Probably one of the most stressful things about being a new parent is leaving your precious baby with someone else. How do you find the best daycare for your child?
Visit. Experts recommend that you tour the facility you are considering at least 3 times, at different times of the day. Daycares are most likely to be well-staffed and on their best behavior during morning and evening dropoff-pickup times, so be sure to see what's going on at lunch time or mid-afternoon as well.
Count heads. Check out your state laws on how many kids are allowed per adult (the numbers vary by age... less infants are allowed, more preschoolers are allowed) and during your visit, see if the daycare is in compliance. Some daycares will try to bend these limits by moving kids between rooms... be aware of this.
Cleanliness counts. If you think your kids alone generates a mess in your house, multiply that by 8 or 10. Day cares must stay on top of things like cleaning toys and floors and tables and anything that gets passed from kid to kid. Colds and other viruses run rampant through daycares and attention to cleaning and disinfecting can definitely help cut down on the spread of illness.
Policies. While it really is a bummer to be called and told you have to come pick up your child for a runny nose, keep in mind that if they are sending your child home, they are sending others who are sick home as well. While it seems an annoyance to have to keep your child home for a minor illness, it's really a sign of a good day care. It's impossible to keep kids from sharing germs, but getting the sick kids out of the center as soon as possible is a good preventative measure. Really nice day cares have sick rooms that your child can wait in til you get there, removing him or her from the rest of the class ASAP.
Attitude. Try to drop by at an unexpected time every so often once you've chosen a day care. Staff may be putting on a good show for the parent parade, but are not so patient an hour or two into the day. A non-threatening way to acheive this is to drop off something that was forgotten, like extra diapers or a change of clothes.
Got any more tips on choosing a daycare? Share them with us!
