daycare questions

hi ladies,

sorry to crash.

my husband and i are expecting our first baby in january. i just made a few appointments at day care facilities (thanks to your recommendations ). i was wondering some questions you asked. i'm a little clueless.

thanks!

daycare questions

Honestly I never even had to ask much because they told me everything. IMO a good daycare will answer anything you have before you even ask. But I would ask about hours, security, typical day for older kids or how they handle the newborn room. Most will roll with the newborns and cater to their schedule.

Fees - enrollment fees, overtime charges etc.

And I always just went with my gut about places. I immediately crossed some off my list just by the feeling and other I loved and some I thought were fine if we couldn't get in out first choice places.

Re: daycare questions

I agree with PP... they should tell you everything, but here's a list to either ask or make sure it's mentioned...

hours, extra for extending?, sick policy, when they send home if sick or bad weather, teacher/child ratio, CPR certified, their medication rules in giving to a child, what they need from you... labeled sheets, blankets, etc, do they serve food or you send in and how much, food allergy rules, policy when potty training, etc...

Also, make sure to look around. Do they clean the changing pad between each change or put down the paper, wear gloves, how clean is the facility, is classroom organized and looks safe, outlets covered and corners in baby and t oddler rooms, do they have a no shoe policy infants room, do they clean toys each night and during the day, have they had any violations.

You can also look up the daycares yourself

http://it.ocfs.ny.gov/ccfs_facilitysearch/

daycare questions

To me it was more about the feeling we got at the center. Things such as hours, cost, age of kids in the rooms, number of teachers/kids in the room were normally stated before we asked. Other information that is helpful to know is how long has the teacher in the classroom been there? What is the average length of employees staying there? What types of food do they serve? What is the typical day like in the room?

daycare questions

I don't have any questions, but I do have a piece of advice. If you are visiting a center (as opposed to a home-based daycare) do not make an appointment. Just show up. If they know you're coming they will make sure everything is perfect. You want to see what a regular day looks like. I visited one center, didn't tell them I had worked previously in daycare, and noticed their pre-K room was out of ratio (meaning there was one teacher and about 10 kids).