Selecting A Daycare That You'll Trust by Angel Shupe

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Selecting A Daycare That You'll Trust
by Angel Shupe

I remember a time when I had to find a daycare to put my daughter in that was affordable enough for me to use, that I could trust to care for my daughter, and that would care for her in a way that I would like. If you’ve ever had to go through that process then you already know how hard it is.

Daycare is not something to be flexible with. These are our children that we're handing over to this person. We need to know that our children will be safe. That is why it’s important to shop for a daycare in steps and make sure you have no questions about them and their practices before you drop off your child.

Step One

Get recommendations. Find out what daycare centers other parents recommend. Also find out where you can get a list of licensed daycare centers. Those can be a good place to start.

Step Two

Call the daycare centers on your list. Now that you have a list to work with, it’s time to call them. This is just a simple call to find out if they have any openings, where they’re located - if you don’t already know - and how much they charge. If what they have to say matches up with what you’re looking for, make an appointment to meet them.

Step Three

Show up on time and prepared for your meeting. During this meeting you will be seeing the daycare and what type of setup they have. You’ll be able to look at the facility and making sure it meets your approval. This will also be a good time to ask specific questions. Some questions you should consider asking are:

* How many children do you generally care for at one time?
* What is the age range of the children you care for?
* What types of meals do you provide?
* Do you have any specific rules or expectations that you’ll have for me or my child?
* How long have you been caring for children? How long have you been licensed?

It’s also important for you to ask some questions that are specific to your and your situation. If your child is currently in potty training, for instance, let the childcare person know. They can tell you what they will and will not do with potty training. If your child has a food allergy, tell them and make sure it won’t be a problem. Most of all, make sure you have your child with you at this meeting. Even though you’re checking into this daycare center, you’ll also want to gage how your child likes the place. Does your child seem to like the other kids already there? That’s probably the most important part of looking into a daycare.

Step Four

Make your decision. Once you’ve visited all the potential daycare centers, it’s time to decide which one will work out the best for you. Once you know which one you want to go with, call them and make sure they still have the opening then tell them you’re interested in enrolling your child there. You’ll want to make another meeting. This time you’ll be signing any paperwork the daycare may have, but you’ll also be talking about the important extras that they’ll need to know about your child. Since you asked all the important questions in the first meeting, this is only a confirmation. Set up when your child will start going there, the hours, and you should be on your way!

Hopefully by the time you’re done following through on these steps you’ll have found a daycare that you can afford and provides what you need for your child. After all your child is the most important person in your life and you need to know that they’ll be able to go to daycare and stay safe.

Author's Biography:

Spending her time as a work at home mom, Angel enjoys sharing advice on her advice weblog, Ask Angel. For more articles like this one, check out Ask Angel at: http://www.angelashupe.com

Posted on: April 15,2008

Email: askangel@angelashupe.com
Website: http://www.angelashupe.com/