Questions to ask a daycare

[livacreature]

Hello, I'm expecting my first in October.  We've found two daycares that we think we may be comfortable with that are within out budget and in good locations.  They are confirmed that they are good with cloth diapering.  DH has a very flexible work schedule, I work pretty rigid hours, so he is going to be doing most of the daycare interactions.

Here's what I have so far.  Please add!

What days of the year are you closed?

How many children are there in each age group?

How many children per adult?

When do children switch age groups?  If the child is a bit behind, is there the option to stay with younger?  Likewise, is there the option to move them ahead?

What sort of training is expected of staff?

How many emergencies requiring emergency medical care have occurred within the past year?

The center provides meals for older children, are you able to provide your child's own food?

What sorts of activities can we expect our baby to be part of and how often? (outside time, walks around the building, one center advertises baby yoga, story, cuddle time...i.e I don't want a place where baby is stuck in a crib all day and just gets his diaper changed)

Is television used at the center?  If so, beginning at what age?

[LittleBirdy]

Is the infant room "sleep on demand" or are there scheduled nap times?  At what age do scheduled nap times start?

(Our infant room is sleep on demand and nap time (12-2) starts in the jr. toddler room, so approx. 1 year of age.  At first I didn't like this but since my son is a light sleeper it's actually better for him to have that scheduled quiet time to take a nap.  But if you have a really sleepy kid the opposite may be true.)

What are the approximate ages of the other babies in the room?

(Even if the ratio is 3:1 or 4:1, if a lot of the babies are under 6 months that could be rough.  DS was 3 months when he started daycare and his room had a 7 month old and 2 9 month olds which was awesome.)

What items are provided by the center and what must be provided by parents (things like diapers, wipes, bibs, burp cloths, etc.)

How is discipline handled at each age level?

How do they approach potty training?

How long have the staff members been there?

Are there a lot of families there - i.e. parents with more than one kid in the daycare?  This is generally a sign of a good center.

And, if you plan to nurse, ask them about their experience with breastfed babies.

Good luck!!
 

[freestylemama]

Here are some questions I asked:

-do you have an open door policy?

-do your staff receive benefits? (this costs more for parents, but it means that the staff are treated like professionals, which I think translates to a better environment)

-what influences your curriculum (I wanted to hear that it's evidenced based and up on the child development lit)?

-what kind of parent involvement is expected?

-how open is the center to suggestions (is there an annual survey or a parent board?)?

-will you do cloth diapers?

-how are snacks and meals handled?

-is there a nice place for me to nurse when I pick my child up?

-are children expected to "cry it out"?

-how will my terrible sleeper be comforted?

-how is discipline handled?