I have to find a childcare facility for my 1 year-old. What do I look for?

Question

I have never left him with someone I don't know and now I have to find somewhere to leave him while I work during the day two days a week. I hate that I have to do this and it's hard to imagine that any facility would be able to care for him like I want. What questions do I need to ask when I go to these places? And what do I need to look for? How do I find the best childcare possible?

Answer 1

i was doing the same thing today. first i check to see which ones are registered with cps. if you just so happen to live in texas, heres the website: http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Child_Care/Search_Texas_Child_Care/ppFacilitySearchDayCare.asp.
if not im sure you can google it. this one i think is VERY important. also, here's a website tht you can go to that gives great advice/questions over the phone and in person.http://pregnancyandbaby.com/pregnancy/baby/Interviewing-daycare-providers-2068.htm (GREAT QUESTIONS!!!!)well, i hope this helps? good luck and stay warm!

Answer 2

We have our kid in a child care facility and we looked for a LONG time before we found one we were comfortable with. We love it and wouldn't have it any other way.

Here are some of my thoughts...

1) Look at the kids. Do they seem happy?
2) You want low turnover rates of the people watching your kids so that your kids can establish and maintain a relationships with somebody. If the teachers are not staying at the place, it will be hard for your kids to find somebody to learn to like and grow with.
3) Look for educationcal degrees in child care and early childhood development. Some assistants can be college students, but you want people that know what they are doing.
4) Make sure the facilities are clean.
5) Make sure that they have a common schedule or plan for the kids. Kids need structure and if there is a daily routine, it is easier on the kids to get set in the routine and adapt. Stay away from places that just let the kids run wild. There should be some time in the day for free time for the kids, but they should also have some activities scheduled.
6) Make sure that cabinets and kitchen sets that are wood and heavy are bolted to the walls. I would have never thought of this, but I was touring a daycare and they had a tall wooden kitchen set in the middle of a room and a kid ran and pushed it down. Thankfully, there was nobody under it. they just picked it back up and yelled at the kid and he came back and pushed it down. My daycare bolts these sorts of tall items to the walls.
7) Our daycare in an intergeneraltional daycare and is inside of a senior living facility. They get to spend an afternoon a month reading stories and fingerpainting with the 'grandmas and grandpas.'
8) Look at security. How easy is it for somebody to get to your kids from the outside? How difficult or easy would it be for kids to escape? What protections are in place? Card readers, video cameras to capture bad people on film, etc..
9) Talk to current parents and get their takes on the place.

I have found most of the chain child care places to be awful. I don't care much for the in-home daycares because I don't think that they had the room or training to handle the kids. I also think that grouping all of the kids together of different age groups can be dangerous. I have found better luck looking at independent daycares or even religious ones.

Answer 3

I had two children who are now teen-age rs. But when they were small I had to use daycare. I all ways check to see how clean they were. Even in the out of the way places. Even after i signed up with a certain day care. You especially have to be careful because the age you child is he can't tell you what is going on. Also Go by UN announced. When they least expect you. That way they know you may show up at any time. If he has any major change in behavior that is a sign that something just is not right. I found this out when my daughter was two. She was potty trained when she started a small day care. With in month she had regressed. My son was in after school care he was six. He also begin to have problems in school. I told my supervisor at work the problems. She asked me where I had them I told her she told me that that place had a history of abuse. I left work immediately and pulled them out. Then a friend of mine told me about a different day care. That place my children loved. Even now they will talk about how much fun they had there and how much they loved the workers there.

Answer 4

depending on where you live there are resources that can help you with this huge responsibilty.
1st make sure the caregiver is licensed and registered!
2nd contact your social services dept. and find out if they can refer you to a resource and referral agency in your area. They have lists of registered providers in your area. They will also provide you with a list of questions, and things you should look for when searching for one. Because child is small, maybe a home daycare will work, because its cozy for the baby. Then later a center will work. Its up to how you feel. Good luck!!! And no matter sometimes how by the book you test these providers.. I was let down by 2 before finding the one! Not in terrible conditions, but I always kept is as though we were customers and the 2 were not meeting my childs needs.. so Good luck!!

Answer 5

Finding a sitter is like going on a job interview...Except you are the employer...pick the daycare centers or place you like meet with everyone that would be caring for your child ask them a series of questions ex: How long have you been doing this, Do you have a cpr certificate etc...also pop up there before your child actually goes there and check out the place of its cleanliness.

Answer 6

Do exactly what the other person suggested - but also ask how children are disciplined - I found out after a year of my little boy going to a lady's house that she spanked babies and pulled on the ears of toddlers - needless to say that was the first question I asked his new lady and thank goodness he is old enough to tell me when he had to go to time - out there and she is also very up-front about when and why he had to go to time out. Oh and ask about meals, playtime, snacks, naps etc. is there a set schedule so that you can start preparing your little one prior - it will be less traumatic if he's already used to that schedule.

Answer 7

1) Find the current openings in your area using tools like http://www.daycarebear.com
2) Do a background check using their license number if they have one
3) Ask for references and personnally call / meet these parents to talk about the prospective provider.