What do I need to look into for daycare for my infant?
ByMy daughter is 3 months old and I have to start work in August. I need someone to be able to take care of her from 7am-5:30pm at night.
I HATE leaving her with someone else, I had origionally planned to leave her with my sister but she backed out at the last minute.
I need to know what type of questions I should ask about a daycare and what the average range of daycare is in the Metroplex.
Also, if anyone knows a good one in the Lewisville, McKinney, Carrollton area please respond on here.
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16 Comments
April 19th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Get high recommendations.
April 19th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
look for someone that you tust, or you should go visit a couple of daycares before you put your daughter in them. you can never know who you trust, so i would visit them before just dropping my kid off there.
April 19th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
*I* wouldn’t put my child in at that age. But that’s me and I didn’t have to work. Some people have no choice. But, I did put him in at a year and what I looked for was if the place was clean and safe looking. I also talked to each of the people who worked there making sure they were nice and they all were lovely. Try to get a place with an open door policy, meaning you can go and check up on your little one anytime you want. Also, if I were you, I would make sure the door to the outside isn;t anywhere near the children. I once checked out a daycare and the door was right in the same room as the childrens cribs. It was scary!
Good luck finding a place and I hope you’re very happy where you leave your baby!!! =)
April 19th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
For me, I would want to know their screening process. What kinds of people they hire, what types of accidents have occured, and if they have streaming video cameras to broadcast their care over the internet in a secure, password required environment.
Also check on the illness policy and know the late fee policy.
April 19th, 2010 at 7:08 pm
Make sure they are state certified, and talk to other parents you know and find out where they take their children.
Also, find a place that has webcams. There are a lot of these places, that are using the internet, so you can watch your children thoughout the day from work. You can also keep an eye on the way they treat your child.
You might want to ask what the worker to child ratio is. My wife says the average is four to one, but it’s nicer if it’s even lower.
Don’t be afraid to ask hard questions, or talk to parents that already use them.
April 19th, 2010 at 7:48 pm
My advice is to try to find one that you can view online at any time. That way you can always look in and make sure things are going well.
April 19th, 2010 at 8:40 pm
You must make sure it is regulated and inspected by the dept of health for your state, althhough this does not make it 100% safe it helps.
You need to ask what the child and childcare worker ratio is.
What they provide in the way of food,drinks, snacks and who prepares it and how? Do you need to provide bottles,formula,diapers,wipes?
How often will they change diaper or check when it needs changed?
How does medication administration work. who will administer it do you need a note from your doc or a signature sheet?
How often put down for naps? Where? How far away is the adults to the babes?
Can older children get near your babe?
Who will decide if you need called for a fever or whatever?
How is security, fire escape etc… will they monitor who picks up the babe?
Do you criminal backround checks ? How often?
Its a hard decision to make but I learned after a few private sitters that i felt more comfortable taking my babies and children to a liscensed day care.
Good Luck!
April 19th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
I am so sorry u cannot stay home with ur child at such a young age. Anyway, here are some things I would look for:
-The ratio of children to day care employees. Even though the state set the ratio, some may not follow, and the state may never know because no one reports it. Another thing is, maybe the ratio determined by law is not safe to you.
-Another thing, inspect the place- make sure u check the refrigerator b/c I have heard horror stories about rotten food.
Check the bathrooms.
-Ask other parents where they take their children-u can even ask on yahoo! answers too.
-Another thing- if u get off early one day, dont tell them-just pop in and see whats going on.
Hope this helps!
April 19th, 2010 at 10:15 pm
HI I worked in the daycare business for years now, The very first thing you need to do is look at the actual daycare is it clean, Is the staff friendly, Also ask how long the Infant teacher has worked there you can tell a quality daycare by how long the teacher has worked there. I worked at the center i am at now for 4 years. Look for teacher who have at least been there 8 months or more, that means she knows her way around. Make sure everyone is trained in CPR, by law we have to be. And ask for a tour right then and there, if they ask you to come back, or get antsy there hiding something, or they are not confident there teacher are prepared for a surprise tour.. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. After all they will be looking after your child. I hope this helps.
April 19th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
If you can help it, get someone you know. If you’re not that fortunate, make sure the person you are looking at has great references. Meet with this person so you can get a sense of their personality. Ask everything. How do you get them to sleep, what type of snacks do you give them, do you discipline them and how? There is no stupid question. This is your child and they are going to be caring for your child. Make sure also that there isn’t a policy that doesn’t allow you pop in whenever you want. Take the baby up there with you when you go visit the center. I prefer using someone who has a private daycare. Search the internet for daycare or child care in your area. It will bring up all daycare centers and possibly a few private daycare. See what you find. Good luck!!!
April 19th, 2010 at 11:09 pm
Get a 12 hour tape recorder and hide it in your kids clothes or something that should be with her all the time.
My mom left me with a babysitter for 6 or 7 days over two weeks in 1965. I was 4. That babysitter threw me in a dirt pit in her back yard on three seperate days.
I am disabled for life, can’t work persecuted by the government because i was a victim of a crime as a child.
Tell your sister about this and ask her to watch her neice again.
By the way, the bitch who threw me in the hole got away with it.
she did this to very many children over very many years. when i finaly did report it , the pigs (cops) said, “That’s not so bad, forget about it”.
It also has wrecked my health. and there is no health care for the sick in the US
April 19th, 2010 at 11:44 pm
I tell ya this sucks..i know..been there done that!! I have had some bad ones but I am not going there…i wanna help..not make you worry anymore!!! See if you have a child resourse and referal close to you. It is a business that has lists of licensed daycares close to you. Also contact your county like social services they might be able to help, like names or centers. They also will know how you can check if a person you are interested in might have been turned in for anything due to child abuse or complaints about a daycare. Ask friends & Family if they know of anyone. Ask your Co-workers, or your boss where they take their kids. This is a tuff time..i remeber what it is like leaving your child with someone you don’t know!!! When you do find someone..go and spend time with them and bring your child. see how they interact together. talk to other parents that bring their kids to that person see how they feel about that daycare. Just drop in at times don’t call and tell them your coming, this way tou can see how they act when their surprised and not expecting you, if they get mad..then thats not cool!! you should be able to come anytime your child is there. Make sure they are changing diapers, count the ones you pack, and check for diaper rashes or anything out of order. its your baby you will know..if he cries when you leave him/her or when you pick them up and theywanna get the hell out of there..something ain’t right… good luck!!!
April 19th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
you need to make sure the day care i very clean ask around adn c if soical services have every had to go to the daycare how they handle each kid and have the evey had a law suit
April 20th, 2010 at 12:15 am
NAYCE (i think thats it)certified is the best. They have the highest standerds.
Also, find out the infant to teacher ratio. How they handle a child who wont stop crying. What is their discipline policy (yes i know you have a newborn but u need to know for the future). What is done if any injuries occur at the center (ex: a child bites your child). Find out what their sick policy is, what their closing schedule is (so you have an idea in advance to let your job know days you need off or to find alternate care). Ask about outside time such as walks or reading under the trees. What things you need to provide: sunscreen, diapers wipes how many spare outfits. Be sure that your childs crib is only used by your child and no one else and that they are sanitzed daily. Also if you need to provide bedding or they provide that.
You can ask about activities that will be done (age appropriate of course) but at the center i worked at we even painted with the little babies. Just dip the feet in paint and let them bounce their feet off of some paper.
Most important, you need to feel comfortable with your child in this place. SO if you have any qualms about it, address it with the director and dont put your child there if you’re not satisfied.
Best of luck to you and yours!
April 20th, 2010 at 12:29 am
Make sure the people are trained.
Make sure that they do not mix the kids in the same room, but that they have the separate rooms.
Find out if they actually have learning activities for the babies and it is just not feeding and sleeping.
Try to find a Kiddie Academy in your area, they are great.
April 20th, 2010 at 12:59 am
In addition to getting a list of past and present references, you’ll need to ask the caregiver about her childrearing philosophy and experience, ask:
What’s a typical day like: Is there indoor and outdoor play time, story time, nap time–on the caregiver’s schedule or the children’s?
Does she provide snacks and lunch or do you need to? What kind of food does she provide?
Does she ever take the children outside the house and yard for any reason?
Does the caregiver have a backup to care for the kids when she’s sick or on vacation? Who is it?
Will the provider tell you what your child does every day?
Is there an open-door policy for parents? If not, look elsewhere.
What’s the sickness policy? Can a child with a runny nose or ear infection be brought to the center.
Does the daycare provider have an emergency plan?
How does she discipline a child if they throw a toy or hit another child?
What would she do if a child cried for much of the time?
Be sure to discuss hours and costs, including late pick-up fees, diapering fees, or any other costs. Also ask for references and a vacation schedule. You may find a great daycare provider, but if she takes a four-week vacation in August and your company gives you only two weeks off, you’ve got to cover those remaining two weeks somehow.
Make sure they are licensed with the state and check with the state to see if there are any negatives on their reports.