Day Care

When my nephew was born, my sister was lucky enough that my mother was able to watch him until he was old enough for pre-school. In the years since, her arthritis has gotten really bad, and neither she nor I think it's a great idea for her to be giving a newborn that much care. (She gets the dropsies a lot.) This means I'm going to need to find a day care. I know that I need to ask basics like the youngest they accept, closing/opening times and tuition, but what are some other important questions I should ask while I'm making calls? TIA!

I went by friends reccomondations. If you know anyone that has a child in daycare I would start there. When I first got pregnant with my last child I was considering a daycare because I thought it was probably more structured (more $ though), but then I started asking around and 2 people gave me the same ladies name. I went and met her at her home and fell in love with her.


My cousin just put her son in a daycare center that has cameras in the classroom/nursey and you can log on from work and see what is going on. I would look for that if possible. It really puts her mind at ease.

Good luck. It is such a tough choice.

Don't just go by what they tell you. Look up their Inspection reports online or call your dept. of Family Services to double check and see if they've had any safety violations.

You be surprised what you find out. There were several places I looked at for my twins that *seemed* outstanding but after reading their Inspection reports, I wouldn't trust them to watch my dog, let aone my babies.

Goodluck. Finding someone to trust with your baby is very stressful. Ask around to any of your friends with kids in daycare, see what they suggest.

Registration/Annual Fees and wait list time...some daycares have long ones so you need to get on the list while still pregnant to ensure a spot for your child

Holidays (Days closed)

Sick Policies (When children can or cannot go or when they will or will not call you)

Vacation Policies (Some daycares after a period of time allow you up to two weeks w/o pay if your child is out for things such as family vacations, etc)

Child to Caregiver Ratio

Emergency Policies (Bad Weather, etc)

Curriculum, yes, even for babies...some will just put your baby in a swing all day while others interact with things like tummy time, hand/eye coordination, etc

And as with the previous poster, check online and at state/local sites for complaints or other concerns.

Hi there! 
I know this is a hard decision to make. I had to take Lydia to daycare in September after being home with her for a year. Here is a list of things I aksed ... It really weeded out a lot. If the manager/owner was not able to answer, they were OUT of the running,

1. What is your accrediation policy? Meaning, what does each worker have to accomplish to work there in terms of CPR, Child Development classes, OSHA training, etc...
2. What is their License number?
3. What is their policy on taking temperatures (NEVER rectally), biting, and what is their discipline policy. Do those things match what you would want?
4. Ask for a copy of their menu. Most days, I am fine with what they serve, but I don't allow certain things, so on those days, I pack her lunches.
5. Will they allow you to use your own wipes and diapers? (b/c of skin allergies)
6. What is the policy for visitors? Can gramma come by unannounced, or do you have to sign a note that day?
7. What is their accident policy? WIll they call you for every bump and bruise, or just blood? (I was not very happy when I picked her up with a bite mark & broken skin, and no one called.)
8. What is the sick policy? Is a child with snot nose and a fever allowed at daycar? Some allow children in with a temp up to 103 .. just be aware.
9. Do they allow CIO? (Crying it Out) at nap time or when the child is frustrated?

So, there's a start. It might seem like a lot, but some of them might help you determine where you want your baby. :-)

If you are considering an in-home daycare or you have a Nanny that may take the child home at times OR have their partner/spouse visit your home then make sure to do a complete background check on every member in that house or that may have contact with your child. My friend found a nice lady to watch her 2 boys ( 6 and 9 yrs) in either her home or theirs and the lady had a clean background check. Months later through interesting conversation with her, she found out from doing on-line searching that her Husband was a registered Sex Offender from having sex with a 13 yr old when he was 23! This lady never disclosed this and in fact said it was an error but he had never bothered to correct this error the whole 5 years it was being reported....yeah, never can be to careful. Day-cares are safer sometimes if they have all their certifications and pass your background checks but can be spendy for a good one. Nannies are nice because they can be flexible but unless you check every little speck of their life then you never know. Good luck!

I do daycare out of my home. I did it because I had so many bad experiences when my children were in daycare- not to scare you. Some things I looked for were just obvious things to begin with....when I went for interviews, did the daycare instructor seem overwhelmed, was everything running smoothly or was it chaotic, did she interact with my kids while I was there (one lady told my son to be quiet when I went for an interview because he was 15 months old and wanted to play outside , he kept saying "outside"), how does she react to the other kids, were the kids fed/diaper changed, etc, did the kids seem happy or scared of her.... Each state has their own state licensing and you can usually check a persons credentials online, it is public, and find someone registered in your area. I saw your in Philly, here is your states info: http://www.philadelphiachildcare.org/   Also, make sure you get everything in writing (how many days off, deposits, pay days, etc...) because you don't want to be sued or have to sue either. If you pay a depsosit up front, do you get it back? What dates are paydays? How many days off does the provider get? Does the provider file taxes because if she does, then you will need her social at the end of the year to file your own taxes otherwise you do not get a dime back. Good luck! When your child is older, it is easy to tell if something "funny" is going on. You can keep an eye out now by checking the amount of diapers and formula, check the baby for marks, see if the baby keeps your routine when your home and know they are not letting the baby sleep too much or opposite, make sure that the baby doesnt come home with a diaper rash, etc. When they are older you can notice changes in behavior. For example, my son, at 15 months, dropped some of his food off the kitchen table during lunch and went and put himself in the corner with his face in the corner of the wall and cried. I knew right then that his provider was being nasty. She told me that "Ethan needed his but whipped b/c he was so stubborn" when I confronted her. She said he was stubborn and didn't listen. I never went back, she kept my $200 deposit. Not everyone is bad. There are good providers, just make sure you watch for signs and show up without announcing it. I showed up , once, at a providers house (I work nights) because I got off work early on a Friday night and her 12 year old daughter was home alone watching my 12 month old son and she said her mom went out for the night like she "always" did on Friday night. Grrrrrr! 
Good luck!

A lady I found (on Craigslist) who does home daycare was kind enough to send me this checklist that she created:

Interviewing Daycare Providers

Some opening questions to ask a potential caregiver for your child:

Is there an opening for my child?

What are the hours and days you are open?

Where are you located?

How much do you charge?

When is payment due?

Do you charge for holidays, absences due to illness or vacations, or late pick-ups?

How many children do you care for?

How much child care experience and education do you have?

How many adults care for the children? (how many different people will be caring for my child?)

What ages do you serve?

Does my child have to be potty trained already?

 

In a home care facility:

Who, besides the provider, may be caring for my child?

Are there others living in the home? Who and what age are they?

Are there pets in the home? Smoking? Will my child be leaving the home while in your care?

 

More questions for a provider:

Can parents visit at any time? How do you handle discipline?

What do you do if my child is sick? How do you handle an emergency?

Do you have a back-up caregiver? Where do children take naps?

Does caregiver have training in child care? May I see a copy of your license?

Does caregiver have current CPR & First Aid training?

May I have a list of current and former parents who have used your services?

 

 

Ask references:

How did you get along with the caregiver? Was the caregiver respectful of your values & culture?

Was the caregiver reliable? Would you recommend the caregiver?

 

Arrange a visit to observe:

Positive interactions between caregiver & other children? Children getting appropriate attention?

Children seem happy with their caregiver? Clean, safe indoor & outdoor spaces?

Safety features: gates on stairs, electrical outlets covered, locked cabinets for medicines & cleaning supplies?

 

Variety of toys & materials: books, puzzles, blocks, games & activities that will interest my child?

Ask yourself:

Is there a balance of free play & routines? Can the caregiver meet the special needs of my child?

Is the childcare affordable? Which caregiver should I choose so that my child will be happy and grow?

Do I feel good about my decision?

 

Now ask yourself how you can work your schedule so that you can:

Talk with caregiver about my child? Visit my child in care?

Work with the caregiver to discuss problems that may arise? Help my child grow?

 

As a caregiver

, my desire is to partner with you, not as a replacement in any way, but as an addition to the circle of care that surrounds your child.

I also do in home child care and am certified through the state... Make sure you ask for references and actually call them... I would ask for current families as well as past families...  If they are certified providers when you go into their home they will have their certificates etc... hanging where the parents can see them.. Make sure they stay within their ratios and do random drop in visits... My families come and go all day long as they please.. My front door is left unlocked during the day so parents feel free to just walk in whenever... Ask if they provide back up care for sick days and what days are paid days off etc... Some in home providers have back up some don't.  I would make sure you have back up care.  Good luck to you... finding good quality care is difficult.. go with your gut feelings and pay attention to your childs clues at pick up and drop off... 

Please make sure you can "drop in" anytime you feel like it.  Also if possible have cameras in the rooms so you can log on from work and see what is going on.  I use to work for a place that I turned in to cps.  The lead teacher in the infant room, (we are talking 6 weeks to 12 months) would hit newborns in the head and on the face if they cried. Slam them down in the bed, put them in a swing and smack the childs mouth as they came forward. Needless to say, it was hard not to do her the same way.   But in front of the parents, she was perfect and caring acting.  One baby even got his arm broke in two places.  She had a clean record because no one ever called on her.  No one stayed with her long. She had a degree in early childhood development.   It also happened in the one year old room.  The teachers would hurt the kids and blame other kids to the parents.  You never know what is happening unless you are there.  They should also do things with the baby.  Yes, we did foot prints, hand prints, read to them, played with them.  Also got them on a schedule at a different preschool.  We also took them for walks in this 8 seated stroller at least three times a week if the weather was nice.  Make sure the teachers have their cpr and first aid.