If you’re considering putting your baby or toddler in daycare, you’re going to want to choose the best facility for your needs. While every family is different, there are some basic qualities everyone should consider in the process of choosing a daycare. Here is our safety experts’ shortlist of the most important things to look for in a group daycare center.
Cost of Tuition
For many 2-income households, childcare is an essential expense. Generally, daycare centers are cheaper than hiring a nanny or relying on other forms of private childcare, especially if you only have one daycare-age child. Daycare can still be expensive, so make sure the one you choose is within your budget without compromising on quality and safety.
Keep in mind that there could be additional costs, such as the application fee (if the provider has one) and transportation/time costs of getting to and from the daycare each day, particularly if it’s out of the way.
Visiting In-Person
Once you know the cost of the facility you’re considering, it’s time to pay them a visit. Making a phone call or visiting their website is not enough. When you visit in person, you can ask all your questions and get far more information than you could in any other way. You can see if you connect with the caretakers and do a basic visual test to see if the facility looks safe and sanitary. While your initial visit may be a scheduled appointment, it’s also a good idea to drop by unannounced sometime before making a final decision, to get a better idea of what the place is truly like.
If anything feels off when you visit, listen to your gut. At best, it’s probably not the best place for your child, and at worst, it could be a hot spot for daycare abuse. While daycare abuse can happen anywhere, visiting in person, asking lots of questions, and trusting your instincts are some of the best ways to prevent it.
Accreditation & Qualifications
If you’re choosing a group daycare provider (as opposed to a home facility or working with a nanny), the facility should be state licensed and run much like a school. When you visit, make sure to ask about accreditation. Ideally, the group daycare center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), which has holistic, high standards for health, supervision, physical environment, and relationships. Choosing an accredited group daycare center will help ensure your child gets high quality care and early education that will help them become preschool-ready.
In addition to accreditation, you’ll want to make sure the caregivers are adequately qualified to be taking care of young children. The director of the group center should have a degree in early childhood education, and teachers should have training in child development and/or education. All caregivers should be trained in CPR and first aid.
Requirements for Health & Safety
The daycare facility of your choice should follow clear policies on everything from signing in/out to sanitation procedures for caregivers (washing hands after each diaper change, rinsing off toys with a sanitizing solution). The rules should be on a sign on the wall where everyone can see them, and they should be consistently followed.
Additionally, be sure to ask about what happens when kids are sick. There should be a clear procedure determining when children should stay home from daycare. The American Academy of Pediatrics has thorough guidelines that provide a general standard for daycare facilities to follow. Finally, ask about the facility’s immunization and health requirements for both children and employees.
COVID-19 Considerations
At the time of this writing, the COVID-19 pandemic is still raging, meaning there are additional considerations to take into account. Throughout the early months of the pandemic, many daycares and preschools stayed open as essential businesses, to provide childcare for essential workers. Now, many are starting to reopen to non-essential workers as well.
If your child has been staying home from daycare and you’re considering sending them back (or sending them for the first time), the CDC has published COVID-19 guidance for child care programs. The guidelines include social distancing strategies, intensified cleaning efforts, screening procedures, and face masks for employees. Before you choose a facility, it’s a good idea to ask questions about their COVID-19 precautions and make sure these are aligned with your family’s comfort levels.