I'm touring a couple day cares this week in order to put our name on their waiting list. I am only 9w pregnant and feel a little ridiculous touring a day care, but it's necessary to get on the wait list this early in our area. The ones I am going to have been recommended by friends or family so I feel good about them in general but other than that I'm kind of clueless. What questions should I be asking? What specifics should I look for? It will be for a 12w old infant.
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@mrs. 64: Check out Mrs. Blue's awesome blog post on this!
http://www.hellobee.com/2012/11/20/choosing-a-daycare-for-the-babies-blues-part-1/
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Good call-I really need to start thinking about this. We may already be too late for a spot for one of the ones we want, and we don't need it until August
Good luck, lady!
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When we toured our daycare, I remember being so impressed that the owner could tell us which kids sat where for lunch and why (milla and hailey will distract each other too much so they have to be split up) etc. I also really liked his sense of humour. He seemed reasonable and practical and just the right amount of no-nonsense.
A year later, I still love the daycare and the director. I like that their core beliefs and program are in line with mine (education, nutrition, structure). I like that the owner changes diapers and that it is a family business.
Also, think about what is a big deal to you and what isn't. Are YOU going to be comfortable going there to drop your kid off? Cuz if you're not, drop offs will be a disaster. Do the people running it seem approachable to you? Are you going to feel comfortable and confident asking them to shift you kid's nap schedule?
Ask all the important questions but also make sure it works for you and you like it there and have a great feeling about it.
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Mrs. Blue's blog post has a ton of great questions.
For when the babies are < 12 months, I would ask if they get to have their own schedules. I would also ask about room & toy sanitization (e.g. do they seem to put away the mouthed toys right away? are you required to take your shoes off?), bottle labeling procedures, when they change dirty diapers, and when they decide the babies are ready to move up to the next room. I would also observe the feel of the room--is it chaotic, are the babies being held if they cry? And I would also observe if they use a lot of "restraining" devices like the jumperoo, exersaucer, swing, etc. I am not against any of those, but I wouldn't want my baby left alone in the swing all day long with no interaction.
For the toddler rooms, I'd ask about what food they provide, toy sanitization, outdoor play time, structured circle time and unstructured free play time. I'd see if the equipment looks new/dated or worn.
There are also general logistics questions like how many hours the daycare is open, what days they have holidays, sick baby/vaccination policies, tuition, fees, parent date nights, student teacher ratios (are they better than state mandated?), how many babies are in the room, etc.
Good luck! I found it tough touring when I was still pregnant. I had no idea what mattered to me or not. But I totally get that in some areas you need to get on waiting lists early. I added my name to one daycare at 6 months pregnant and got the call that we had a spot when my daughter was 9 months... well after the time period I actually needed daycare. Once you tour a few, you will get a better idea of what you want to ask.
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Thanks for your tips guys!
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