How to Find the Right Child Care Facility for Your Child

A recent study found that 46% of US parents say they find it hard to find quality child care. After all, childcare is expensive; the average daycare costs $800 per month.

However, with some daycares not even staying open past 6, it’s not worth paying the big bucks. So how do you find a reliable and trustworthy daycare facility?

Don’t worry; with this guide, you can find out! From simply doing your research to checking policy, you can learn how to choose the best facility for your little ones today.

Now, are you ready to get started? Here’s a quick look at how to select a child care facility.

Do Your Research

The first thing you’ll want to do is research facilities around your home, then narrow it down by the type of features you want and lastly by price. For example, do you want supervisors with degrees, all vaccinated children, or perhaps a space that focuses on learning for your child’s daycare? Maybe you want all the above, and that’s fine; you just need to focus your attention on finding a daycare based on those requirements.

After you’ve found a couple of facilities you like, check out the type of reviews they have. Look at what other parents have to say about the facilities, the staffing, and their handling of child care issues. With all this information, now’s the time to decide if you want to move forward with choosing a facility or finding a few more.

Tour the Center

Once you’ve found a center you like, go in person and tour it. If your child is old enough, let them join as well so they can be introduced to the space. That way, you can see if they enjoy the daycare facility or not.

On the tour, inspect the surroundings to ensure they are well kept and childproofed. Look for age-appropriate books, toys, and costumes.

Ask about your child’s daily routine and what he or she will do once enrolled. For instance, you may want to ask: how long will kids get to play outside, or do you have a learning objective for the day?

You can also ask about meal times and what type of food is served. If your child has a food allergy, ask the supervisor what supplements can be made. These questions can help determine whether or not you want your kid to attend this daycare.

Do a Policy Check

Always and we mean always, look at a daycare’s policy’s information. It has information such as discipline, sickness protocols, as well as how your child should be dressed. These policies should meet with your patterning philosophies. After all, these protocols will determine how the caregivers will treat your child.

So if you don’t want your kids to experience a time out or be in the same room with kids who are experiencing cold symptoms, check the policy. It may have information that the supervisors didn’t go over on the tour or was missing from the website. It’s always better to have all the information up front than be unpleasantly surprised later on.

Choose a Child Care Facility Today

Finding the right child care facility is no easy feat, but thanks to this guide, you have a little cheat sheet. Start by doing your research on the facilities around your neighborhood.

Then tour the facility and ask about your child’s potential daily routine, meal schedule, and learning activities. Remember to always check a daycare policy for hidden information.

So now what are you waiting for? Start looking for a daycare for your child today!

For more information about the Montessori day care, check out our other articles regarding childcare. We look forward to helping you!