The choice of childcare and daycare for your child is a stressful one, and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Several aspects go into the decision-making process, including costs, environment, how much or how often the child will be in someone elses care, the philosophies and orientation of the care provider, whether a baby-sitting or an educational experience is desired, along with several other aspects.

Each state provides licensing guidelines as a form of protection for parents – an indicator that by state guidelines, a child will be physically safe under specific conditions. But licensing only goes so far; licensing has nothing to do with the aims and goals of a daycare program. The groupings of children, how and what children will learn, and how children socialize are not evaluated by the state and must be carefully scrutinized by the parents.

Options for Childcare
Generally speaking, two types of childcare exist: those based out of a person's home, and those based out of a center or institution.

Choosing between the two types can be difficult, and should be based on the experience you wish the child to have. Home-based child care may be more nurturing, with fewer children to each caregiver; center-based child care may have more opportunity for social interaction and learning opportunities.

Home-based care is less scrutinized by the government - often times, home-based child care is subject to licensing, and inspections of a home occur sporadically every few years. This results in greater parental pressure to fully understand their child's experiences in the caregiver's home. The child becomes somewhat like a roommate of the caregiver throughout the day, and parents should ask questions in the same vein - is there smoking in the house, are there pets, how much childproofing has the caregiver done, how discipline is handled, whether the child will be transported in a vehicle, how much opportunity is there for the child to come in contact with those outside the home ("field trips"), how much contact will there be inside the home (such as daughters, sons, husbands, and other family members), etc. The child will essentially live with the caregiver many hours a day, and questioning the living situation and arrangements will help avoid surprises later on.

Center-based care may be less personal for your child, though most centers are tightly regulated by the government, and subject to inspection multiple times each year. Parents should remain vigilant - the higher the ratio of children to adults, the higher the likelihood for neglect and/or negligence. Children may have ample opportunity to interact with same-aged children each day, and may have greater learning resources at their disposal, but keeping track of each individual child becomes more difficult with more children around. Each afternoon or evening parents should meet the child with questions about their day - what did they do, who did they play with, what did they learn, etc. Above all else, reject the assumption that a child would know right, or correct, behavior from wrong behavior, either from other children or adults. Simply listening to your child and continually asking questions is a big step in preventing abuse.

Elements to Consider
Healthy development depends on safe and positive experiences during the formative years of life. To help you make the right choice for your child, we’ve pulled together several elements to consider when reviewing options for your child.

One of the best tips we’ve received is for parents to write down the broad goals they have for their child stay in daycare before beginning research into daycare programs. Do you want your child to have educational opportunities? Are you more interested in social interactions for your child? How much/little do you want your child to learn from an adult versus other children? How much time do you want your child in daycare? How much supervision and guidance do you want for your child? Outlining goals will help immensely in choosing an appropriate daycare for your child.

Call each program, make an appointment, and visit for at least an hour. Watch activities, the interactions between the staff and children, check the surroundings, and ask questions. Feel free to use these guidelines as a checklist when evaluating programs for your child. Above all else: ensure both you and your child are comfortable with the decision.

Cleanliness

• Are the facilities clean and orderly?
• Are the toys and surfaces regularly cleaned with a bleach solution?
• Do children and staff regularly wash their hands? Is sanitizer used?

Supervision

• How many children are cared for in the program?
• How many caregivers are there?
• Are children supervised at all times, including nap time?
• Are the rules for children clearly posted and understood?
• How do caregivers praise children?
• How do caregivers discipline children?
• Are there written policies on discipline? Ask for a copy.
• Are younger and older children separated?
• Are caregivers supervised so a child is never along with one caregiver?
• What are the policies on dropping off and picking up your child?

Staff Qualifications

• Does the program director have a degree in a child-related field?
• Does the program director have at least two years of experience?
• Does the philosophy of the program meet with your expectations?
• Do the teachers and supervisors have a degree in a child-related field?
• Do the teachers and supervisors have at least a year of experience?
• Are caregivers trained in how to prevent child abuse, how to recognize signs of child abuse, and how to report suspected child abuse?
• Are caregivers trained to keep children healthy and safe from injury and illness?
• Are caregivers trained in basic first aid, CPR, and rescue breathing?
• Is the staff trained to meet the needs of children of different ages and abilities?
• Are all child care staff, volunteers, and substitutes trained on how to prevent SIDS?
• How long have the staff been with this facility/this program?

Medical Issues

• Are children required to have immunizations? Does the facility keep records of all children’s immunizations?
• What is the illness policy? How sick is too sick for this facility?
• How are illnesses reported to parents?
• Is there a nurse, doctor, or other health professional on staff? On call?
• Are all medications kept out of the rearch of children?
• Are all medications clearly labeled and dosing records kept?
• What is the medication policy for things like Tylenol, cough syrup and other OTCs?
• What are the policies regarding children with disabilities, whether short or long-term?
• At what point will parents be notified of sickness or injury? How will the parent be notified?

Safety & Emergencies

• Does the program have an emergency plan in the event of disaster?
• Does the program have an emergency plan for a missing child?
• How often are children accounted for?
• Does the facility have clearly posted emergency numbers and procedures?
• Is playground equipment inspected for safety on a regular basis?
• Are there low-impact/no-impact surfaces inside and outside?
• Are sharp corners or objects protected with a soft surface?
• Are toxic substances like cleaning supplies kept away from children?
• Are children protected from strangers or otherwise unwelcome guests?

Procedures & Policies

• Are all facility procedures and policies written? Ask for a copy.
• Are references available? Ask for them and speak with other parents at the facility.
• Are policies for parents fully understood? Review carefully and ask all questions.
• Are journals of the child’s daily activities kept? Are parents able to review these journals on a regular basis?

Please also see: Preparing for Daycare

Daycare Interviews – Red Flags
These elements may be red flags for parents, and should be fully considered under the circumstances. These flags may come up when choosing a program, or at anytime once your child is enrolled:

• The director, teacher, caregiver, or staff fail to answer your questions, fail to address your concerns, or fail to follow-up with you. This shows that communication with the parents is not high priority, and can lead to troubles down the line.
• There are no mechanisms for parental involvement. Involvement in your child’s daycare is key to avoiding abuse and further bridging a relationship with your child and their caregivers. Parents should always have the opportunity to be involved so long as it doesn’t unduly disrupt normal day-to-day affairs of the daycare provider or facility.
• A child tells of problems or is otherwise outwardly unhappy. Remember to take tales of problems in an age-appropriate and environment-appropriate context. Wild allegations may be ‘schoolyard gossip’ or something of a vivid imagination – but it is still appropriate for the parents to follow-up with other parents and the daycare itself.
• A child has unexplained or unwarranted accidents. Children are inherently clumsy, but unexplained, unwarranted, or unusual accidents are suspicious. Follow up with a qualified medical doctor, or another professional trained to spot signs of physical abuse.
• There is high staff turnover at the program/facility. High turnover points to an unhappy staff and unhappy management – resulting in unhappy children. Something may be lurking beneath the surface.
• There are no written policies and procedures. This is most often seen in home-based care, but written procedures and policies not only keep the staff on the same page, but parents on the same page as well. Certainty about what is supposed to happen in a particular situation is a good thing for all involved – kids, parents, and staff.
• Other parents tell of problems or concerns with the program. This could come during the reference calls or during interactions with other parents during drop-off, pick-up or other parental interactions.