Hellobee Boards

We were in the same scenario - no personal recommendations available (no one lived in our area that had kids).

We just went to several places (I think four total) and felt the place out/took a tour.

I think you just need to go and ask a lot of questions. Get a feel for what you like/don't like. Plus, personal recommendations aren't a guarantee. For example, my best friend uses the same daycare and we have different pros/cons about it

If you are on Facebook, you might be able to find a local mom's group with a page. I belong to one for the town I live in and people post questions like this all the time. I don't know a lot of moms (in person) in my area, so it's super helpful for stuff like this. It's also a good way to find out what kid-friendly activities are going on around you.

You should be able to call your state or local daycare licensing office and a) get a comprehensive list of daycares in your area and b) find out about any violations/complaints those daycares have received. Just google your state + daycare license and you should be able to find the proper office/number.

I've been visiting different daycares and I think you start to get a "feel" for them especially if you talk to the primary care provider in the classroom your LO will be joining. You can also compare things like what is provided by the daycare like snack menus, supplies, etc. You can also ask about sanitizing practices.

Another big thing for us was what kind of furniture and toys they had in the room. One of the daycares had Exersaucers, Bumbos, etc while another did not. I preferred the one that did not because I think there's a greater chance that my baby will be played with vs left alone in the toy.