Life is busy! (That’s an understatement, right?!) We know that many families will transition to childcare outside of the home before their child is school-age. This can be a challenging search and an emotional process. In this article we are sharing some of our top practical tips for finding a daycare that works for your family.
Top Tips for Finding a Daycare that Works for Your Family
- Learn about the teachers. Inquire about teacher turnover rate. What is the longest and shortest tenure of the current employees? In general, long tenure says something about employee satisfaction and investment. Ask what the center is looking for when they hire new teachers.
- Assess the environment. Are there TVs in the daycare? Is there an outdoor playground/space? Is it fully fenced and the gates kept closed if there are gates? When you visit the childcare center go into the classrooms and look at the cleanliness of the toys.
- Ask about discipline styles and communication with families. When you visit, watch interactions between the caregivers and children. Ask what philosophies or consequences they use for discipline at different ages. Does the center send home incident reports of any incidents, accidents, or even minor injuries that happened throughout the day?
- Consider how much attention your child will get. What is the child to caregiver ratio? While there are state mandated guidelines, some childcare centers have smaller ratios which means your kid gets more 1:1 attention.
- Learn the general “schedule” and expectations for parents. How are nap times handled? What if your child doesn’t sleep? Can you do drop in visits? What are dropoff and pickup times? How are meals and snacks handled? Do you need to send food with your kid or is it provided? If snacks or meals are provided, what food are they providing? Do they have a live camera feed you can check in on how your kid is doing during the day?
- Get into the logistics. How long is the waiting list to get your kiddo into the daycare? Note that some centers have long waits. How does the daycare handle COVID procedures? Is it a state registered daycare? (This is especially important if it’s home-centered. You can look up any violations that were filed under Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.)
- Read reviews. We suggest reading online reviews and asking in local parenting groups on Facebook or on Nextdoor. Talk to folks who have or are attending the center. Learn about what they love(d), as well as things they’ like to see change.
We Are Here For You
Parenting is big work, and it comes with lots of decisions! We know that you are doing your best to navigate each and every transition with your family. ABG is here to support you in planning for and navigating information overload and getting clear on your preferences as parents. Please reach out if you’d like to explore these ideas more deeply in a consultation!
* Photo credit: rawpixel.com
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