interviewing daycares

[juliabug]

I am currently a SAHM, but will be returning to work in 2 weeks. I'm meeting with some daycare centers and in-home daycare providers. Give me your tips for finding a good one. What should I ask when I meet with them? (My 2 kids are 20 months and 4 years if that matters.)

[curbsideprophet]

I would look at their state ratings. Are any of them NAEYC accredited?

Some things to consider...
families.naeyc.org/what-to-look-for-in-a-program

Some questions that we asked about...
Drop in policy, cloth diapers, glass bottles, screen time, containment devices, cost, staff to child ratio

[VillainV]

1. What do they provide? Food? Formula? Diapers/Wipes?

2. What does a typical day look like for children in that room? I asked specifically about "containment devices" like bouncers, swings, etc. Their stock answers were always in accordance with state regulations, but I found that in practice they tend to be a bit more fluid about this, especially if the babies fall asleep in the bouncer/swing. Some wake the baby up after the allotted amount of time (our state limits it to 30 minutes), some will let the baby sleep a little bit longer....sometimes you have to observe for a bit to get a good feel for this.

3. Do they allow unvaccinated kids? What is their policy on vaccinations for staff members?

4. What days are they open/closed? What is the late pick-up policy?

5. What is the absentee policy (i.e.: do you pay for weeks when you go on vacation?)

For in-home care:

6. What happens if the provider is sick, or goes on vacation? Is there a back-up provider?

7. Does anyone in the house smoke?

8. Are any guns kept in the home?

[vmars]

Ask all the important questions but also go with your gut. I visited 2 centers and I immediately knew what my choice was it was no contest.

[Deleted]

We asked/researched/or wanted to know about the following:

Accreditations
Child to Staff ratios
Hours
Sick policies
Containment devices
How babies were fed and when
How receptive the staff appeared with drop ins and nursing during lunch (they all say this is ok but some don't really like it)
Staff turnover/did they seem to like their jobs
Sleep practices

But mostly, it all came down to how it felt to me. My gut reaction. We had several NAEYC accredited places to choowe from and we chose a place where the infant teachers had all been there for 12 to 20 years. I observed a lot of baby snuggling and someone was always sitting with the sleeping babies. It just felt right.