Home daycare...Need your input!
Here's what I would ask out of a home daycare provider -
* Do you run errands with the children? My preferred answer would be no.
* What holidays are you open/closed? My preferred answer would be only closed on major holidays... Christmas day, New Years day, labor day, 4th of july, memorial day, thanksgiving.
* How many vacation days per year will you take and do you provide alternate care while you are away?
* Do you have an assistant? I'd want to know all about them as well.
* What kind of curriculum will you be using with the kids?
* How much TV will they be watching? My preferred answer would be little to none, total of 1 hour max all day.
* I'd want to see your first aid kit, emergency evacuation plan, tornado drill plan, two weeks of meal planning, CPR and heimlic certifications, criminal background check, driving record, etc.
* What is the daily schedule like? I'd expect to see various planned, structured activities, AM snack, lunch, PM snack, play time including lots of different activities, etc.
* Are you certified by the state? In Georgia we have the "Bright from the start" program where many home childcare providers become certified/registered. This, to me, is important because the state doesn't let just anyone in.
* Who fills in for you if you are sick? This is important because I don't want to get a call 15 minutes before drop off time saying you're sick and I need to find someone else for the day on such short notice.
* What's your policy if we go out of town for the week? Do we pay half of the weeks tuition? None? Full amount?
There's probably more questions but this is all I've got time for right now. We've had a couple of home daycare providers so I've learned what to expect and what to ask.
* Do you run errands with the children? My preferred answer would be no.
* What holidays are you open/closed? My preferred answer would be only closed on major holidays... Christmas day, New Years day, labor day, 4th of july, memorial day, thanksgiving.
* How many vacation days per year will you take and do you provide alternate care while you are away?
* Do you have an assistant? I'd want to know all about them as well.
* What kind of curriculum will you be using with the kids?
* How much TV will they be watching? My preferred answer would be little to none, total of 1 hour max all day.
* I'd want to see your first aid kit, emergency evacuation plan, tornado drill plan, two weeks of meal planning, CPR and heimlic certifications, criminal background check, driving record, etc.
* What is the daily schedule like? I'd expect to see various planned, structured activities, AM snack, lunch, PM snack, play time including lots of different activities, etc.
* Are you certified by the state? In Georgia we have the "Bright from the start" program where many home childcare providers become certified/registered. This, to me, is important because the state doesn't let just anyone in.
* Who fills in for you if you are sick? This is important because I don't want to get a call 15 minutes before drop off time saying you're sick and I need to find someone else for the day on such short notice.
* What's your policy if we go out of town for the week? Do we pay half of the weeks tuition? None? Full amount?
There's probably more questions but this is all I've got time for right now. We've had a couple of home daycare providers so I've learned what to expect and what to ask.
Emad goes to a small home daycare and for us it is the best decision we made. He started out in a "conventional" daycare and for us it just was not a good fit...not to mention they dropped him on his head at 3 months old. A lot of the basic questions have been answered but some additional comments/? I had would be below.Anyhow....some things I know I like/look for...
*Flexibility with days/hours
*I liked in the beginning getting his daily progress report...feedings,naps, changes, meds, etc
As he got older (1 year) not so much the changes but the feeding and naps helped because after I picked him up I knew how soon I had before he needed to be fed or changed again or if he would need a nap.
* I like a lot of interaction between the caregive and him, he is not plopped in front of a tv all day....there are interactive toys, music, and play time with either the other kids or his caregiver. She also has a backyard but rarely do they go in it which does not bother me. She does go for a walk with Emad if he is the only one there that day but if there are other kiddos it is harder to do that.
*Do you charge only for days children come, do you allow for vacation/holiday leave for the kids, sick days, etc
*What is your procedure if you are too sick to care for the children?
*Other sick kids/my child sick...
*Flexibility with days/hours
*I liked in the beginning getting his daily progress report...feedings,naps, changes, meds, etc
As he got older (1 year) not so much the changes but the feeding and naps helped because after I picked him up I knew how soon I had before he needed to be fed or changed again or if he would need a nap.
* I like a lot of interaction between the caregive and him, he is not plopped in front of a tv all day....there are interactive toys, music, and play time with either the other kids or his caregiver. She also has a backyard but rarely do they go in it which does not bother me. She does go for a walk with Emad if he is the only one there that day but if there are other kiddos it is harder to do that.
*Do you charge only for days children come, do you allow for vacation/holiday leave for the kids, sick days, etc
*What is your procedure if you are too sick to care for the children?
*Other sick kids/my child sick...
That's a good post! I'm thinking about all of that myself. I have a family member who use to have a home daycare and I would come over during the day and see that the kids were watching tv most of the time or that even if she was watching stories they were watching with her or at least the tv was visible to them. So please be conscious of the tv time and also what's being shown to the kids.
I want the daycare provider I choose to enjoy teaching little things and interacting with the kids so I would like to be able to stop in and maybe watch not only how she deals with my kid but the other kids as well.
All the other requirements the other ladies highlighted but you've answered are important too, that is just one of my pet peeves, the tv thing.
I want the daycare provider I choose to enjoy teaching little things and interacting with the kids so I would like to be able to stop in and maybe watch not only how she deals with my kid but the other kids as well.
All the other requirements the other ladies highlighted but you've answered are important too, that is just one of my pet peeves, the tv thing.
336lbs 6/19/06 - 198 lbs - 6/19/10 
138 lbs gone forever!!!
We have our miracle: Jakob Makhi born 4-15-10; 4 lbs. 10 oz. 22" long.
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