Reply to Starting the daycare search - what should I be asking about?

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[quote=Anonymous]Staff/teacher turnover is probably one of the best indicators of the quality of the daycare.  If the turnover is low, then the daycare is a good place to work and can attract the higher quality staff as staffing needs arise.  If there are staff/teachers there for more than 10 years, it's probably a good place.

The daycare should also have a thick family/parent handbook that details all of the policies that they have in place from diapering procedures to disciplining methods.  The more specific and robust the handbook of policies is, the more they have thought about the potential issues that arise.

Cleanliness is important.  At our DC's center, there is never debris on the floor.  Teachers are constantly cleaning as they go and the older children learn to pitch it and help.  Also, is the equipment in good repair?  Does the daycare seem to be bright and cheerful or dark and dank?  (Keep in mind that some infant care areas may deliberately have no windows in order to prevent people looking in.  Nevertheless, it should not be dark and depressing.)

For infants, there should be a quieter area for sleeping that is clearly visible from many points in the daycare.  Sleeping infants should be checked on every few minutes by someone.  Better centers keep a log on how frequently they are checked.  Also ask about whether the infant providers give you a daily sheet on feeding, naps, diapering, etc. so you can track your infant's input and output as well as adjust your at-home care as needed.

Age groups should have some delineation in physical space, and there should be a variety of activities available to every age group, including those that engage the children on gross and fine motor skills, imaginative play, and literacy (e.g., kitchen play, dress up, play-doh, Legos, puzzles, playground, books, etc.).  Our center's preschool area houses two preschool classes (3s and 4s), and each class tends to stay on one side, though they rotate through various "stations" of activity throughout the day.

Finally, trust your gut.  There are many daycares that seem to check a lot of the boxes, but have disengaged caregivers.  That's really not the environment most parents want.  A daycare can be perfectly legal but just not the right place for you.

Good luck and congratulations![/quote]

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