Choosing a daycare for your child can be time-consuming, but it has become increasingly important to make sure you choose the right one. Once you’ve narrowed your options, vital information needs to be understood about where you will be leaving your child. Here are the twenty-five of the top questions to ask at daycare before making your final choice.

Best questions to ask at daycare

1. What are your rates?

Make sure you confirm their rates as well as potential extra fees. Is there a daily, weekly, or monthly cost? What extra fee policies do they have regarding late pick-ups? Are there any discounts for fewer days or multiple children?

2. What are your hours?

Confirm their hours as well as drop-off and pick up times. Do they allow early or late drop-offs or pick-ups? Does your schedule match with their policies?

3. Are you licensed?

Ensure that the daycare facility is operating legally. Do they display or can they show you their documentation?

4. What is your general childcare philosophy?

Asking this question will reveal their overall philosophy, and they will commonly tell you why they began their daycare and the essential parts of their vision. Their answer can show you how enthusiastic they are and how they feel about their business.

5. What is a typical day like?

This is an excellent broad question that can answer a lot of questions you might have. Understanding what activities your child will be a part of each day is important.

6. Do you provide outdoor activities?

Some daycare facilities have outside areas with additional activities, while others are strictly indoor. Ask to see their outdoor space.

7. Do you go on outings, and what form of transportation do you use?

Some daycares take weekly or monthly trips to parks and other areas away from the facility. This can be a deal-breaker if you prefer your child to remain at the facility. If you like the idea of field trips, ask to see their transportation and safety guidelines.

8. What food and drink do you provide?

Every daycare has different policies about food and drink. This is the time to ask if it’s okay to provide your child with food and drink as well as what is provided that is included in the cost.

9. Where do the children nap?

Do all the children nap next to each other in the same room? Can they sleep when they are tired, or must they wait for a predetermined naptime? For babies and toddlers, are there cribs, cots or mats? Do they allow two naps or only one?

10. What forms of communication do you use?

Technology has allowed many daycare facilities to update parents in real-time using third-party applications or a unique update process. What kinds of information do they communicate? Do they primarily use text, e-mail, phone, or an app?

11. Do you offer progress reports and how often?

You might enjoy a daily progress report, and some daycares offer them. At the minimum, the daycare should provide progress reports weekly or be open to parent communication when needed.

12. Do you provide learning plans?

Each daycare is different in what and how they teach children based on their age. Are learning plans sent to parents? How often are learning plans updated?

13. How many children attend your daycare?

Knowing the maximum number of children that attend a daycare can be crucial. You may also ask about how children are split up between age groups.

14. What is the staff-to-child ratio?

Knowing that your child is supervised at all times can bring you peace of mind. Each state has its own requirements for staff-to-child ratio, and some daycares go above and beyond.

15. Is your staff certified or hold degrees?

Are staff members trained and how? Does each staff member get background checked?

16. How long has your staff worked here?

The daycare’s answer to this question can show you a lot about the turnover rate and how employees are treated. Staff who have been there for a while can tell you that they are happy with the facility’s practices.

17. What is your discipline policy?

How does the daycare handle behavioral issues? Do they practice redirection, discipline, or time outs? How long are their time outs?

18. What is your policy on missing days?

Do you still pay when your child is sick? What if you have a planned vacation? Do you lose your daycare spot if you miss days or weeks without paying? Can you remove your child for the summer and still have a secured spot?

19. What are your visitation policies?

Can you visit your child during the day? Are other people allowed to visit your child during the day? Where do you go when you visit your child?

20. Do you have vaccination policies?

Some daycares require vaccinations, and others do not. This is a vital question for parents of infants and babies. Additionally, what is their policy on children who get sick? How long do they have to be healthy before returning?

21. What other policies do you have?

While the previous policy questions are the most important, the daycare could have a list of other policies that you might want to know about.

22. What is your potty-training procedure?

For children who aren’t potty trained, how does the daycare handle that?

23. How often do you sanitize toys and other materials?

Keeping a clean and sterile environment is critical with the number of germs that can be transferred from children to everything they touch.

24. What security measures does your facility follow?

Security should be an important factor for any daycare facility, and some are more secure than others.

25. Is there anything else you can tell me that I haven’t asked?

This question gives the daycare a chance to reveal any additional procedures, policies, and other factors that they find necessary to tell you about.

Conclusion

It can take some time to find a daycare facility that works for you. Spend time visiting every daycare in your surrounding area to find the one that meets your needs and requirements. Even if you find a great daycare facility early in your search, visiting more could allow you to find the perfect daycare for you and your child.