare provider?
L'il pixl is 6 months old and will be going to daycare once she is around 12 months.
We have our first visit to our first choice daycare tomorrow night. What specifically should we be asking on that first visit? Obviously, we will ask about cost, teacher-to-child ratio, qualifications, daily routine, feeding etc. but what are the less obvious things to ask? We could use advice from people who have been there before.
Generally, what questions should we be asking all our potential daycare providers? What are some of the hallmarks of quality? I did see this previous question which had some related answers but was not exactly the same question and this question which was helpful, but also older and with fewer responses.
FYI, we do not live in an area where competitiveness or scarcity of spots requires you to sign up before birth. My daughter's entire life direction and success will not be determined by getting or not getting into the "right" daycare. There is no testing or qualifying of children to get into the "exclusive" centres. It's much more relaxed than that around here. We are just seeking really good quality.
L'il pixl is 6 months old and will be going to daycare once she is around 12 months.
We have our first visit to our first choice daycare tomorrow night. What specifically should we be asking on that first visit? Obviously, we will ask about cost, teacher-to-child ratio, qualifications, daily routine, feeding etc. but what are the less obvious things to ask? We could use advice from people who have been there before.
Generally, what questions should we be asking all our potential daycare providers? What are some of the hallmarks of quality? I did see this previous question which had some related answers but was not exactly the same question and this question which was helpful, but also older and with fewer responses.
FYI, we do not live in an area where competitiveness or scarcity of spots requires you to sign up before birth. My daughter's entire life direction and success will not be determined by getting or not getting into the "right" daycare. There is no testing or qualifying of children to get into the "exclusive" centres. It's much more relaxed than that around here. We are just seeking really good quality.
Ask about their immunization policy. Do they allow non-immunized children in the daycare, what kind of proof do they require, etc. Ask what procedures they have in place in case of emergencies. Ask what their policy is on unannounced dropin visits to check on your child. Ask about their policy on illness; for example, some have a policy that a child can't return for 24 hours if they've vomited at school. What would they do if there's a pinkeye outbreak, or lice?
posted by lemniskate at 8:15 AM on January 25, 2011
posted by lemniskate at 8:15 AM on January 25, 2011
Best answer: It isn't so much about asking questions as it is the vibe that you get from the place.
- Are the daycare workers actively engaged with the kids?
-- Are they on the floor with them?
-- Are they communicating primarily with the kids and secondarily with each other?
- Do the daycare workers seem loving to the kids?
- Do the kids seem loving to the daycare workers?
- (And a bad sign from my son's last daycare), do the kids climb onto you (a new adult) for attention or do they sort of ignore you and continue playing with the daycare workers?
- What's the day-to-day schedule? Do they actually follow it?
General questions:
- Who provides snack and lunch? If they provide food, ask to see a menu BUT actually look at the food that is provided. (In my experience, the food provided is a crummy version of the menu.) If parents provide food, any requirements?
- How do kids eat? What if little pixl doesn't finish her food, is she SOL for the rest of the day?
- How are kids put down for naps? (Some places are a bit more ruthless and everyone must nap at the same time.) Do the daycare workers sit with them and pat their backs?
- What's the sick policy? (most places say no fever/vomit/diahrrea for 24 hours.)
- What's the protocol for diapers? (Every 2 hours should be the norm.)
- How often do they go outside? Is there an outside play area or do they stroll to a park? (should be 2x a day for at least a 1/2 hour, weather-permitting.)
- Emergency policy?
- Are there parent-teacher conferences?
- Disciplinary strategy?
- How long have the teachers been there? (if there is a lot of turn over, that's often a bad sign.)
- How long has the director been there?
- What's the transition like? (Mom/Dad comes with kid for a week and trickles off?)
Dealbreakers for me:
- TV
- Kids that seem sad
- Smoking
Try to get parental references. Try to also go at the beginning or end of the day and chat with parents to see how they feel about it. If there is a community email group, ask on there.
I had the best daycare ever for the first 2 years of my son's life. Then we moved and went to a terrible daycare. Now we use a nanny. I wanted to tell you this to give you some perspective on my answers.
posted by k8t at 8:26 AM on January 25, 2011 [3 favorites]
- Are the daycare workers actively engaged with the kids?
-- Are they on the floor with them?
-- Are they communicating primarily with the kids and secondarily with each other?
- Do the daycare workers seem loving to the kids?
- Do the kids seem loving to the daycare workers?
- (And a bad sign from my son's last daycare), do the kids climb onto you (a new adult) for attention or do they sort of ignore you and continue playing with the daycare workers?
- What's the day-to-day schedule? Do they actually follow it?
General questions:
- Who provides snack and lunch? If they provide food, ask to see a menu BUT actually look at the food that is provided. (In my experience, the food provided is a crummy version of the menu.) If parents provide food, any requirements?
- How do kids eat? What if little pixl doesn't finish her food, is she SOL for the rest of the day?
- How are kids put down for naps? (Some places are a bit more ruthless and everyone must nap at the same time.) Do the daycare workers sit with them and pat their backs?
- What's the sick policy? (most places say no fever/vomit/diahrrea for 24 hours.)
- What's the protocol for diapers? (Every 2 hours should be the norm.)
- How often do they go outside? Is there an outside play area or do they stroll to a park? (should be 2x a day for at least a 1/2 hour, weather-permitting.)
- Emergency policy?
- Are there parent-teacher conferences?
- Disciplinary strategy?
- How long have the teachers been there? (if there is a lot of turn over, that's often a bad sign.)
- How long has the director been there?
- What's the transition like? (Mom/Dad comes with kid for a week and trickles off?)
Dealbreakers for me:
- TV
- Kids that seem sad
- Smoking
Try to get parental references. Try to also go at the beginning or end of the day and chat with parents to see how they feel about it. If there is a community email group, ask on there.
I had the best daycare ever for the first 2 years of my son's life. Then we moved and went to a terrible daycare. Now we use a nanny. I wanted to tell you this to give you some perspective on my answers.
posted by k8t at 8:26 AM on January 25, 2011 [3 favorites]
PS, remember that it isn't forever. If it ends up sucking, you can find another one if you must.
posted by k8t at 8:32 AM on January 25, 2011
posted by k8t at 8:32 AM on January 25, 2011
I used (kids are now in elementary school) a daycare center I loved. Both of mine were there from 3 months old until they were 5 years old. Some ideas for questions:
1. What is the coverage when a teacher/caregiver is out sick? Are there on-call or substitute caregivers or do the staff handle just handle more kids? Believe me, when bugs go around daycare, the teachers get them too.
2. Along the same lines, what are the criteria for children showing sick symptoms? For example, a kid has to stay home 24 hours after a fever ends, etc. The more strict on this, the better.
3. How do they clean/sanitize toys, furniture, surfaces, etc.? Older babies can chew on anything. Check out areas where they change the babies for cleanliness, safety, etc.
4. What's the bad weather policy (not sure if you live in an area where bad weather can be an issue for teachers getting to the facility)?
5. Ditto references -- specifically for parents who have kids currently in the class/room your daughter will be going into.
6. What is the staff turnover rate? If they are forthcoming about this, it's a good sign. It's not the best paying job, so some turnover is normal.
posted by bluemoonegg at 8:33 AM on January 25, 2011
1. What is the coverage when a teacher/caregiver is out sick? Are there on-call or substitute caregivers or do the staff handle just handle more kids? Believe me, when bugs go around daycare, the teachers get them too.
2. Along the same lines, what are the criteria for children showing sick symptoms? For example, a kid has to stay home 24 hours after a fever ends, etc. The more strict on this, the better.
3. How do they clean/sanitize toys, furniture, surfaces, etc.? Older babies can chew on anything. Check out areas where they change the babies for cleanliness, safety, etc.
4. What's the bad weather policy (not sure if you live in an area where bad weather can be an issue for teachers getting to the facility)?
5. Ditto references -- specifically for parents who have kids currently in the class/room your daughter will be going into.
6. What is the staff turnover rate? If they are forthcoming about this, it's a good sign. It's not the best paying job, so some turnover is normal.
posted by bluemoonegg at 8:33 AM on January 25, 2011
Make an unexpected visit to the prospective provider sometime outside the normal times parents might show up. Like, 10:30am or 2:15pm. And pay close attention to what is going on. This will give you a good idea of how the daycare is really treating the children. We did this once to a provider who was watching our first child and discovered that he was spending most of his day in a swing. Largely unattended. We got him out of there immediately.
posted by Thorzdad at 8:33 AM on January 25, 2011
posted by Thorzdad at 8:33 AM on January 25, 2011
Seconding the above.
For a little later down the track for you guys: how are they involved in potty training?
posted by gaspode at 8:43 AM on January 25, 2011
For a little later down the track for you guys: how are they involved in potty training?
posted by gaspode at 8:43 AM on January 25, 2011
I agree with it being about the vibe. Ask how they communicate with parents, and how often. Are there parent meetings? Are there fundraisers? What happens if you can't get there in time? What happens on snow days/ inclement weather days? Are the children ever alone with a single provider (this was important for me)? Do they provide vacation days (our new one does - we have two weeks of vacation days we can parcel out and not have to pay)? What about security - how do the check ins/check outs work; what if someone other than you needs to pick the kid up? Is there video monitoring of the outside areas? Are the outside areas secure? I would also ask to see their latest licensing information. Do they do assessments on the kids? which ones and how often? How are accidents/injuries handled?
posted by dpx.mfx at 9:00 AM on January 25, 2011
posted by dpx.mfx at 9:00 AM on January 25, 2011
I worked with 3 year olds in a daycare, so this is a bit down the line, but I would ask how much structured vs unstructured time is there? How much outside play do they get?
If you can observe some unstructured time - look for teachers being engaged with teh kids on the floor playing with toys or at the table drawing, etc.
There should be at least 2 outside times per day, weather permitting. Ask what weather permitting means to them. Some places will keep kids inside all winter (which is crazy, horrible, and boring) while others will take them outside for at least a few minutes so they can run around and be kids. Ask if they have an "emergency stash" of things like extra gloves / clothes incase your child forgets them or pees her pants, etc. If not, ask if they would be able to store some backup clothing that you bring in for such cases.
For a baby room - good signs are things like some music playing, a teacher talking to the babies during floor play time, and area somewhat separated from the older children so the babies don't need to be woken up during naptime by rambunctious noise. Basically the baby room is all about having enough stimulation from the teacher, but also enough peace and quiet for naps.
posted by WeekendJen at 9:03 AM on January 25, 2011
If you can observe some unstructured time - look for teachers being engaged with teh kids on the floor playing with toys or at the table drawing, etc.
There should be at least 2 outside times per day, weather permitting. Ask what weather permitting means to them. Some places will keep kids inside all winter (which is crazy, horrible, and boring) while others will take them outside for at least a few minutes so they can run around and be kids. Ask if they have an "emergency stash" of things like extra gloves / clothes incase your child forgets them or pees her pants, etc. If not, ask if they would be able to store some backup clothing that you bring in for such cases.
For a baby room - good signs are things like some music playing, a teacher talking to the babies during floor play time, and area somewhat separated from the older children so the babies don't need to be woken up during naptime by rambunctious noise. Basically the baby room is all about having enough stimulation from the teacher, but also enough peace and quiet for naps.
posted by WeekendJen at 9:03 AM on January 25, 2011
Lots of great questions above, I really like K8t's list. For me, I found that it was mostly about vibe, from the place, seeing the children and teachers interacting, and from the person I was talking to. If you are currently looking at daycare centers, don't forget about home daycares too. There are good and bad in both categories, but the good home daycares (IMHO) are the best, as they most closely resemble a loving extended family with siblings to play with. Think about what your opinions are on various subjects as mentioned above; TV, food, play spaces, discipline strategies. Are you planning on giving your baby formula at daycare or providing expressed breastmilk? Breastmilk is treated quite differently from formula, and some daycares are utterly clueless about how to handle it, so if that is part of your plan, ask them if they have dealt with that before (and even if they say yes don't assume they know what they are doing!).
posted by Joh at 9:11 AM on January 25, 2011
posted by Joh at 9:11 AM on January 25, 2011
One caveat about home daycares. I have a neighbor who does this, and apparently also failed to immunize one of their pets, so ask specifically about things along those lines.
posted by annsunny at 9:25 AM on January 25, 2011
posted by annsunny at 9:25 AM on January 25, 2011
Try to find out the turnover rate of the employees. You'll want your little one to bond with a couple of caretakers, and this can be hard at a place where workers only stay a few months. On a related note, will your child be with the same caretakers all day (barring their regular breaks, of course)? Or does "who works the baby room today" vary?
posted by Knowyournuts at 9:34 AM on January 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Knowyournuts at 9:34 AM on January 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Ask about their closure schedules. Some daycare centers close for days or weeks at a time and that may or may not match up with your holiday or vacation time. For some, it could be a deal-breaker to know that you've got to scramble for back-up care for every holiday or for a week or two during the summer.
Also, notice the smell. Is the fridge for food and breastmilk funky? Are diapers being disposed of often? Do they use a lot of air freshener to cover up bad smells? It's something that you might not notice if you're not paying attention the first time you visit.
posted by annaramma at 9:57 AM on January 25, 2011
Also, notice the smell. Is the fridge for food and breastmilk funky? Are diapers being disposed of often? Do they use a lot of air freshener to cover up bad smells? It's something that you might not notice if you're not paying attention the first time you visit.
posted by annaramma at 9:57 AM on January 25, 2011
If this is a daycare center, what is the average turnover of staff in three month period? Kids like consistency. Some centers have a huge turnover every few months.
If this is an in-home daycare, what other members of the family will be present during the day and when? (My providers have two sons --- the younger of whom spends much of his afternoon hanging out with the older daycare kids. It's awesome)
What is the gender make up of care providers? This seems a rather odd question, but it's become increasingly important to me. My son has been in an in-home daycare run by a wife and a husband. He has both a female and a male caretaker, and this has been a wonderful thing for my son, who was until recently only one of two boys in his daycare. Having a male provider and a female provider has been an incredibly enriching experience. It's important young children to encounter men who are not their fathers be wonderful, supportive, and sensitive care providers.
posted by zizzle at 11:24 AM on January 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
If this is an in-home daycare, what other members of the family will be present during the day and when? (My providers have two sons --- the younger of whom spends much of his afternoon hanging out with the older daycare kids. It's awesome)
What is the gender make up of care providers? This seems a rather odd question, but it's become increasingly important to me. My son has been in an in-home daycare run by a wife and a husband. He has both a female and a male caretaker, and this has been a wonderful thing for my son, who was until recently only one of two boys in his daycare. Having a male provider and a female provider has been an incredibly enriching experience. It's important young children to encounter men who are not their fathers be wonderful, supportive, and sensitive care providers.
posted by zizzle at 11:24 AM on January 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
K8t's answers are great, as are many others - but I'll add, because it's one of my own bugaboos: Do they use food as a reward/punishment? If this doesn't match your values, it'll be hard to reconcile, though kids quickly learn to differentiate daycare rules from home rules.
Also, what is the policy if the kid doesn't want to nap? At one of our daughter's old daycare, she'd stopped napping before we enrolled her, but they required that she at least lay there for a bit. I learned that she'd lay there for over half an hour, until she was bored to sleep - then she'd nap for a very long time. Then, their afternoon snacks weren't healthy, so between a long nap and a sugary snack and juice at 4:30, I'd be peeling her off the ceiling at bedtime. When we switched to a different daycare who'd let her up after ten minutes then play quietly, and had healthier food, our lives were immeasurably better.
posted by peagood at 2:53 PM on January 25, 2011
Also, what is the policy if the kid doesn't want to nap? At one of our daughter's old daycare, she'd stopped napping before we enrolled her, but they required that she at least lay there for a bit. I learned that she'd lay there for over half an hour, until she was bored to sleep - then she'd nap for a very long time. Then, their afternoon snacks weren't healthy, so between a long nap and a sugary snack and juice at 4:30, I'd be peeling her off the ceiling at bedtime. When we switched to a different daycare who'd let her up after ten minutes then play quietly, and had healthier food, our lives were immeasurably better.
posted by peagood at 2:53 PM on January 25, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
Ask what methods they use to correct misbehavior.
Ask what kinds of activities they do and whether there are any additional fees for special activities.
Ask whether there are other parents currently using the daycare whom you could contact as references.
Ask whether they're okay with you randomly popping in mid-day to visit your child (huge red flag if they have a problem with that.)
posted by decathecting at 8:09 AM on January 25, 2011 [1 favorite]