I have been very blessed that I am able to work at the same place that my son attends daycare. I was able to walk in and feel confident and comfortable. However, before I got offered a job I still did a lot of research on other places for Jackson to go and this is what I have learned of what to look for when choosing a daycare center.
1) Is it clean? If you walk in and you feel like you are dirty from the get go this is probably not the place that you want to send you child to. Some key places to look are on the counters (especially if they serve meals), by the changing tables, bathrooms and then the cubby area of the classrooms. These are the areas that I found are the most used and sometimes most neglected.
2) How long have the teachers been there? Some places naturally have a high turnover rate, I mean come on lets face it, it's childcare a lot of times they hire summer help and then they get more stable people in the fall for the school year. However, if every person in the facility it new that might be something to worry about.You want to ensure that there is stability for your child in their classroom, so they feel safe and comfortable going to school each day. Also having new teachers all the time could lead to other questions like why is everyone leaving? What is going on around here that causes people to get up and go?
3) Are there projects hanging up? I know for me this was a big one! I didn't want Jackson to go to daycare and have nothing to do and be bored and then grow to hate it! I wanted him to go and have fun, be creative and actually be taught something too! So, check the walls...is there a family communication board that tells what the lessons are going to be for that week? Do you see kids artwork, projects, pictures hanging up on the walls? You could even look at the kids themselves...do they look like they are having fun?
4) Is there good communication between home and school? I don't know if this is because I really like to know everything about Jackson's day, or because I'm a chatty person, but I really appreciate open communication between teachers and home. Currently I talk with all of Jackson's teachers on a daily basis about concerns, questions or they even give me little stories from his day. In addition to that I get a daily sheet of when all of his feedings were, changing, naps, anything they need from me such as diapers/wipes etc. And then there is an additional area on their daily sheet that they tell me about what they did that day. I know it seems a little OCD on our part, but I pour over the daily sheet at the end of the day because I want to know if he ate all of his carrots, how long he napped for and if they did any special activity that day. I feel that I need to know these things because I am not there so it's comforting to me to know that they are attentive to my child and his needs.
5) How much? I don't know about where you live, but up here in the Detroit area if you want a good center it's going to cost you a pretty penny! For me I wanted the best for Jackson and I wanted him in a safe area (Lets face it people I'm in Detroit safety comes first!). However, I also didn't want to work to pay for childcare because that doesn't make sense. Find a center that meets your criteria first and then see if you can work your budget for the tuition. I found that I couldn't find a center based only on my budget, it's not like an apartment/house where you can live with a few quirks, it's your child and like it or not these teachers and that place is where they spend a majority of their week so make it a good one!
So there you have it...my lessons on looking for a daycare! I got very lucky and found a place that met all 5 of these criteria and I get to work there! Score for me! If you need an advice on centers, or if you need a recommendation let me know! Like I said I've done a lot of research!
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