assessing day care centers

i need to get around to checking out day care for the fall. i go back to work in october and the girls have to go to day care. applications are in march or else we won't find a spot. i'm calling some places and will go next week to check them out. any advise on what i should be looking out for, what i should ask, how do i assess these places?
i hate the idea of not being with them any more but i haven't worked since last april when i was put on bedrest and my maternity leave ends september so there's no other way to do this or else i will loose this job and any job that has been paying me a salary and health benefits for so long without me working i really should hold onto.
if i ask the right things and make the right choise i'm sure i will feel better about putting them in day care and going back to work.

 

i need to get around to checking out day care for the fall. i go back to work in october and the girls have to go to day care. applications are in march or else we won't find a spot. i'm calling some places and will go next week to check them out. any advise on what i should be looking out for, what i should ask, how do i assess these places?
i hate the idea of not being with them any more but i haven't worked since last april when i was put on bedrest and my maternity leave ends september so there's no other way to do this or else i will loose this job and any job that has been paying me a salary and health benefits for so long without me working i really should hold onto.
if i ask the right things and make the right choise i'm sure i will feel better about putting them in day care and going back to work.

 

Ask about:
-Teacher Certifications
-Continuing Education for Teachers
-Certified in Infant/Child CPR
-What a daily schedule is like
-What do you need to provide (i.e., diapers, food, crib sheets, wipes)
-Teacher/child ratio
-Vacations/Holidays (will you get a free week for vacation, discounted, etc?)

We went with a center for the twins vs. an in home daycare. They have learned a lot there and have been very happy. I liked that if a teacher was sick, they still had all the others there (vs an in-home where I might have to take the day off if the provider was sick). I will try to think of more questions. You will get a feel for the place just by visiting during "school" hours. You'll be able to see the teachers interact with the kids, etc.

 

i agree- you shoujld certainly hold onto that job! what great time off! i'm sure it's been a great bonding time with the kids.

anyway, these are some of the things I was told to look for/ask when looknig for childcare


--ratio staff:kids
--staff education (i.e. HS, associates degree, college), as well as any continuing education requirements
--CPR, first aide certification
--average time staff has been employed at the facility (high turnover would be a red flag)
--cleanliness
--sick policy
--what is a typical day like? (group activities, music, reading, self-play, etc.)
--do they do any outings/field trips? if so, how do they transport and what type of safety steps do they take?
--is there an open door policy (can you stop in whenever you want?)
--what do they supply and what do you need to bring? (diapers, wipes, food)
--how do they do naps
--what type of certificatoin (some states have a ranking system, but not all do)

that's all i can think of at the moment. i'm sure others will have more things for you to ask too. I at first started looking at facilities, but instead ended up going private at a woman's home. it ended up being cheaper and more convenient (i was looking for part-time, and that was VERY Hard to find at a childcare center!)
good luck- it is a very stressful time, but donig it early like this and really doing your research i think will help you feel better about the whole thing. it really is hard placing that much trust in strangers!!!! (now did i make you feel better!!??

 

Ditto the PP

Curriculum was also important to me, what is their philosphical approach... That gives alot of info about how the center fits with your view!

 

it would have to be a center. in home day care is not available here.

mommydee- what do you mean when you say 'how do they do naps'?? what would the possible answers to that be?
and yes i really do feel better reading the responses. the more i know the better i will feel with my decisions. they are total strangers but not all strangers are bad

thanks so much.

 

Also, make sure they meet state licensing regulations. Also, ours has a lock door policy where you have to have a pass to get in (which means random people can't just walk in off the streets).

 

RE- how do they do naps? My daycare lets the parents decide if the babies (infant room only) are on a strict sleep schedule, if they are the sched is followed (down to what can be in with baby) if not the baby(ies) decide when they are sleepy and the ladies accomodate. Once they go to the young 1's (12-18 months) they go to 1 nap per day at scheduled time and naps progressively get shorter as they get older.
Other posts have had wonderful tips. There are VERY few daycares that take babies around here so I had them on the list last May and they didn't start until Jan.
Additional tip that I found to be helpful- even if a little sneaky feeling...I went by around busy going home time and hung out in the parking lot (looking like I had reason to be there) and asked other parents (several) as they were leaving what their overall feel for the facility was.

 

Great advice so far -- my one caveat about the naps is that if you like the center but aren't crazy about the way they do naps, IMO that is not a deal-breaker. I have never been psyched about the naps at our center (and my kids don't nap all that well there), but I love it otherwise, and the girls seem happy.

A less specific thing but one that I think is important is just to spend some time there (in the room where your kids will be), and see how the teachers interact with the kids and with each other. It was clear from just visiting that the teachers in the infant room at our center loved the babies and were very nurturing with them. Also, the teachers seemed to have a lot of respect for each other and work together really well.

 

Thank you for the great advise ladies. I will take a list of your suggestions with me when I go check out the place.
Minette, I liked your "sneaky" approach. I would have never thought of it myself but really other parents would be a great source of information.

 

quote:
My daycare lets the parents decide if the babies (infant room only) are on a strict sleep schedule, if they are the sched is followed (down to what can be in with baby) if not the baby(ies) decide when they are sleepy and the ladies accomodate.


My center did the same thing.

Oh, I forgot to mention. Ask about discounts for multiple children. Most daycare centers will give you 10 percent off the tuition for the second child. I found a center owned by a twin and she gives me half off the twin.

 

When we were looking for centers and was talking to the managers or owners, you can tell that they've done this conversation a million times already so they know what you would like to hear. You really have to meet the people who will be looking after your kids. Most of them (especially the big centers, from my experience) did not have that warmth, caring feeling i want for my kids. It felt like they're just there because it's a job and they get paid. We finally picked a small center where all the teachers are also Moms and Grandmoms themselves and we saw how they care for and interact with the other infants that were there.

We're glad that we put them in daycare. They're much happier now especially when i pick them up because they do so many things there. And they have all these friends to play with. They listen to music, they have reading time, they do arts and crafts and they take them out for walks when it's nice out. I know it's a tough decision. Good luck!

 

In additional to all of the great info so far...

I like that my daycare center has a log book where they chart every bottle, solid, diaper change (wet or BM), napping times, whether more diapers or wipes are needed, as well as a section for general comments. The parents are required to sign this sheet every day. I really have appreciated this detailed record of the logistics of what has happened during the day.