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What great advice!
Once you've asked your questions over the phone (all those listed above, and what you find in suggested resources), schedule tours for those on your short list. After you've visited a couple, you'll get a feel for what you are comfortable with. (I'm also a fan of the "drop in" visit, but to actually get the info/sit and ask questions, I made appts)
I really surprised myself when we ended up at a center--but the more I talked to in-home providers on the phone, the more I realized that having more than one adult around was really important to me. Also, we found a place with a good vacation policy for my job--you can take unlimited weeks "off" and just pay 1/2 price.
I believe the state licensing in Indiana says that you can have up to 5 children in an in-home setting with one adult. Depending on the age range, that may or may not be a good thing, IMO!
As far as centers go, any licensed center will have their ratios posted in the center (1:4 for infants, 1:5 for 1's). You should be able to get a copy of their menu rotation (which has been great since M is mostly on table food, they just let me highlight what i wanted her to eat each day).
Other things to consider (atleast for when the baby's a little older)--how much time is spent outside? If at a center, how do they transition to the next age group? What are the age groups?(some places group 1 yr or more, others it's 6months) Definitely find out about what meds they are allowed to dispense.
I wish you luck!! And truly, trust your gut. We didn't pick the prettiest or most expensive or high-tech place, but we are SOOOO happy!
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