Daycare

Debbie asked me what to look for in a daycare.. seeing as how I work there.. I'm pretty sure I know what to look for.. lol.

I'm going to try to be in depth as much as possible.

What is the ratio of staff to children? One of the most important things to ask about is how many kids are in the class. By looking up local state licensing laws, you can find that out to know for sure. One thing about daycares is some will fill to max capacity, while others will try to shimmer it down a bit. Our state law (in KY) is 1 teacher to 10 two year olds. One thing the center I work at strives for (and keeps as long as I've been here) is 1:8 with their twos. That is a major plus for staff and parents. The lower, within reason, ratio the better. (Understanding, of course, that daycares do have to make some money in order to keep it's doors open. You shouldn't expect 1 on 1 care in a daycare.)

How are the teachers trained? Again I speak only in KY (cause I know the laws here) we are required to have 15 hours by state law. Our daycare requires us to have 20 hours... In order to maintain excellence and keep above the learning curve, we have to have more. Does your daycare ask the staff to go above and beyond the law in order to provide the children with more?

Do any teachers there have a CDA? CDAs are national, and basically state that the teachers owning them are trained in the children above and beyond. It is much like having a grade school teacher with a masters VS a bachelors.. both are good, and the bachelor teachers may even be better, but more training never hurt anyone.

What are the policies on discipline? Do they do Time-out? Do you agree with Time-out? Do they only redirect? What is concrete for any time of removal from play? How often do children get removed from the daycare totally for discipline problems? What are the policies on Biting and such like that? In all honesty, all daycare providers should have a readily available copy of their parent handbook for you to read over and ask questions about at your viewing.

Is there ample SAFE space for all children to play? A play ground.. does it look safe? Ask how the playground molds to the state requirements. What about on rainy or snowy days? Where do the children play then? Look for a gym or open space indoors that is well equipped AND offers a variety of activities for those rainy days.

Ask to see the POSTED licensing information. All daycares are required to post the inspections on them. They are required to post all write-ups from state and all state investigations for the last year. Ask to see where they are posted. READ THEM! Ask questions. All of those posted will also have the daycares response to them. READ THE RESPONSE! Does it line up with your feelings on it?

Check the "no brainer" child proofing. Are the outlets covered? Are there any cords dangling dangerously? Look around the rooms your children will be in and SEE if there is anything that you would not allow at your house. The greatest tool is to LOOK all around you... never taking for granted that things just are.

What are the toys in the rooms and how do they educate children? Different age levels have different appropriate toys. When you are touring, ask about the toys. Does the shelves seem well stocked of toys? What is the teaching methods for the different rooms? How are the toys further developing my child's brain?

Ask about curriculum and such I have had more than one person say to me over the years "I didn't know two year olds were taught lessons!" Every minute of every day is a teaching experience for each child. Starting at birth, a child is learning and seeing. One of the most important things for me in my classroom (and yes, I consider it a classroom just like a school teacher) is that my children are challenged every day to learn something new. I teach Montessori style in a traditional daycare. It is perfectly acceptable and shows just one of the different teaching methods when parents come to look around. Children should not just be "sat" for... daycares really shouldn't be just overpriced babysitters. For paying as much as you are, do you really just want someone to watch your kid try to eat a stuffy?

Again with that, it's all age appropriate. I don't try to teach my two year olds complex math. We call math counting to 25 and learning to identify their numbers. But at the 4 and 5 year old level, right before school, if they were merely counting to 25 and learning to recognize number... that would NOT be age appropriate. All lessons should be done on the kids level.

How does the center encourage parent/teacher/director relationships? Does the center offer time for the parent to come in to talk to the teachers? Parent nights at school? Open door policy? Can parents just drop by randomly to observe the child's classroom? How dose the center deal with this?

Watch the teachers, talk to the teachers It is hard to visit with parents touring the place. That is understandable from a teacher perspective, but really, it is worth it to step aside and, while watching the kids, take a moment to talk to the visiting parents. Parents don't be afraid to ask questions.

I had a parent in once quiz me on the stuff going on in my classroom. It impressed her! I smile to this day thinking of her and her questions and exactly how they were answered.. it was the defining point to put her child in our center.

Look for schedules and postings How do the staff record the happenings of their day? What does the parent receive at the end of the day to outline all the happenings of their child's day?

Don't be afraid to talk, and talk a lot Directors may seem like they don't want to talk, but really, talk their ears off. Ask any questions you can think of! Ask, ask and ask some more. This is your child, don't be afraid to fight on their behalf to find them the best place possible to be away from.

That is really all I can think of when looking! Feel free to ask more specific questions if you need to!

~Hawk