How to Choose an Infant Daycare Provider
You understand how to keep your precious newborn safe at home, and now you need to find a day-care provider with the same care and attention to safety to take over the care duties when you aren't available. Your infant needs quality care for brain and muscle development, according to the National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families, and regular schedules of feeding and activity help your baby grow. Care centers may list a dizzying array of features, but without an in-person visit, it's impossible to accurately determine the level of care your infant will receive once you leave for the day.
Instructions
List local day care centers with membership in child care associations and program accreditation from the professional groups, including the National Child Care Association and the National Association for Family Child Care. Write down the qualities you want in a care center, and then highlight the items that are essential for your infant and your needs as a parent. Check operating hours, fees, services offered, health professionals at the center such as a pediatrician or infant nurse, visitation policy and staffing ratios for baby care. Create a formal written inventory using your desirable center features to use when you visit the centers to make your selection. Call the centers on your list and use your formal inventory to eliminate the care facilities failing to meet the quality benchmarks of certification and professional memberships, and also eliminate the day care facilities with hours failing to meet your schedule. Schedule an appointment to visit the centers meeting the greatest number of standards listed on your inventory. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends meeting with the staff supervising your infant as part of the visit, and also asking for a list of professional references for staff members and the center. Research the center with city and county law enforcement, Better Business Bureau and the state attorney general's office to investigate the care center for any complaints or legal problems. Eliminate any centers with less than an "A" rating by the Better Business Bureau. Call the professional references provided by the care centers. Visit the centers and interview the center director and caregivers at the facilities, and take notes. Ask to see physical copies of the center's state, county or city licenses, and early education certifications for staff. Ask the center director for resumes with education, training and professional information for the infant-care staff members. Ask the director about the infant's regular daily schedule and the cleaning calendar for the center. Read the formal center rules restricting public access to the rooms where infants sleep and play. Conduct a formal evaluation of the centers, using your inventory, after the visits and decide on a facility for your baby. Visit your selected center without an appointment once or twice to see whether the activities and schedule match what you observed during your formal visit.
