The Best Way to Choose a Fixed Based Day Care Facility

It is imperative that you visit several different childcare programs in your area before you decide what is best for your family situation. Ask your friends and employers, and fellow workers about their recommendations.

Once you start visiting sites, check the licensing of the center you are considering. Who owns the facility? Church? Investors? City? Developer? How involved is the owner? Ask about employee and director turnover. Ask for parent recommendations, and make sure you call those people. If the center is fantastic, parents love to share the information. If the center is horrible, parents also love to share. Do your homework well in advance, and consider the following:

Is it better for you to have your child close to work so that you can get to them quickly if need be? How about close to work, so that you can enjoy lunch with your child once in a while.

Is the facility clean and in good repair? Not just picked up, but clean? Look at the baseboards. Wee ones are low to the ground. A clean facility pays attention to baseboards. Is the carpet secure, or is it frayed? How do the toys and play stations look? Middle of the week towards mid-morning is a good indicator for me. If a facility is clean, it will stay clean all week. A glance at the diaper pails. Are they over-flowing? They should be emptied throughout the day, and that lingering diaper smell should be extremely faint if at all. How about the changing stations. Clean?

Are the children supervised at all times? When out on the playground, are they being watched, or is the staff on “break” socializing with other employees while they are supposed to be watching the children. This can easily be observed from your car during morning drop off.

When everyone goes back in after play, are they all washing or sanitizing their hands? How are the kids’ bathrooms? Clean and free of leaks?

Will the facility only allow you to visit at certain times? Not usually a good sign, as a quick clean up is often done for set visiting times. Excellent facilities have a “drop” in policy.  I do not, however, recommend dropping in all of the time. Once you have gone through the critical steps of choosing, learn to trust the facility, or your child will start to sense a problem. They will detect that you are not at ease when it is always a surprise that you have arrived.

Does the facility have first-aid kits mounted to the wall? High, and out of reach of children? If it is a site on your short list, check the kit. Is it up to date? Does the facility have emergency procedures? Monthly fire drills? Earthquake preparedness?

Does the facility have a nurse’s station or room for injuries, or illness? Are all medications out of reach, or are they left in the open, unattended? In addition to medications, check to see that cleaning supplies are locked away, and not just under the counter.

Check the playground equipment. Is it secure? Free of parts that are not secure. No sharp edges, and good underground for smooth landings? Is the sandbox free of animal feces?

Check the adult to child ratio. Each state has guidelines for this. Be sure and contact your local childcare resource or referral agency. Ask about background checks. Ask about health requirements. Can they show that immunizations for children are up to date?

While at the facility, how do you feel? Comfortable? Uneasy? At home? Listen to your instincts. Your gut instinct is always honest. Listen.

Don’t be afraid to ask about the philosophy and training of the teachers in the facility. Is the curriculum structured, or is it child driven? What are you comfortable with? Ask what they do about discipline. Make sure that children are not shamed. Timeout is common and will not do damage to the child.

Ask about communication. Do teachers and assistants check e-mail often? Will they let you know daily how your child did? What about feeding and diaper changing? Will they give you a checklist? Will they tell you if your child had a bad day? Or will every day be a “great” dayreport? Beware of the perpetual “great” day. Impossible for most people, let alone a small child. Everyone has a bad day. Communication is key to a successful experience in daycare. Give honest feedback to your provider, and expect the same from them.