Daycare Tours - what to consider/ask

[lemoncupcake]

Hello! I'm starting the search for daycare this week and am trying to wrap my mind around all of the factors that need to be considered. Here's what I've got so far, is there anything else to add to the list?

Hours
Food - do they provide? If so, get a sample menu
Ratios
Staff turnover
Do they accept cloth diapers
Class age ranges
Do they allow/encourage moms to come nurse at lunch
Are the babies out and interacting with providers, or are they in containment devices (bouncers, etc.)

[becwheat]

Transitions - How do they determine when a child moves from one room to another? How does a transition take place?

ETA: Sometimes these transitions also go along with a change in rate ( Infant level one vs infant level two vs toddler) so you will want to know that financial info as well.

[chuggingwater]

If you're planning on providing breastmilk, what is the policy? (Do you have to prepare bottles, bring in bags, frozen, etc)

[chuggingwater]

Naps--- crib, swaddled, held.
If baby falls asleep in swing, will they be required to move?

[lazyreader]

Potty training - how do they handle this? And what age ranges are they prepared to handle PT?

*this is relevant for early potty trainers - like before the 2y/o range I think.

[Unknown]

Who is in charge, what is the a chain of command?
What is their vaccination policy?
Are they a nut free center?
What is the security like, locked doors, passcodes? When do they change those passcodes?
Do they have college interns, and what level of interaction do they allow?
What level of education and first aid training do your teachers have?
What is their fire evacuation plan, most importantly for the infant room where you don't have walkers?

[Deleted]

Jul 13, 2015 9:05:12 GMT -5 lazyreader said:

Potty training - how do they handle this? And what age ranges are they prepared to handle PT?

*this is relevant for early potty trainers - like before the 2y/o range I think.

THIS!!!! I had my children at a day care that refused to potty train, and moved them to one that did potty training. It made things so much easier when I did potty train them. I had my 2 year old boys trained in 3 days because they started introducing them to the potty at around 1.5 years.

Also, if the day care provides things like wipes, sunblock, bug spray etc. Ours provided sunblock and bug spray but only in the mornings.

[lemoncupcake]

Thanks everyone! You're listing a ton of things that I hadn't thought of yet.

[yummeecookee]

Don't forget to ask about their sick policy.

[ugotstarbucked]

I went with a home daycare, so not everything applies above. It was important for me to see the provider's license/certification, ask for references, and review the vaccination policy.

Also ask about sick days and vacation days policies (both as apply to your kid as well as your provider). How many days and how far in advance will the provider let you know that they are closed due to illness/vacation? Do you still have to pay for days that daycare is closed?

[frankenboom]

Not sure if you live in an area where this is an issue or not but you'll also want to know about their inclement weather policy.

[bunnyfungo]

For anyone doing cloth diapers, make sure you ask if they are allowed/what the policy is.

Also, what are you expected to provide. Some daycares require that you provide bedding, bibs, x number of spare outfits. That kind of thing.

[SubtleGrandeur]

Car seats: Are you allowed to leave an infant carrier at the daycare? DH and I each had an infant base in our cars, but only had 1 carrier. Daycare let us leave the carrier there because DH dropped off and I picked up.

On the security side of things: you might ask about their policy on people other than you and your significant other picking up. We have DH's parents and my mom on the "approved" list of people to come get DD because daycare won't allow anyone not approved to pick her up. I actually walked in when a set of grandparents were there to get a kid and weren't on the list. So, the director called to talk to the parents to make sure it was ok.

[negirl824]

I worked in an infant room for almost 4 years. I would suggest asking the teachers questions as well. The tour guide is not in that room working so they sometimes just answer to what they think is going on. There might be somethings the teacher might add that the tour guide left out. The teachers are your best resource since they are in there everyday.

The teachers also love it when you bring in treats or things for them! Some centers don't praise their teachers as much as they should but hearing it or being shown by the parents is a really nice touch. It makes you a stand out parent and in turn your child might get more special attention. Build a relationship of some sort with the teachers.

[SubtleGrandeur]

Oh, you might also see if there is a way to look at any violations that have taken place. The information for my state is through the Department of Health and Environment and you can search by name and it will tell you if there have been any violations and what they are. It also tells you if there have been any formal complaints filed, but doesn't say what the complaint was.

[lickwed]

You may want to also check what there emergency plan or sick policy is such as when do they feel a call to 911 is warranted or what is procedure if a child develops a fever at school. Some places have you pick up immediately, some will give them fever reducer and let them stay until they are picked up. Also, what level of certifications they have such as child/infant CPR and how often are they trained.

If the daycare is near a school, you may want to check what there policy is if that school is locked down and if the daycare has lock down procedures. Most places file these under crisis plans. I know our daycare goes into lock down procedures if the nearby school does.

[feffy]

I'd want to know how much time the kids spend playing outside and/or how often they go outside, as well as if there is a designated rest time and what those hours are.

Also, holidays, emergency closures, and if they follow a certain school district's calendar.

[jumpingpuddles]

On the subject of food, asking what types of baby food they allow and any guidelines they follow. For instance, we did baby-led weaning and did not do cereals and purees, but daycare was required to give at least cereal beginning at a certain age (I want to say 6 months?) plus they were not open to giving foods in a way that aligned with BLW (like they only allowed diced finger foods until they moved to toddlers.)
Ask what crib guidelines they use like are swaddles/mobiles/etc allowed. If baby isn't allowed to be swaddled then you may want to experiment trying to wean baby off of a swaddle before starting at daycare or naps could be difficult there.

[peaseblossom55]

wow I love this list! Thanks for starting this thread, I visited a center last week, because it was right by my OB office and had no clue what I was looking for or what to ask.

[yummeecookee]

negirl824, when you say treats, do you mean actual food? I do like to do little things for the teachers, aside from gift cards at the holidays, I bring cookies or something similar at the smaller holidays. I am always looking for ideas bc I really value what these women do.

Sorry for thread highjack, OP

[negirl824]

Jul 14, 2015 7:22:52 GMT -5 yummeecookee said:

negirl824, when you say treats, do you mean actual food? I do like to do little things for the teachers, aside from gift cards at the holidays, I bring cookies or something similar at the smaller holidays. I am always looking for ideas bc I really value what these women do.

Sorry for thread highjack, OP

Yes, find out what they like somehow. Most people won't turn down munchkins from Dunkins, muffins, or cookies. (homemade or store bought) Some parents would bring in candy or coffee. Little gift cards to a local coffee shop for them as well. We had one parent that at least once a month would bring in a $20 gift card for the teachers to split. One would go on a coffee run during their break. 

[mom2boxers]

Observe the smell of the place/rooms. How do they change diapers to keep everything sanitary?

[chad5285]

I wanted a place where all the staff was wearing some kind of uniform. I want to be able to tell who works there and who doesn't at a glance.