[mommamarci]

Okay, so I have had a couple people tell me I should go ahead and start researching day cares because it will take me a while to even find the ones I want to look at. (Several will be weeded out over the phone!) So, I tried to look online and I cannot find a good list of questions to ask when I call. Any suggestions? We will look at both home day cares and day care centers. Another adoptive mom in my area said she found several that allowed her to put her name on the list while waiting to be matched and if her name came up, they just skipped down to the next name, so she always stayed towards the top! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[KariKae]

I would start weeding out day cares by looking at their location. Do you want one close to home or close to work? For us, a provider closer to work has been better for doctor appointments, meeting her for lunch, programs, etc.

I would ask if the provider is willing to give medicines? For example, your child may be taking a decongestant for a cold every 4 hours. My provider will not give ANY medications, so I have to leave work at my lunch hour to give her medicine. The worse part about seeing her at lunch time is she gets VERY upset because she has to stay when mommy leaves.

Ask how they handle "problem children"? For example, children who consistently bite. How will my child be protected?

What do they consider a "sick child"? Some providers consider a runny nose a sick child.

For home day cares, how many days per year do they close? How many of these are "unscheduled"?

Do you pay for vacation time? I really liked the home care was daughter was in as an infant. However, her provider got two weeks of paid vacation per year. I also paid full-price for our vacations.

Which meals are provided? I'm a nutrition nut so this was important to me.

How much television to the children watch? I preferred activity and art projects rather than television.

I would also check on turnover. This is not really an issue with home day cares. But with day care centers, I was not comfortable with the high turnover at some of the centers. I wanted more consistency in my daughter's life.

Finally, I would take an hour or two to observe a few of your top choices. A lot will depend on the personality of your child. Does s/he need lots of stimulation? Or is a calm, laid back atmosphere better for his/her temperment? With my daughter, we chose the later. Before her birth, I would have chosen the center with more stimulation. Once your child is placed, you will know more about the personality and find a day care to match that personality.

For us, we found a retired teacher who cared for her until she was 2 in a home care environment. After age 2, we moved her to a montessori pre-school. Both worked very well for us.

Good luck. It's a huge decision!

[kelceesmom]

Some of my questions were to see there license and then I would check it out with the state or county to see if there are any complaints against them. How long have they been in business? Are they CPR certified?, How many children are in their care right now and what is the max of children for their type of license?, what kind of activities do they do? Are you able to pop over anytime of day while your child is there without announcement. Those are a few I would ask. I started looking around when we first were matched. We went domestically and knew we could be in a pickle waiting but it worked out. Good luck.

[ses1230]

Here are some questions I wrote down and took with me.

-Have the teachers taken CPR and First Aid
-Do they have degrees in early childhood education
-Does the center require or provide opportunitites for continuing education for the teacher
-Have the teachers agreed to state police and/or child abuse backgroung checks
-What are the policies for medical emergencies and fires and are the policies written down
-Do they hold fire drills
-Does the center hold liability insurance
-Is play inside, outside or both
-Is there a pool at the center (even a kiddie pool was a big no-no for us!)
-What is the teacher/child ratio
-Who is allowed in the facility when the children are there
-Is the center accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children
-Is the pick-up and drop-off area secure
-Is there a handwashing policy
-Is there an "open door" policy toward parents
-What are the specific holidays the center is closed -Does the center close for vacation (A lot of centers we looked at took off the week btwn Christmas and New Years)
-Are toys washed daily
-Is the diapering area seperate from the play area
-Do parents get daily logs of the child's day
-What are the overtime charges

HTH

Stephanie

[HBV]

If you haven't already bought it, WHAT TO EXPECT THE FIRST YEAR is a great resource for a lot of questions and if I remember correctly, there's a list of questions and things to consider about childcare choices in it.

Also try the Parenting.com website---I think that's where I got the nanny interview questions I used.

[srusse24]

Our day care let us put our name on the list before we were matched. Most good centers have a 6 months to 2 year waiting list, so I would definitely start your search ASAP.

I believe all the questions listed above are great for finding the right child care facility for your family.

[Emster]

Marci--when I registered at 4c, they sent me the packet with the daycare listings and also several sheets of things to look for when you visit. They also sent info re: paths to quality adn what the ratings meant.

[traceyk]

I worked in an infant room at a daycare years ago and one thing I hated was that our Director was very quick to move the babies up to the Toddler room. She would put the wobbly babes with the 2 1/2 year olds just to open up an infant spot because they pay more money for them. I would ask what their policy is on moving them up. Our center also had windows where the parents could look into the classroom but were mirrored in the room so the kids couldn't see them peeking. I thought that was great so you can check up on the kids and teachers without being noticed and causing a problem. If you are breastfeeding you may want to make sure you can pop in at lunch to do it.

[mom2justynsarah]

I think everybody has given you some very good advise so far. When my now seven year old son was a baby, we put him into daycare. We checked it out. The director's were acquaintences of ours. We felt comfortable leaving him there.

Well, the problem was he was CONSTANTLY sick. He was getting all of these known "daycare viruses." He had hand, foot, mouth disease a few times. He had a bunch of rashes, high fevers, stomache aches, vomiting etc etc etc.I think I spent more time on sick leave than working.

So we decided we needed to find a better plan. A co-worker of mine recommended home care. His son had been going to this woman for three years. He was well taken care of, etc, etc.

Well, we ended up enrolling him there. It was the best decision we made. He was well taken care of. Not nearly as sick. He had more attention placed on him as well.

The bad side to home care is that we were dependent on her to be open. There were times her own kids were sick. So she wasn't able to watch ours. That put us in a bind a few times. But all in all, he did very well with her.

Now with my second child, we orignally put her into a private school. It was great, but VERY pricey. We were paying more for that than bringing home a paycheck.

Anyway, it just so happened that the temple that we go to was opening up an infant class. So we decided to give them a try. Our son had also gone to them for a few years (from 3-5). Now he goes there for Sunday school.

We felt comfortable sending her here. Plus we know the director and most of the staff. It's been a wonderful experience. My daughter LOVES going there. She hardly ever gets sick. She is HAPPY! So no need to send her anywhere else.

I know this has been long winded. But you really need to prioritize what things are important, not as important or not important to you. I am not sure if someone already asked this, but find out if they follow the public school schedule. Or are they open all year around? Also, what is their policy on sick children.

My daughter's school will NOT allow a child whose nose is running green to come in. If they see a child with a green runny nose, the parent is called in to take them home.

[McNally720]

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!

[mom2justynsarah]

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![/quote]

You gave her great advise! I think your above statement is SOOOOOO true. Parents need to go with their gut. The place doesn't have to be pretty or very expensive. But you do need to walk out feeling a good vibe.

[jumpingfroggy]

Staff stability is important.

I have asked, "What is the average length of time the teachers have been working at the daycare?" Teacher turnover can be a problem.

Also, daycare centers often reflect the personality of the director. If the director changes, their unwritten policies tend to change. Make sure that you meet the director, not just a staff member there to give a tour. I would ask the director how long she has been there, and if she anticipates leaving anytime in the foreseeable future.

[mom2justynsarah]

Originally Posted by jumpingfroggy

Staff stability is important.

I have asked, "What is the average length of time the teachers have been working at the daycare?" Teacher turnover can be a problem.

Also, daycare centers often reflect the personality of the director. If the director changes, their unwritten policies tend to change. Make sure that you meet the director, not just a staff member there to give a tour. I would ask the director how long she has been there, and if she anticipates leaving anytime in the foreseeable future.

Oh, good one. I would ask the director if you could stop by to observe the class unannounced. In this way, the teacher's are being themselves. It will give you a good feel for what goes on.

I am not sure if this was said. But find out about nap & snack time. It is mandatory in certain states (if not all states) that children under a certain age must have at least one nap and or rest time during the day. In addition, they must be given at least 2 snacks per day.