how do you feel about daycare centers?

Question

what do you look for? anyone had any good or bad experiences

Answer 1

My wife taeches a per-school and every day she comes home tired.

Answer 2

I was hesitant like to you. I teach Middle School and daycare was not my expertise. So here is what I learned. And believe me, I cried and ran out oof one place.
1. Daycares have to follow NYS guidelines. Nannies don't. Go to a place that gives you a daily report on what your child did that day including bowel movements, etc.
2. Drop in often. It makes your child feel secure knowing you can come at anytime.
3. Are the kids kept very busy? If they are busy, they are happy. Some daycare centers have Community Leaders week where police officers speak and the fire dept. gets the kids to play on the truck.
4. Look at the toilets, toys, and the sinks. Observe with your child on more than one day.
5. If you feel comfortable there, so will your child. Look scared and it spells trouble.
6. Watch to see when children are changed. I saw a kid with a drippy nose and a pooped diaper walking around for A HALF AN HR. AND HAD TO SAY SOMETHING.
7. Tip the caregivers on their birthdays, Christmas and the end of the yr. Don't be cheap. These people keep your child happy and clean. You need then to like you too.
8. Be involved. They treat daycare like school. Call it school! Bring in cupcakes, go to the Halloween Parade, organize the Christmas party.
9. View two or three places and compare.
10. ****Last but not least, you get what you pay for. Don't go cheap when it comes to your child. More money means better care and a happier staff.

Answer 3

I look for the quality of the people in the center who will be teaching my child. What are their qualifications? How much experience/schooling do the teachers have? Is the center licensed or accredited by the NAEYC? Do the teachers have to continue their education after they begin working at the center? How long do the teachers generally stay at the facility? (turnover of staff is a big issue- the less turnover, the better- it means the teachers are happy with the administration). The best indicator of a center though, is how YOU feel when you walk into the center. If you feel welcomed, and as if you will be part of a family, then this is the center for you. I also want to make sure that no matter when it is, I can drop by ANY time. A good preschool should always have an open-door policy. When I was looking for a preschool for my kids, I made up a list of the criteria I was looking for in an ideal school and took it with me. That way I could check off the things they had that I was looking for in a preschool and easily compare the schools I had looked at. I also made sure to note any "feelings" I got while I was there and "rate" the schools (according to my own standards). If you need a good checklist of what to look for in a quality preschool setting, you can purchase (or look at in the library) the ITERS (Infant/Toddler Environmental Rating Scale) or the ECERS (Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale). Both are geared towards childcare settings, and will tell you specific things to look for.

Answer 4

I teach preschool, and I would make sure it is a comfortable loving environment. Make sure their morals and are close to yours. Ask how they handle disapline problems. Your child may cry in the beginning because he is scared to leave, but if it continues more than a week- take that as a clue it's not working.
I've seen daycares hold a child that is crying and as soon as the parent leaves they put the child down and say, "Stop crying!" Make sure you can drop in anytime with no notice- and do that to keep them on their toes.
Don't worry about the academic part- that is not important.
Lastly- make sure it is clean, lots or toys in good condition, there should be at least 1 teacher for each 10 kids or less. My school is 4 children for each adult.

Answer 5

I know it is important for all children to receive a great start in life. A daycare where there is teaching, love, and giving.

Answer 6

I used 2 go 2 daycare, & they used 2 spank us for dumb reasons.