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I work in hr for a company who has a daycare and the turnover is INSANE. The teachers leave for 10 cent pay increases! Sorry, back to the point, we are having issues w/inconsistency and while my LO isn't down there it would be hard as a parent to not know the people watching my LO-especially if its a high priced daycare! I wouldn't hesitate to ask the director what the schedules are like and if they are the same on a regular basis so your LO had that consistency. Also ask if you can meet the other teachers. Our director always takes a picture and writes up a bio about the new staff to send home with the kids so parents recognize them. Hope that helps!

Because our daycare is open almost 12 hours a day (6:45am to 6:30pm) usually there is one teacher per room there by 7am (a single teacher to open up at 6:45am that keeps the early birds like C all together) and then the second teacher per room joins by 8:30am when the majority of the kids are dropped off and the third teacher per room (as applicable) is there by 9:30am. The first teacher per room usually gets off at 4:30pm so the third teacher is the one that stays until 6:30pm and the middle teacher is always present during the core hours that the most kids are there. Our daycare will adjust as demand changes. Short answer: yes, at least one if not two are always the same (assuming sickness doesn't take several out at a time).

Honestly, this seems to be an issue everywhere. Before you switch, make sure you know what you are going to because the grass may not be greener.

I would start with asking for a list of teachers assigned to that room and their hours. Usually the teachers have set hours (one may work open to late afternoon, the other late morning to close).

Then ask about who are their floaters and when do they step into the room. You may just hit it at a bad time when the teacher had to step out for a bathroom break or something. You can ask about the qualifications of these teachers too.

Next, ask about turnover and their transition plans. It doesn't sound like this is your issue but we saw it a lot. How do they transition to a new teacher.

I actually just had to sit down with our director to talk about inconsistency. Our day care opened earlier this year (a new location of a day care with a great reputation in town.) so they are still finding the best fits between teachers and what room everyone fits best in. I get that but the second teach in my LOs room was a different person every day for a week and my baby HATES strangers. It was just too much. Since I talked to her they still haven't found a permanent second teacher but the same floater has been in there every day and so M is comfortable with her now. You guys should definitely speak up!

@BlueWolverine: We just started a new daycare and we had the same problem. For the first week, we weren't even sure who her teachers were. This daycare had a 6 month wait list and we expected better. I am used to most of the staff now, but it is still inconsistent.

Our major problem is that when we pick her up, she is a mess. Hair all over the place, cookie on her clothes, dirty. I have to wipe her down and fix her hair before we leave every. day. My kid looks like someone threw her away and it drives me nuts!

Yes.

Every morning, Miss Becky was there for 8 months straight. She never took a sick day or a holiday. She was in a car accident a month ago and is on leave for who knows how long with a broken pelvis and arm.

Now, Miss Connie is there every single morning. She doesn't miss a day either. I love seeing the same people every morning and knowing who will be there. I always ask when I drop her off who will be there in the afternoon. Normally it's Miss Connie and if it's not her, it's Miss Cathy. One of those three are ALWAYS there. It makes me feel good.

Like others, we see different caregivers at dropoff and pickup. That being said, the dropoff teachers are almost always the same people, as are the pickup teachers. Sometimes teachers are out sick or on vacation, or helping in another room that is understaffed, but it's usually pretty consistent. Also, our daycare *never* combines rooms from what I've seen. Even if my daughter is the last to be picked up in her room, she is still in her own room with one of the afternoon teachers. She is never consolidated into another room.

yes. i think the main teacher has only been out 3 days ever, and that was recently for her daughter's engagement party/wedding/etc.

the two main teachers are always there, and the assistant is there every day too. There are 2 backup teachers when one of the main teachers are out, but there is always at least 1 main teacher.

Mostly. For many months I dropped him off with the same teacher each morning (although her room is the other infant room). His lead teacher & the main assistant teacher would be there when we picked him up (if not the lead teacher, than one of 2-3 different floater teachers).

This summer it's been iffy. The am teacher took the summer off, so now I drop off to someone different. Many babies took the summer off or transitioned to the toddler room, so there are usually less than 5 babies each day. That means they don't need two teachers, so I'm not always sure who will be there.

It's annoying to me (especially because I like one teacher more than the other), but I know my son is getting taken care of. I don't have any other reason to worry, so I accept it as part of the daycare gig. I've worked in daycares before and know it could be worse.

I seen the same people there every day, but I am only a week and half in.