How to Choose a Child Care Center

Choosing a quality child care center is important to your child's health and well being. You want to choose an environment that is safe and nurturing.

Opening the phone book and finding the closest day care center may not be the best way to go about it. Don't assume that just because a center is licensed that it is a good place for your child. As a former preschool director and teacher I have written a guide to help make the decision more informed and easier.

Most areas have a large selection of commercial day care facilities. The local Yellow Pages are a good source of licensed child care. You can also contact the local Child Care Resource and Referral agency. The CCRR keeps records of small home based child caregivers. Many of these caregivers are also licensed. Your local Child Care Resource and Referral agency can tell you who is close to your home or work and whether or not they have openings.

Make a list of the centers you want to consider. Call the local child care licensing authority and ask about each center's complaint history. By law they are required to tell you of any licensing violations. They cannot however, recommend a particular center. Licensing can also provide you with state regulations governing child care. Many parents have no idea what the rules are or if their day care is compliant.

Call each center to get basic information. Find out if they have any openings in your child's age group. Ask if they require a registration fee, most do. Ask how much tuition is and when it is due. Most require payment on the first day of attendance for the week. If you have more than one child ask about multiple child discounts.

Ask about basics such as what meals, and snacks are offered. Do they serve breakfast? Can your child bring a lunch from home? Is there an extra fee for meals or is it included in the tuition? Do they allow children to bring loveys and pacifiers?

Ask how many days a week your child can attend. Some schools allow varying schedules and some do not. Is there a late fee charged for late pickup? Is there a maximum numbers of hours per day that your child can be at the school? Don't forget to ask about vacations. Some schools require you pay tuition whether your child attends or not. Some centers will ask for a smaller holding fee. Others allow you to take off a certain number of days or weeks per year.

After you have taken the time to narrow down your search on the basics, make visits to the schools you are considering. Any quality facility will allow you to drop in to visit at any time. Shy away from any that want you to schedule your visit.

When you visit the school, ask to see all the classrooms, not just your child's age group. If you enroll your child he will eventually move to another older classroom. This will also give you a chance to meet more staff members. Children in child care centers are often cared for by more than just the classroom teacher. Other staff members will be in the classroom on a regular basis to cover lunch breaks and absences.

When you are observing the staff watch to see if teachers speak to children in a loving tone. Do they get down on the child's eye level and interact or do they talk to child loudly from across the room? Are the staff sitting in the classroom or on the playground? Do the teachers seem involved with the children or are they chatting with each other over the children's heads? Take note of staff who seem distant or bored. Ask about each staff members education, training and experience. Find out if staff are required to have hepatitus A and Tuberculosis tests. Is a background check required of all staff members including janitorial, office and kitchen staff?

Ask about security measures to protect the children in the center. Is the facility secure with only one door in or out? Do they ask for identification whenever someone picks up a child? do they keep records of whom is allowed to pick up each child? Do they routinely have fire drills? Is there a plan in place in case of a mandatory evacuation?

Look around the classrooms. Do the children seem busy playing and involved in a daily routine? Is there a space for each child to keep their belongings? Are there enough toys and materials to keep the group occupied? Are the staff required to complete lesson plans for each day? There should be a variety of equipment and materials available to the children at all times. Art materials, blocks, books, dramatic play, and individual areas for puzzles, math activities, and science explorations, should be in every classroom. Be wary of classrooms where many of the materials are up above the children's reach or put away.

Ask about any extracurricular activities are offered. Many centers offer dance, karate, tumbling, music and computer classes. These options are a nice bonus to your child's day care experience.

Talk to the staff about the daily routines. How are toddlers taught potty training? Is nap time mandatory? How much time do the children spend outside during the day? Find out long the staff have been employed at the school. Every staff member having a history of less than a year is a red flag. The majority of teachers should have been at the school at least a year. High staff turn over is common in centers where staff stress and burnout is high.

Go out to the playground area. Look for riding toys. there should be enough open space for children to run. Are there balls, climbing gyms, slides and other outdoor play equipment? Is the area under climbing equipment and swings covered with enough material to soften falls? There should be pea gravel, wood chips or rubber shavings at least 6" deep and extend 6 feet beyond the equipment. Is there a sand box with toys for digging and pretending?

Look at the menu for the month. Are there a variety of meals served? Do they offer nutritionally sound options that include lots of fruit and veggies? Are the children served milk and juice? Pay close attention to how much junk food and sweetened drinks are included in the menu.

Ask questions about the school's discipline policies. No child care center should ever use physical punishment. Children should never be denied outdoor play time or snacks for inappropriate behavior. Child care staff should be skilled enough that even a time out is rare. Many schools have a stringent policy about children biting. Ask about the policy regarding removing a child who is a chronic biter.

Child care centers are notorious for germs and viruses. Do the staff wash their hands after toileting children, diapering, and wiping noses? Do they assist the children in washing too? Take a look at the policy regarding ill children. How sick is sick enough to be sent home? Children who are vomiting, running a fever of more than 100.5, coughing severely or have diarrhea should not be allowed to remain in a classroom with other children. Is an ill child isolated from others until he is picked up by a parent? Many schools will not administer over the counter medications such as Tylenol without a doctor's note. Some won't even apply sunscreen or neosporin without a doctor's note. Ask what the requirements are if your child has a chronic medical condition such as asthma or diabetes. Also make sure there is always a staff member on duty who is trained in first aid and CPR. Better yet, find a school where all the staff are trained in these skills.

When you have decided which school to enroll in make another visit at a different time of day. Is the environment pretty much the same as your first visit? remember that your child will spend a large portion of his day in this environment. If you have the opportunity ask other parents whose children attend the school about their opinions and experiences.

If a large child care center seems too overwhelming and impersonal interview a few home based child care providers. They are required to keep their groups very small and are able to give more one on one attention to each child. This is a good option for infants. Always check references thoroughly even if they are licensed. All the aforementioned matters should be considered with home based caregivers as well. As with a large center you should be welcome to come and go as you please while your child is in care. Stop by at varying times of day periodically to make sure everything is OK.

Take your time and make an informed decision. Good beginnings last a lifetimemake a smart child care choice.