Tips for finding a good daycare

Looking for a nursery?

Here are some tips for finding a great one!

1. Know what you want: Do you want a classroom with many other children or a more homelike environment with fewer children? Do you want a nursery closer to home or closer to your work? Looking for a preschool curriculum? Would your child do better with a daily schedule or a more relaxed day? Write down a list of what you are looking for before you begin so that you can narrow down your options and save time.

2. Word of mouth: the best way to find a great nursery is to ask. Ask your friends, ask at work, ask at the gym! If someone says they have a great daycare, take out your priority list and see if that daycare might be a good fit for your child. Get as many different options as you can so you have more to choose from.

3. Contact your local daycare referral service – Most cities have at least one referral service to help identify children with available daycare openings. These referral services are typically free, and while they don’t provide opinions on which daycare is the best, they are still a good way to find out which daycare centers near your home or work have openings.

4. Check Online – Some daycare centers have websites that can give you a good idea of ​​what they are about. Just search for “daycare, your city, your state.” While not all daycare centers have websites (especially home daycare), you may be lucky and find the perfect daycare near you. The great thing about a well thought out daycare website is that it can save you time in the interview process.

5. Phone calls: Once you have narrowed your provider list to 5-10, call each provider to make sure they have openings. Ask some basic questions, like fees and hours of operation. Listen to a provider who is friendly and professional. Make an appointment to interview the providers you think will meet your needs.

6. Interview, interview, interview: although this step is undoubtedly the longest, it is also the most necessary. Regardless of what your priority list is, you will always want to go with a daycare that is clean, safe, and suitable for children. I recommend meeting with the provider after daycare, if possible, and bringing your child. The provider will be able to give you their undivided attention when you are not trying to care for other children at the same time, and your child’s reaction to the daycare environment and the provider is very important. Providers should be courteous, comfortable with your child, and make you feel comfortable, too. During the interview, be sure to ask what their discipline policy is, what their daily schedule is, their teacher / child ratio, and any other questions on their priority list.

7. Choose the best nursery for your needs! If you are not satisfied with all the daycare centers you have interviewed, simply start the process over and look for more options. If you’ve found more than one daycare that you love and just can’t decide, you can ask the providers if you can come visit during the day and just look around for a moment.

Choosing a nursery is a very personal decision. If after you leave, you love the idea of ​​leaving your child there, this is probably the right place for you.

Good luck!

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