1. Where is it?
2. How much does it cost?
3. What are their hours?
A personal recommendation, price and convenience were my determining factors for day care. Looking back, I realize I lucked out. There were a lot of things I wish I should have asked. Below I've listed questions you should ask when touring the facility.
Yes, tour the facility, then decide if you should apply. And don't be shy about asking questions. This is your child, and you should know all the facts before entrusting someone with your child.
- At what age do they accept children?
- How long is the waiting list?
- Is admission on a rolling basis or is there one time a year when new students are accepted?
- Are siblings accepted automatically?
- Is the center NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) certified?
- What's the teaching/care philosophy
- What are the school hours? What is the penalty if you are late?
- Ask to see a copy of the school calendar. Do they follow the local school calendar? if so, that's a lot of extra days off. When are teacher training days?
- What are the teacher-child ratios for each class?
- How many children are in each class?
- What's the typical day for your child's class?
- When do they have nap time?
- What will the age range be in your child's class?
- Ask for a copy of the school menu. What's the policy on healthy nutrition? Are organic foods served? Is juice and other sugary snacks served? Are fruits and vegetables served?
- Is the staff put through a background check before hired? What do they check for?
- What's the staff turnover rate?
- Is the staff First Aid and CPR certified? Does the school provide training to ensure the staff stays current with certification?
- What other training does the staff receive?
- Is there an open door policy where parents can visit at any time?
- Can parents drop off or pick up at any time?
- Is the center non-profit or for profit? Be wary of for profit day care centers. They are a business and their goal is to turn a profit. This could mean increasing tuitiondrastically, not replacing or updating supplies, or serving lower quality foods to your children.
- Are additional classes offered for additional prices? Some schools offer language classes, music classes etc. which costs more money.
- Are televisions used in the classrooms? They can be abused by teachers.
- Ask to see the playground. This will be very important to your child as they grow. Does the playground have age appropriate areas for all age groups? infants? toddlers? and the older children?
- How are parents kept in the loop with what's happening with your child each day? Do they provide notes, diary, photos?
- What's the sick policy?
- How long has the school been open?
- What makes this center unique?
Posts
2 comments:
I had the same three main questions as you, but after looking at your list, I realize all of them are just as important. Fortunately, we got very lucky and all the questions are answered with a "good" if not "great" to date. B went there when he was little, and M is there now, and they have both thrived thanks to the curriculum and environment at the school.
There's a lot to be said for our mother's instincts :)
Post a Comment