Going back to work after having your baby certainly urges a need to find the best caregiver for your child. And, it is always a heart wrenching experience for all parents who are sending their child to daycare for the first time. As a parent, it is one of the hardest things for them to do, as their young children will be doing something on their own for the first time. Numerous questions hit their head, like: what would they do all day, what kind of food will they eat, how long will be the naptime, will the children get the attention that they deserve, etc. It is important to find the best daycare and enroll your child days before you start going back to office. Given here are some tips that will help you in choosing the right daycare center for your kid.
How To Choose The Best Child Care For Your Baby
Talk to Other Parents
Visit a daycare in the afternoon, when parents are likely to come and pick up their kids. Talk to some of the parents, to know about their experience with the daycare center.
Drop in Unexpectedly
Do not visit the daycare during the scheduled hours, when might be expecting you. Instead, drop in without warning, at a time when you would be least expected. This is the best way to see the usual routine at the daycare. If you find the staff annoyed at what you did, it is better to find another daycare.
Check the Ratio
Always check out the caregiver to child ratio in the daycare center. Do make sure to check that the ratio for infants is smaller than the one for older children.
Check the requirements
Find out the requirements and qualifications needed for employment at the center. If required, call and talk to someone out there, pretending to be a prospective employee, in order to get the accurate information. Choose a daycare that hires experienced caregivers.
Tour Carefully
While touring the daycare center, ensure that you check for cleanliness, safety concerns, demeanor of children, security, etc.
Enquire about the Schedule
Check out how rigid the schedule is. There are daycares that have naptime for every child at the same time, irrespective of the age of your child. Do find out if your child will get enough time outside, activities for sensory development, etc.
Ask about Educational Activities
Enquire if the daycare schedules out any educationally appropriate games and activities, especially for older children.
Check Out the Food
Test the quality of food being served at the daycare center, in case your child is old enough to be off baby food. If they serve a lot of junk and fried food, it is best to look for another center or pack lunch and snacks for your child.
Enquire about Pick Ups & Holidays
Since every day care has different rules regarding holidays and sick days, make sure that you note them. There are daycares that follow strict pick up times and in case you are late by a minute, you are charged a fee. Keep these considerations in mind, especially if your job has a flexible schedule.
