Choosing a daycare for our little ones is a big decision. We want to make sure we are opting for a facility that is safe, appropriate, and high-quality so we can have the peace of mind we need to focus on work and our careers.
For moms new to the daycare process, finding the right setting can be especially daunting. I knew basically nothing about daycares (or any type of childcare for that matter) when my son was born. I didn’t know they could be home-based or center-based, or that the fees would basically be the same as paying a mortgage. I researched like crazy and eventually found the right sources, but it was definitely a process.
If you’re a first-time mom trying to figure out how to go about choosing a good daycare, you might be feeling a little (a lot of) anxiety. That’s totally normal.
One of the very first steps to searching for and finding the right daycare is figuring out your needs and priorities. This post highlights some of the most important things you should consider when starting the process of searching for daycares.
Why choosing the right daycare matters
Choosing the right daycare is one of the most important decisions we can make for our children.
During the first five years of life, our children’s interactions with us and other caregivers set the foundation for the rest of their lives. What that means is that the daycare we choose will have a huge impact on their growth and development.
Choosing the right daycare also gives us peace of mind. This is the place they’ll be spending a lot of time at while we’re at work, and we want the comfort of knowing they will be safe, happy, and well looked after so we can focus on our careers. Having this peace of mind allows us to dedicate meaningful time to our work, which can indirectly lead to improved career opportunities and financial growth in the long run.
Choosing a daycare is a personal decision that will ultimately have a big impact not just on our kids, but also on us. It’s important to consider everything so that we can find the right balance between daycare quality and our unique needs and values as working moms.
Here are 13 important things to consider in your search.
1. Teacher engagement and responsiveness
Teachers are the heart and soul of any daycare. They are the ones who will be with our kids all day, setting daily plans, coordinating naps and mealtimes, teaching academic and social skills, and keeping them safe.
Teacher warmth, engagement, and responsiveness is a big contributing factor to childhood development and overall daycare quality. Engaged, caring, and warm teachers were the number one thing I looked for when searching for a place for my son.
2. State quality rating
Most, but not all, states have some kind of quality rating system for registered childcare facilities. Each facility gets rated after considering things like daycare accreditation, licensure, staff qualifications, curriculum and learning plans, and administrative policies.
To find this information for your state or territory, go to childcare.gov and search by your location.
3. Inspection reports
One of the important lessons I’ve learned as a mom is to always double-check things myself, and never assume someone else is going to keep me updated.
When it comes to researching information about daycares, that’s proven to be especially true. Inspection reports are one example of this.
These reports provide valuable information you probably won’t get from daycare directors or online reviews. They tell us information about compliance, licensure, violations, and other incidents that we should know about a daycare before considering enrollment.
Inspection reports are state specific and will usually be found via a state or territory’s early childcare division website.
3. Cost
I never knew what people meant when they said kids were expensive… until I had one of my own.
Sending our kids to daycare is expensive. Before starting our search, we should first have an idea of the budget we’re working with. Monthly daycare tuition can be steep, right up there with a mortgage or car loan. Although the cost does drop slightly as kids get older, the monthly ‘reduced’ rate is still pretty high. In major cities, that rate can climb even higher.
4. Location
The time we spend driving – to and from daycare, our jobs, and our homes – has a major impact on our quality of life. Our daily commute can be the difference between rushing through the evening routine because we’re short on time and spending fifteen minutes of quality time with our kids (or ourselves) before dinner.
Another good reason to prioritize location is that it makes getting to daycare much quicker if there’s an emergency or if you need to pick up your kids early (it does happen often enough to be a thing).
5. Daycare communication and accessibility
Dropping our kids off for the whole day in a new environment can be a very difficult experience for moms and kids alike. The uncertainty of not knowing what they’re doing and having to trust them to the care of others is understandably nerve-wracking. It can create a lot of anxiety, making it hard to focus at work.
That’s why how we communicate with teachers and staff throughout the day is a very important point to consider when choosing a daycare. We want open communication, quick responses, and frequent updates to feel confident and secure that our kids are okay.
It’s good to find out how you will be communicating with the teachers, how responsive they are, and how often you can expect updates on your child before considering a daycare.
6. Reviews and reputation
It’s always wise to take the reviews from other parents into account when looking for the right daycare setting.
When I was searching, I would chat with parents outside the daycare and listen to their experiences, read online reviews, and look for relevant discussions in online parenting groups.
Reviews can be very biased, so I always took them with a grain of salt, but the general tone of what people are saying can tell us a lot about a daycare and its operations.
7. Cleanliness and general appearance
When I was searching around for daycares, I toured many facilities; some were spotlessly clean, some not so much. Seeing any dirt, dust, mold (automatic no), or stains were a big turnoff.
I’m not talking about messiness – mess is inevitable with kids – but actual cleanliness. How clean a daycare is says a lot about their management, policies and procedures, and attention to detail.
8. Class ratio
When looking at daycares, I made sure to ask about class ratios and made notes of whether they were actually adhering to them during my tours. Class ratios are very important to pay attention to because they are designed to keep kids safe and appropriately supervised.
Younger children generally need more care and attention than older ones, so ratios change with age. In Maryland, the toddler class ratio is typically 10 preschoolers to 1 teacher, 6 toddlers to 1 teacher, or 3 infants to 1 teacher.
Classes with ratios higher than that were a red flag, indicating staffing issues and safety violations.
9. Classroom spaces and childproofing
It’s important to consider the actual classrooms our kids will be in once they are enrolled in daycare.
You want to take a good long look at the types of toys in the classroom (are they age-appropriate?), preventive safety measures (are the cabinets, doors, drawers, refrigerators, and outlets locked and secured? Are furniture edges rounded or covered?), and security measures (are doors childproofed?)
Little kids aren’t very aware of danger, and it’s our job (the daycare’s job) to keep them safe.
10. Outdoor playground
Spending time outdoors is important for children’s gross motor and strength development, so we should consider what a daycare’s outdoor play spaces look like and how they function.
I’ve actually declined to enroll my child at a daycare once because of the appearance of the outdoor play area – it was uneven, dirty, and didn’t look very safe.
11. Security
Another very important thing to consider when searching for daycare is the facility’s security and access protocols.
How do parents enter the building and are doors password protected or otherwise secured to prevent strangers from walking in (and children walking out)? If someone other than a parent comes to pick up a child, how do they verify that person is actually authorized to do that?
Security is important for several reasons; firstly, the world has become a scary place. Secondly, children are curious and are experts at finding ways to escape and explore new territory.
11. Emergency and health protocols
This one is especially important for the moms with children who have allergies or other medical conditions that require extra monitoring and prompt emergency responses.
Daycares should have a system for identifying which children have allergies and to what. They should be able to perform CPR and basic first aid for children, and to administer emergency medications as needed.
10. Teaching philosophy
Although I wasn’t very hung up on daycare teaching philosophies, I just wanted to know that there would be an appropriate and consistent learning plan to challenge my son and prepare him academically for kindergarten.
I didn’t want my son spending 7-8 hours a day in a daycare facility without being intellectually, emotionally, and socially stimulated.
Choosing the right daycare for our children is a big decision that we shouldn’t take lightly. There’s definitely a lot to consider when making the choice, and ultimately, we have to balance our own needs and priorities with daycare quality. Figuring out your priorities and what’s most important is something only you can do. It’s a crucial step in finding the right daycare for you and your family.
- 8 things you should know before starting your daycare search
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