Choosing a Good Daycare or Preschool for Your Child

Having a child is probably one of the most precious gifts one can ask for. Most new parents would probably love to spend their time at home with their children and not have to send them off to daycare everyday. Unfortunately for some that is not an option. Finding the right daycare that meets your needs and requirements is a must. Here are some tips to consider when choosing a daycare center for your children.

What is important for you?

• Should the daycare be close to home or close to work?
• What is the child to staff ratio? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a ratio of one staff person for 1-4 children 13 to 30 months and two staff members for 5-8 children 13 to 30 months, with no more then 8 children in a room. Some states actually regulate this and you can check with your county regulators to make sure they comply.

Ask friends and family.

• Does a friend or family member already have a child in a local daycare? Word of mouth recommendations can be really helpful when looking for a daycare. When it comes to children, they would not hesitate to tell you any negatives of a particular daycare.

Make a list of local centers.

• Call the daycare centers on your list and speak to the director.
• Ask about the center's policies, fees, hours of operation, and if meals are included in tuition.
• Ask about the type of training they require their teachers/staff to have.
• Ask how they handle sick children or those that require medication and if they have a nurse or doctor on staff.

When speaking to the centers on your list listen to your gut feeling. If you have a bad feeling cross them off your list and move on to the next. Once you have narrowed down your list to a few daycare centers drop by for a visit. It is best to show up unannounced so you can see how the daycare operates on a day to day basis. This way the staff can't tidy up for you and they won't be on their best behavior, you will get to see them in their natural state.

It is also a good idea to bring the children who will be attending the school with you. This way you can see how the director and staff interact with your child and how your child feels about them. Once at the center follow these tips

Be observant of your surroundings.

• Do you get a good feeling in the center?
• Is the daycare clean?
• Do the other children look happy and are they being properly supervised?
• Does the center look neat and orderly

Ask questions about safety and security.

• Are there smoke alarms in the building?
• Are dangerous items stored where the children can't get to them?
• Is the playground surface hard concrete or soft sand?
• How is the center secured?
• Are the children protected from strangers?
• What type of security measures are taken to prevent a child from going home with an unauthorized person?
• Is the center monitored by security cameras and if so can you monitor them remotely?
• Does the center take the children on field trips off campus? If so what measures have they taken to prevent a child from going missing, off-site and on.
• What is their plan of action if a child does go missing?

For a list of centers who participate in the DIGIKIDS® Member Program click here.

Ask as many questions as you feel fit. No question is a dumb question when dealing with the safety of your child. Due to privacy issues you may not be able to, but ask if you can call some current parents for references. Talk to your child about the visit to the center and use your gut instinct when making the final decision. When you have chosen the perfect daycare for your child enroll him/her and relax, you haven't even hit the teen years yet.

Posted via email from DIGIKIDS® Child ID Program