You have done the legwork, and now you are ready to settle for one daycare center on your list. You agree that the environment is safe and the child care workers are friendly people. However, those are just two elements of what makes a good daycare center. As a parent, you must ensure that the child care center aligns with your family values and expectations. The best way to know whether a daycare provider is the best match for you is to pay attention to their answers when you ask for important information.
1. What are the daycare policies?
An excellent daycare center will have its policies clearly outlined. Usually, parents are given a document to read through to know more about the child care center policies. Ensure you and your spouse go through the document thoroughly and ask for clarification where you don’t understand. Ask about their sick-child policy to see the vehicle if they take kids for trips. Know if you can visit or make pop-ins at any time and who is allowed to visit your baby, and much more.
2. What are the general child care practices?
A child care provider must elaborate on their general philosophy on child care. That is how you determine whether their values marry with yours. How many children do they care for? Note that different daycare centers have a limit on the number of children they admit. Ask about the various learning activities children participate in during the day. What’s on the menu for the kids? Can you come by and breastfeed your child?
The daycare menu is something you shouldn’t ignore because young children need to eat a balanced diet every day. What type of diapers do they use for infants? How does the daycare provider handle discipline issues? Learn how they handle fights or bullying among children.
3. Ask about their experience
Did you know that most old schools offer better quality than new ones? The same theory applies to daycare centers. Old, in this case, is equal to experience. Business longevity is a great way to judge whether a particular institution is good at what they do or not.
In this situation, you need to ask about the staff experience. Do they have the proper certification in early childhood development and CPR? Does the daycare provider do background checks on all their employees? What is their employee turnover? Is there a qualified nurse in the child care center?
4. Safety and communication
In the process of how to choose a child care center, ensuring safety is crucial. You might agree with the environment, but the devil is in the details. What is the teacher-to-child ratio? Are the classrooms well ventilated? Do they sanitize the toys, and how often? Is the daycare equipment installed correctly? How do they keep parents in the loop about their children?
Taking your child to daycare means you are leaving them in the care of new adults in a new environment. Don’t be satisfied by what you see on the outside. Ask questions, so you know in detail what you’re getting into.