What do you look for in a day care?

Question

I run an in-home day care. I am always looking for parents' opinions of what they are looking for in child care. What is the thing you desire most from your day care provider? What makes you choose one day care over another? What do you do to insure your child is happy with his/her day care? Etc, etc, etc?

Answer 1

I did day care for a few years.
Does the care taker wash their hands after each diaper change and nose blowing?
A friends's daughter had limited food at the home she was at. She couldn't have more milk or bread; I think that's awful.
We had the tv on for Mr. Rogers. It's interesting to see how toothpaste is made, or jeans, etc. There is nothing wrong with some educational or even entertaining tv, but it should not be the baby sitter.
We had the day care kids help us plant and care for a garden, we took a walk daily.
Do the parents expect you to spend all your day with their children, when they don't do this themselves on their days off?
This is unfair of parents.

Answer 2

I prefer someone who has or has had children and understand their pretentious ways. I also like the idea of the new day care cam, that is accessible over the net to all parents. I'd also like to see a menu of what you're feeding my child, if you offer food services. Educational and stimulating activities (young ages benefit). And, an IMPERATIVE aspect is that it MUST be atleast a bilingual facility. Children learn languages at early ages, and if you can offer more than one language and be able to explain it to their parents that they may be able to pick up on it, this would be GREAT.

Answer 3

I would check the security and safety of the building,as you hear about toddlers wandering out. And make sure there were enough staff to cope with the amount of children. And would rather choose some where that can encourage the children to learn BASIC skills,sharing,counting and colours

Answer 4

Thankfully I didn't have to use a daycare! But if I did, I'd want to spend time there before I ever left my child there alone.
Are the children happy?
Is the television on? (it better not be!)
How many children are being watched by one person?
How often do they go outside to play?
Toys? How many, what kinds?
References. I'd wants tons of references (and I'd call them all!)
I would watch YOU very carefully to see how you interact with the children and how they look at you. What does their face look like when you're talking with them or playing with them. Do they act like they don't know you or do they look like they love you?
How do you interact with the parents. Communication? Letters? Phone calls? I'd run a background check on you too!

See, that's why I never sent my daughters to daycare! It would be too hard to entrust them to anyone else.

Answer 5

I looked for a daycare to tell me to drop in anytime. That means they are confident they are running things properly and not afraid of surprise visits.

I also looked for a safe fenced in place to play outside.

Answer 6

I agree with what everybody above has listed, but the main thing I look for is Happy Smiling Children, that speaks for itself!!!!!!!

Answer 7

educational fun, adequate workers, healthy meals, CLEAN, well established and* LOL no nap times!...*

Answer 8

Here is a great guide http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Child_Care/Other_Child_Care_Information/parent-d.asp