Steps In Choosing The Right Daycare For Your Little One…

Choosing the right daycare for your little one is one of the biggest decision a parent can make. The right daycare can enhance your child's development on all levels socially, mentally and physically and can help you as a parent to have a good peace of mind throughout the day after you drop your child off. I want to make sure you cross off all the things on this list and do your research before you make your final decision. Currently, I’m in the process of choosing the right daycare for my three year old. It's time that she get into a learning environment and become familiar with structure and socializing with other children her age. I've come up with these steps that will be helpful in making my final choice and hopefully these steps will be helpful for you as well.

Schedule A One on One Visit With The Director- Schedule a one on one meeting to check out the day care of interest and to talk to the director to learn about their philosophy,and policies. At this time you want to ask questions and share your concerns about your child to see if the care givers can fulfill the needs of your child.

Visit The Daycare Website and Read The Reviews- Personally I like to hear from the parents or the staff that works at the daycare of interest. They have first hand experiences and most of the time they are giving their honest opinions. I take the information into consideration along with the reviews I read to help make my decision.

Go Unannounced - You can see how the caregivers are interacting or treating the children, also you can see how clean the daycare is and to see the sanitation procedures the staff have in place . Showing up unannounced allows you to see the real operation of the daycare.

Are There Any Learning Activities Or A Curriculum In Place. Daycares are a place where children are taught and prepared for school. On the day of your visit ask to see a lesson plan or pay close attention to see if children's artwork are displayed, are there any age appropriate toys and books at the child's level for them to access.

Ratio of Staff To Children- Too many kids for one caregiver is a recipe for disaster. In order for the teacher to watch and engage with the child effectively and to keep the children safe they must have a specific amount of children in their care depending on the age group of the children. I've worked in childcare so I’m familiar with the ratio but for you who are not familiar with the ratio this is what it looks like:

1 to 2 year old- 1:6

2 to 3 year old- 1:8

3 to 4 year old- 1:12

4 to 5 year old- 1:17

5 to 6 year old- 1:20

6 to 12 year old - 1:23

Nap time ratios are different

Birth to 1 year old- 1:5

1 to 2 year old - 1:6

2 to 3 year old - 1:16

3 to 4 year old - 1:24

4 and older- 1:34

In closing this can be a rewarding experience for your child if you choose the right daycare. Having these things in mind while you are looking for that perfect place to accommodate your child will be helpful and less time consuming. I’m already feeling confident about choosing the right place for my three year old, stay tuned to read about my daughter first week in her new school. Feel free to leave any suggestions that you think other parents and I should take into consideration in choosing the right daycare.

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