How to Pick the Right Day Care for Your Child

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Figuring out how to pick the right day care for your kids can be daunting. With so many options to choose from and with it being such a big decision, it’s easy to put a lot of pressure on yourself.

To make the decision easier, we’ve put together a list of priorities you should have to help you in choosing the right day care for your child. Take a look:

  • Licensure: The program should be licensed, and you should double-check that licensure status with the state. You can also find past inspection reports and complaints when investigating licensure.
  • Visits: Are you allowed to visit at any point? If parents are not allowed to drop in and visit, you should consider a different program.
  • Staff: Any day care you select should have a good staff-to-child ratio. These ratios are lower for younger children; for example, with babies under one year old, there should only be three babies to a single adult. Staff should receive ongoing training in child development, and the director should have a degree in child development or a related field.
  • Supervision: Children should be supervised at all times, even when sleeping.
  • Feeling: Does the program feel welcoming? Does it appear children are having a good time with their activities and that the adults genuinely enjoy working with and caring for the children? You should get the sense that this is a positive and warm environment.
  • Emergencies: There should be someone present at all times who is trained in pediatric first aid, in CPR and in responding to allergic reactions.
  • Background: All staff and adults working in the program should have to go through state and federal background checks.
  • Cost: Are you able to afford the program you’re looking at? You shouldn’t drastically exceed your budget just because you’re laser-focused on a particular facility. There may, however, be programs in your area that can help you afford care.
  • Transportation: Does the program provide transportation that will help you get your child to and from the program and/or school?
  • Location: You should consider a day care that is located conveniently for your family, such as near home or work or in direct routes to either location.
  • Hours: Any program you choose should be open when you need it to be, so it can accommodate your schedule.
  • Programming: What sort of programming occurs at the facility? How does the program enhance and support your child’s learning and development? Your child, especially at a young age, is always learning, and any childcare program you select should have steps designed to encourage such learning.
  • Disabilities: If you have a child with a disability, consider whether the facility and staff are capable of meeting your child’s individual needs.

These are just a few examples of some of the most important considerations when choosing the right day care for your children. For more information about the factors that should go into your search, contact us at Kids Kingdom Early Learning Center.