Choosing a Quality Childcare Provider

Choosing a quality childcare provider is hard work. Childcare providers spend endless hours pouring into and developing our children. I have had the task of finding the right childcare environment for my children more than once and it can be taxing. I am fortunate that I have worked in education for several years, typically in the role of an admissions officer. I have worked at early childhood centers, K-12 schools, and colleges and universities. Those experiences, coupled with my experiences as a parent of children with differing needs, are the lens that I use to approach the question of what should be considered when choosing a quality childcare provider for my children.

1. Consider the child

Your child should be the most significant consideration when trying to choose a childcare provider. Some questions that I consider when choosing a childcare provider for my own children are:

What are my goals for this child?

Does my child have any additional needs that should be considered when choosing a childcare provider?

How large of a factor is the center’s size?

How large of a factor is classroom size and ratio?

Does my child need any additional services (speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy)? If so, does this facility provide those services or work with service providers?

2. Consider recommendations

Talk to other parents. They tend to know which preschools and childcare centers are worthwhile and which ones are better to be left off of your list. If you talk to enough parents in your area, you are bound to get some useful information about potential locations to tour.

If you are unable to get parent recommendations, seek out recommendations from the web. I live in Delaware and we have a website where you can see all licensed childcare facilities and any infractions they may have incurred. I used this list to help me narrow down my childcare options. Most states have them. Use the information provided on these websites to research the childcare providers in your area.

Another area to search for on the web are google and Facebook reviews. I scoured reviews as I considered childcare options for my children. One thing I know about people is that in most cases, they post reviews when they feel passionate about something. This is great for someone who is looking for childcare. I saw many reviews with people raving about how wonderful their experiences were, and I added those schools to my list. I also saw some reviews where people talked about some really negative experiences. I typically didn’t let one negative review deter me unless it was especially heinous. However, if there were multiple negative reviews, especially on the same topics, I didn’t waste my time with a tour.

3. Consider a tour

Once you have narrowed down your options, it is time to tour. I recommend visiting multiple locations. You may love a school/childcare center’s website or like what someone else has said about them, but get there in person and know that it is not a good fit for your family. It is best not to have all of your eggs in one basket. On tour, you should be looking out for the following things:

Security – How easy was it for you to walk in? Were you required to sign in? Did you have to be buzzed in? Do the classrooms have cameras? What are their emergency procedures (fire drills and active shooter drills)? Are they licensed by the childcare licensing body in your state?

Safety – What ratios do they employ for your child’s age group? Are the toys age-appropriate for the children that will be playing with them? Do they mix older children and younger children? Is the classroom space clean?

Curriculum – Is there a set curriculum? What does it consist of? Is it play-based, or is there an educational component? Is the curriculum based on religion? How does their curriculum align with your family’s values and your goals for your child?

*In addition to your tour, consider a pop-up visit.

In most cases, when you show up for a tour, the school or childcare center is expecting you. You are shown the highlight reel of that particular location. A pop-up visit is when they are not expecting you. Pop-ups, in most cases, will confirm what you already thought about a childcare center or preschool, but occasionally you will see something important you missed on your initial visit. Trust your gut when deciding.

4. Consider the staff

The people caring for your children day-to-day are vital. They will spend many hours a week with your little one. One thing to consider is how staff members interact with the current students in their care. Are they warm, friendly, and engaged?

Another thing to consider is their qualifications. How long have they been in the education field? How long have they been working at this particular childcare center or preschool? Is there a nurse on staff? Are they CPR and first aid trained and certified? Do the teachers or center director have training in early childhood development?

5. Consider the policies

Before making the final decision to enroll my children anywhere, I go through their policies with a fine-tooth comb. Some questions you may want to consider are:

Do their discipline policies align with your parenting practices?

How often are children exposed to screens?

Do they provide food, or are you required to do that?

What is the sick policy?

What is there vaccination policy?

If it is a home daycare, is there a backup plan should the home daycare provider become ill and unable to work?

6. Consider communication style

What type of communication will you expect once your child is enrolled? I didn’t realize how important this piece was until I did not have what I expected in terms of communication. Preschools and childcare centers have varying approaches to communication, here are some examples of what I have seen below:

Daily sheets – this is typical for younger children and tends to include when and what they ate, when they slept and when they pottied.

App Communication – some schools have apps that provide parents with daily, weekly, or monthly updates about what their child is doing and learning.

Word of mouth – Catching up with the teacher at the beginning or end of your child’s day for updates.

Weekly folders – teachers send home the work that your child has completed over the week.

A quality childcare provider should have an outlined plan for the way that they communicate with families. They should be happy to share that information with you.

7. Consider costs

This is a hard one, but the cost has to be a factor. There is no point in visiting a childcare facility that costs $1,500 a month when your budget dictates that you can afford $800 a month for childcare. Establish your childcare budget and ask the question about cost when you first call schools to set up tours. If they are way out of your range, I recommend replacing this school with a school that is a better cost option for your family.

These are all of the things that I consider when choosing quality childcare for my lovebugs. What do you think? Did I leave anything out? Let me know in the comments.