Choosing a daycare for your child is a daunting task. You must make sure that the facilities are safe and up to the code. You need to be assured that the staff is properly trained and qualified and will treat your child with kindness and patience. And you must be reassured that the daycare will follow instructions on special dietary needs or allergies.
This is why all parents start with a tour of the facilities, where they have the opportunity to ask any question. Thus, you must make sure that you do not forget to ask about any relevant aspect.
Essential Questions to Ask During a Daycare Tour
Whether you attend an open day or schedule an individual tour of the facilities, here is the ultimate list of the best daycare questions to ask:
1. What Is the Child-to-Teacher Ratio?
One of the most important things you need to know is that your child is properly supervised and gets attention from the staff. An adequate child-to-teacher ratio is essential for the children’s safety, sense of inclusion, and effective learning.
At the very least, the daycare should follow the federal recommendations, which state the following ratios:
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1 adult per 3 infants younger than 12 months old
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1 adult per 4 toddlers between 12 and 35 months old
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1 adult per 7 preschoolers under 3 years old
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1 adult per 8 preschoolers under 5 years old.
2. What Are the Qualifications and Training of the Staff?
Since we approached the topic of staff qualifications for special situations, let us continue with the next key question you need to ask when choosing a daycare. Daycare personnel must be qualified to work with children, supervise them, and teach them.
The daycare representative should give clear and complete answers to these questions:
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Are staff members trained in child development, early childhood education, or related fields?
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Does their training include first aid, including infant CPR?
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Do you have a registered nurse on staff for medical care?
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What kind of background checks do you perform on the staff?
3. What Are the Costs for the Daycare? Do Parents Need to Bring Any Supplies?
Many daycares advertise low fees. But when you start the registration process for your child, you find that there are many other hidden fees or extras you need to provide.
A reputable daycare should have a clear and transparent fee structure. You should know exactly what you are paying for. Ideally, you needn’t have to supply anything, except for:
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Personal things,
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a change of clothes,
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water bottle/ sippy cup,
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food, in case of infants or children with very specific dietary needs.
4. Can You Give Me an Example of the Daily Schedule at the Daycare?
As a responsible and careful parent, you want to make sure that your child has a consistent schedule, which includes:
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nap times,
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activities that stimulate their brain and develop motor skills,
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emotional nurturing,
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spending between 30 and 60 minutes playing outdoors,
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inclusion in group activities to develop social skills.
Do not limit yourself to the answers you get from the staff. Look around and note essential aspects, such as:
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the quantity and variety of toys,
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the existence of age-appropriate books,
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the existence of child-sized activities and games, including playground equipment.
5. What Is the Sick Policy for Children?
A reliable daycare should have a strict policy for situations when sick children must be kept at home. Parents are required to keep their children at home if they exhibit symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, severe coughing, or unexplained rashes.
This proactive approach helps protect not only the affected child but also their peers and caregivers.
Also, the daycare must have a standard protocol for contacting parents to come and get their child if they have worrying symptoms, such as vomiting, high fever, or after a serious injury.
6. How Does Your Staff Approach Discipline?
Discipline is a sensitive issue, and this is why you must ask about how the daycare personnel approach it. Look for daycares that are proactive in handling discipline issues, relying on accepted best practices, such as:
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teaching and emphasizing self-regulation,
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nurturing emotional intelligence,
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applying restorative discipline principles.
7. What Safety Measures Do You Apply?
You can never be too careful about your child’s safety. Thus, one of the best daycare questions refers to their internal policies related to:
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access control inside the premises,
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the existence of child-proof mechanisms and procedures (storing sharp items and cleaning chemicals out of the reach of children),
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security features, such as CCTV cameras,
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how the daycare checks the credentials of the person picking up the children.
If the daycare also offers transportation services, ask for the credentials of the person acting as driver, as well as maintenance and insurance details of the vehicle.
8. What Is Your Food and Snacks Procedure?
Since your child will spend a significant part of their day there, when choosing a daycare you must consider how they will get their meals. Does the daycare provide meals and snacks, or is this the parents’ responsibility?
If they provide meals, how do they plan each meal? Does it contain all the nutrients, vitamins and proteins a child needs during each critical developmental phase? Can the daycare check the origin of the food and if it meets safety and health standards? How do they handle food allergies and special dietary needs?
9. How Do You Handle Behavior Issues?
Children often act out, especially during the first days and weeks after being placed in a daycare. How does the daycare staff address these issues? Do they use positive guidance techniques to help your child regulate their emotions?
Handling temper tantrums is not easy. You must make sure that the daycare staff has the skill, patience and adequate approach in these delicate moments.
10. What Is the Process for Parent/Staff Communication?
As a parent, you want to know everything about how your child spends their time at the daycare. Of course, it is not practical to contact staff at all times or expect detailed daily reports.
But a reliable daycare should be open to:
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allow parents to talk to the teacher about their child’s day when they come to pick them up,
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have periodic reports and meetings with the teacher to discuss the child’s progress,
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be informed what their child ate and how often, especially in the case of infants.
Main Takeaways
Asking the right questions will help you select an adequate daycare for your child. You will be able to send your child there every day with the peace of mind that they are safe, properly fed and engaged in activities that help them develop physically, mentally and emotionally. So do not be afraid to ask these best daycare questions and any others you may have in mind during the first visit.
Author Bio:
Emily Correa, the Marketing Director at Jackrabbit Technologies, combines her passion for child development with her unique business insights. With a degree in Early Childhood Education and over 15 years in the field, she’s at the forefront of marketing innovative software that supports child-focused services. Emily’s dedication to family and community is evident in everything she does, making her a reliable advisor for parents exploring childcare options.
