Questions to ask on day care tour?

[Anonymous]

Hello! I am due with my first child in late August and am beginning to go on day care tours. As this is my first child, I have only a vague idea what I should be looking for/asking about. What do you wish you had known or asked when you were touring (or choosing) a day care for your infant? We're looking in downtown DC if that's relevant. Thanks in advance!!

[Anonymous]

- is there a set number of hours your kid can be there per day? (some you can vary it, some you can only have your kid there 8 hours)
- is food provided? look at a meal schedule/menu if you can
- immunization and sick child policy
- security measures/procedures for emergencies

[Anonymous]

Also ask how they handle breast milk/ formula. One day care I visited required that the formula was premixed by parents everyday and kept in refrigerator- they were very organized. Another daycare mixed formula on site but it looked like a mess... (but I guess easier for the parents). Another home-daycare provided their own formula.

[Anonymous]

In centers - Do they assign “primary caregivers” to each infant (this is recommended so one caregiver gets to know the babies needs and so the baby has consistency)

How often do they take the infants outside? How? (Stroller walks? do they take them out of the stroller ever to just be outside? It can be kind of depressing if you realize post baby that your baby is never getting fresh air during the day and it can be kind of common in centers) my experience is tbag they often say “oh yes of course” if you just say do they go outside? So be specific - how many times a day, what weather. You can get a better sense then.

Things to look for in centers - do teachers look happy? Are there a ton of babies in one room? (Less is ideal) Is the room loud, busy (some babies will be fine with this but some will do a lot better in a more calm place).

How often are babies put in devices? How long do they stay in them, are there any rules about max time? Almost all daycares will use these sometimes but pay attention to how many “holding” devices like swings etc there are and how many babies are in them. Short periods is ok but some use them far too much. In the center we started in you would always see babies in them, at our current home daycare I would say one day a week I arrive at pick up and a baby is in one but the vast majority of the time baby is on their back on the floor with a blanket or being held (both of which are much preferable for development)

I wish I knew how much naps would rule my life post baby - ideally look for a spot that has a separate napping area (more common in home daycares). And ask about flexibility with naps - at what age do the babies join the schedule of the older kids (if in a home daycare with mixed age) and at what age do they drop kids to one nap usually (this applies to both center and home) - most daycares seem to drop kids to one nap at 1 year though in my experience some (many) kids often aren’t really ready til later for that - will the child be able to take a nap in the morning after 1 if they still need it?

I know that was a lot and you don’t have to ask every single one, some you can just keep your eye out for but they are some things to look for in terms of quality

[Anonymous]

Sorry just saw you’re in downtown dc so probably won’t do home daycare and most centers will not have a separate napping area but that’s ok. If you do find one though I think it’s really helpful. Sleep begets sleep with babies so Good sleep during the day means good sleep at night which is good for everyone and some babies find it hard to sleep in one room with other babies on a different schedule

[Anonymous]

Do the teachers look happy and relaxed, and is the facility clean?

You can also ask about teacher turnover. They probably won't give you a hard number, but their response can be telling.

[Anonymous]

How will you communicate with staff who may have a language barrier? One of my relatives has struggled with this because they don't always have someone to translate available.

[Anonymous]

Are the staff holding the babies or are they doing tummy time, etc? That’s good. If they are all in contraptions like chairs, that’s not as good.

[Anonymous]

Read the policy book before signing a contract.

[Anonymous]

Pay attention to how the children and teachers are interacting. Are the children happy? Are the teachers attentive and happy? If there is lots of crying, tension, or it smells...walk away.