I need to start lining up daycare interviews, etc. What did you do when you first called? For example, what were some of the questions you asked over the phone before you went to the location?
The only ones that I can think of to do over the phone are:
Will you have an available spot on this date? What are your hours of operation? Cost? including if you have vacation or sick days do you have to pay?
Do they provide food? What is a sample menu if they do? Do they allow cloth diapers? Are there times during the year they are closed? Late pickup fees? How do they schedule the children? Ratio of kids to employees? What is their policy regarding accepting sick kids or sending kids home?
I don't do daycare, but those seem to be questions about things people on my BMB (the first one) asked that I can remember!
Do they provide food? What is a sample menu if they do? Do they allow cloth diapers? Are there times during the year they are closed? Late pickup fees? How do they schedule the children? Ratio of kids to employees? What is their policy regarding accepting sick kids or sending kids home?
These plus their hours, if they had webcams, if they had a vacation policy, and their holiday schedule.
If they have proper storage for(and allow) breast milk? Do they have a part time or drop off option? What is the enrollment fee/deposit? What is their policy for picking up /dropping off kids if it is someone other than a parent? Do they allow drop in visits?
Ratio was big, but I found most places just went by state requirements. Access policy (who can get into the center and how). Cloth diapering. Vacation policy (do I have to pay even if my kid isn't there, can you earn a "free" week). Training of staff (CPR, teaching backgrounds). I also asked how discipline was handled for kids. How discipline was handled for teachers if they broke policies. I wanted to know about report outs - how did we get info on what our kid did during the day. Ages for kids in rooms. Are mobile babies separate from non-mobile babies? Verify that infants aren't given blankets/toys/etc. during naps (SIDS risks). Hours/late pickup or early drop off options.
These plus their hours, if they had webcams, if they had a vacation policy, and their holiday schedule.
If they have proper storage for(and allow) breast milk? Do they have a part time or drop off option? What is the enrollment fee/deposit? What is their policy for picking up /dropping off kids if it is someone other than a parent? Do they allow drop in visits?
Thanks for all the replies and ideas! I am going to start calling early next week, I am very fortunate that I work in a small town with quite a few daycares/centers. I am just overwhelmed in making this decision, everything else has seemed so easy thus far!
Post by littlemisschatty on Jan 18, 2013 15:47:07 GMT -5
(I am having trouble quoting from the app lately, anyone else?)
But, baconlettucetomato, I would love that spreadsheet! Can you send it to me at invitationswithstyle at yahoo? (I am a part time wedding calligrapher lol)