Deciding who will care for your child can be a challenging decision.
Sometimes you have more questions than answers when determining the choice for your child’s child care experience. The first step is educating yourself on the right questions to ask and what things to look for.
Ask yourself questions first
What is the best fit for your child?
- Does your child need a calm atmosphere or a more active atmosphere?
- How does your child handle being in groups with other children?
- How does your child react when you are not around?
- Does your child need a lot of individual attention to be comfortable when away from home?
- What activities does your child enjoy?
What do you want in a child care provider?
- What education do you want your child care provider to have? Do you prefer an individual with a degree in early childhood, human development or elementary education?
- Is it important that the provider has had years of experience in providing care for young children?
- What discipline philosophy do you prefer in a provider? Providers may differ on how strict they are about rules and the consequences a child may experience for breaking the rules.
- How much flexibility do you need your provider to have in relationship to your work hours? Some providers have rules about schedules and payments; others allow more flexibility to meet your family/work needs.
What about location and cost of child care?
Your child care choice needs to fit with your family’s schedule and budget. Cost needs to be a consideration in choosing child care for your child. However, cost is not as important as ensuring your child is cared for in a safe, nurturing environment while you are away.
Some questions to ask include:
- Does the child care location work for your day or work routine?
- Does it work better for your child care to be closer to your work or your home?
- How much are you able to pay to ensure your child has a safe, nurturing environment in your absence? Is it worth it to you to pay for a provider with education and experience?
Conduct a telephone interview
Basic information can be gathered by phone when searching for child care.
Questions to ask:
- How many children do you care for?
- What days and hours are you open?
- What are the ages of children in your care?
- Where do babies sleep?
- Do you hold babies when giving them a bottle?
- Will they get tummy time?
- What’s your daily schedule for the children?
- Are you registered or licensed by the state?
- Can you provide other parent references?
- Do you have pets?
- What are your fees?
- Can we schedule a visit?
Visit the child care
You may not want to bring your child to the first visit so that you are able to evaluate the environment and provider.
Observe
- Is the child care facility clean and safe?
- Are the outlets covered, cabinets locked?
- Is there a nap area?
- Is the bathroom clean and available?
- Is there a fenced outside area?
- If there are stairs, are they gated?
- What types of meals or snacks are served?
- How many children do you count?
Listen
- How do the children interact with each other?
- How does the provider speak to the children?
- Does the provider get down to eye level with the children when they speak to them?
- Is the provider engaged with the children?
Ask
- What is your discipline policy?
- Do you have an open-door policy on visits?
- How do you handle biting?
- Do you have any toilet training policies?
- What’s your sick child policy?
If you feel comfortable with this child care provider, go back for a second visit with your child. Observe how your child reacts during your visit to determine if this provider will be a good fit for your child. Then, use all of the information gathered to make your decision.
Finding quality child care is a lot of work but it’s worth knowing that your child is in a safe, nurturing environment and is being cared for by someone you can trust.
Learn more
- A routine can help the transition to work after having baby
- The power of consistency while parenting young children
- Finding the right doctor: How to choose one for your child
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Posted In Children's, Family Medicine, Parenting
