What types of things should I be sure to tell a new daycare provider?

Answer 1

List any of your child's allergies -that you know of. You'll need to give your work #, home #, emergency #s of any alternate people who are authorized by you to pick up your child. You'll be asked about your child's sleep and nap routines & eating schedule. Sometimes they like a family photo, to identify you and in case your child starts to miss you.

As a side note, make sure that your day care I.D.'s anyone that is not you or a regular person who picks up your child. Don't be afraid to pick up your child early without letting the center know ahead of time. If it's a good center, it shouldn't matter to them. Make sure that they encourage parent participation. Centers that screen you while you screen them are also a sign of a good center. If the kids in the center seem to be happy and the kids are outgoing, that's a very good sign of a good center. My center also encourages the kids to come in "play clothes" so the kids can do lots of art prodjects.

Answer 2

Honestly, you should be asking questions of daycare provider to see if the care they provide matches the care you want provided for your child.

The questions that you'll want to be asking:

1. How do they screen their employees?
2. What type of safety protocol do they follow in allowing adults into the facility?
3. What type of safety protocols do they have in place for transporting the children from one point to another within the daycare center?
4. Is there a curriculum used with the children? What does it teach?
5. How do they handle lunches? Snack time?
6. What medical staff do they have on sight for emergencies?
7. Speaking of emergencies, can they provide their safety track record to you?
8. If you are divorced, what protocols do they have in place to ensure the non-custodial parent does not pick up the child from daycare?
9. Is your child ensured of a place in the next age group? How do they move children up within the center?
10. If you are looking for infant care, you'll need to ask questions that involve details about how they care for infants and how they will take into consideration YOUR child's schedule.
11. Another important question to ask is staff to child ratio, which is different by age group.

These are all questions that I can think up off the top of my head. As you are asking these questions of the director at the interview you have scheduled, you'd be surprised how one things leads to another and pretty soon you'll have decided if this is the place for your child.

As for details to be providing to the new daycare center, any special needs that your child has is very important. Each center will have its own application which requests information so you'll see on the form what you need to provide.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

I used to work at a daycare. The biggest thing that I would say is the tell the teacher/provider exactly what you want done. I know this cannot always happen in daycare settings, but make it known. If you are potty training, tell them. If the child has allergies, tell them, if the child needs to sleep a certain way, tell them..make sure they know up front so that nothing happens.

Answer 4

Depends. Hours you work, health history, special needs/treatments, therapists, allergies, immunization records, all the numbers you need, nujmbers of children's doctors and specialists, insurance info, medications...my daycare provider had a LOT of reading to do on my kids before she started :)

Answer 5

I know it is not easy trusting any new individual to care for your child. Be assure though that most daycare centers screen their employees and check for criminal records. I would basically tell new daycare workers your child's fears, bad habits and what helps to motivate him.

Answer 6

A good daycare provider should be asking the right questions ;)

Answer 7

Any personality traits about your child that would affect him there. For example, if he's shy let them know, then one of the staff can spend extra time helping him get to know some kids there. Same if he tends to bite, hit, throw toys, then staff can be on the lookout for those behavior to protect other kids. Also, let staff know his likes so if he's having a bad day they know how to cheer him up. For example, let them know if he likes music or singing, or reading. Then they can use those tools to bring his mood up, or get him excited when it's time for those activities if he's having a bad day.

Answer 8

Tell them you want a copy of their license, insurance, last state inspection report, security policies and 10 references. They should be asking for shot records, medical history, emergency contacts, medical insurance card, etc.

Answer 9

You have have have to make sure that you tell them of any allergies and when they take their nap and like what they do for fun. Oh yeah make sure you tell them if your kid is potty trained.

Answer 10

Inform them about everything that is essential. Such as allergies, certain behaviours, dislikes/likes, etc etc.