Looking for a quality daycare center for your child can be overwhelming, but not if you know the right questions to ask!
Here is a list of some of the most commonly asked questions that parents ask when they are in search of a great daycare!
What Questions Should You Ask a Daycare Center?
What Are Your Costs?
Daycare costs can vary widely from center to center, so make sure to ask about tuition fees, administrative fees, or any other costs involved like a field trip or fun activity kinds of costs.
A higher price tag doesn’t necessarily guarantee excellent care, and lower prices don’t necessarily mean your child will get sub-standard care.
Asking questions about the cost in conjunction with the following questions will give you a great idea of the standard of care you can expect for your child and help you better cost-compare daycare centers.
What Does Parent Involvement Look Like?
Some daycare centers offer opportunities for parents to get involved with their child’s activities while they are in childcare.
Some centers offer things like volunteer opportunities for parents to come in and help with holiday parties or special activities, and some even offer special events like “Eat Lunch with Daddy” or “Pajama Day with Mommy”.
Asking ahead of time will let you know how much you can be involved if that is what you are hoping to be able to do!
Do You Have Policies About Immunizations?
Asking a daycare center about their immunization policy is another great question. Whether you vaccinate your children or not, knowing the center’s position on vaccinations and what they request proof of will help you be prepared or find a center you are most comfortable with.
What Are Health Requirements for Caregivers?
Most centers require certain health requirements for their caregivers like making sure they have their Tuberculosis vaccination and are tested for Hepatitis.
Asking a daycare center what kind of healthcare standards they have in place for the children is also another good question, things like whether or not they have someone or multiple people on staff who are Pediatric First Aid and CPR Certified, what their policies are on the use and administration of medication, how they handle when a child gets sick, and what their emergency protocols are in the event of an allergic reaction in a child.
What Do You Serve For Meals and Snacks?
You can also ask a daycare center what they serve for meals and snacks during the day.
Depending on the daycare’s structure, this can vary. A half-day daycare center may only offer a snack and not lunch. A full-day daycare center may offer not only lunch and a snack but breakfast also.
Make sure you know how many meals and snacks they will provide and what kind of meals they prepare.
What Is Your Daily Schedule?
Every quality daycare center will have structured schedules and routines in place.
These daily schedules should include things like focused play times, meal and snack times, nap time, educational lessons, and bathroom breaks/diaper changing times.
These routines will become a huge sense of stability to your child, so make sure whatever daycare center you choose has a consistent daily structure.
These are just a handful of the questions that you can ask when shopping for a new daycare center, and these questions can lead to both more information and other questions for you to check on. Asking detailed questions like this will help you feel confident in your childcare center choice once you make it!