What to look for in a daycare?

[Latte Mama]

There's a pretty good possibility that my DS will need to go to part time day care starting in the summer or fall and he's never been. He'll be almost 2 at that time.

I've already started checking some places out online. I wanted to know what things should I be looking for besides the obvious like licensing, cleanliness, nutrition, etc.? Any suggestions I might not think of or questions I should be asking when I go look at these places?

TIA!

[claras_mom]

A good outdoor play area is high on my list. How they handle potty learning.

[lyterae]

We visited somewhere close to 10 daycares before we settled on one: things I was interested were : fenced in play area, lunch program, flexible nap-times (my now 4 year old naps on an "as needed" basis), I also wanted a place that had an age variety but also had a group of kids she could "grow-up" with. She is now one of the oldest (started at 2.5) in her home daycare, the youngest being 3 months and she will be going to preschool this fall with a few of her friends.

I think that visiting the daycares will give you a good vibe as well, I knew within 10 minutes of arriving that it was the daycare we were going to go with. Don't discount your mama intuition.

[philomom]

The best places carry the NAEYC torch. Low ratios, low staff turnover, age appropriate play/activities and good nutrition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationa...Young_Children

[MeepyCat]

The place we sent out DS when he was small actually did not have NAEYC accreditation at the time (they're working on it now). We chose them because they were comfortable - because they were handling childcare along lines that seemed sensible and pleasant and because we felt that we wouldn't have minded hanging out there ourselves.

You can ask every question in the world, and you should, but at the end of the day, you want a daycare that feels good to you. Questioning can help you develop that feeling, or shake it if it's unjustified, but it can't replace your instincts about what's good for your kid.

[GoestoShow]

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Edited by GoestoShow - 1/11/11 at 10:03am

[kgreenemama]

DS started day care in September at age 17 mo. At first, I was insistent about getting him into an in-home situation. I had this notion in my head that day care facilities were impersonal and rigid. After visiting several in-home DCs, I started to change my tune. So many of them had homes that were not as child-friendly or child-proof as I'd have liked. They were all licensed (I wouldn't put DS in an unlicensed place, unless it were with a close friend or a family member), yet they just didn't seem, well, as comfortable as I thought one's home should be. SO we went the other route. We did find several that fit my original perception of a large-facility place, but we ultimately settled on one that I LOVE. DS comes home daily with a paper report of EVERYTHING he did that day. When he slept/pooped/arrived; the songs he sang; the books he read; the art/gross motor/fine motor activities he did; and a comments such as: Jude had fun pushing the shopping cart full of food today.

I concur with the PPs and all the things they suggest, but this one I'd recommend highly if you can find it: our day care has webcam. The picture is not crystal clear and there is no audio, but there is something very comforting about being able to log in to the site for 30 seconds during my work day just to see what he's up to. It is also reassuring knowing that even if I'm not always looking, the teachers have to behave as such. We pay a little more for this place than some others in town, but it's been worth it!

[Latte Mama]

Thank you all for the suggestions, good things to think about! I also want to add that I agree with sometimes you just get an intuitive feeling about a place, whther good or bad.

Thanks again.