How to Choose a Good Daycare Center

Evaluate the provider's qualifications. Ask your potential daycare center about the academic and professional backgrounds of its team of providers. Degrees in education, certifications in child care or years of professional experience can illustrate qualifications. Ask if anyone on the staff is CPR certified.

Ask about the staff-to-child ratio. Ideal ratios vary depending on the age of your child. For example, HealthyChildren.org recommends a maximum staff-to-child ratio of 3-to-1 for 12-month-olds and 8-to-1 for 4- and 5-year-olds. (see Ref 1) Ensure the center's ratio falls within these guidelines.

Ask about the center's ability to accommodate any special needs. Perhaps you cloth diaper your 1-year-old or have a child with a sensory disorder or peanut allergy. If you have a toddler who is potty training, ask about the staff's ability to work with your child. Talk to the daycare center about your child's needs, and ask if the staff members are capable of designing a care plan around your child's needs.

Consider the daycare center's policy on special arrangements. Perhaps you don't work a traditional 9 to 5 schedule and need to drop your child off early or pick her up late occasionally. Discuss the possibility of flexible hours and rates if your schedule demands them. Ask if there is a fee for arriving late to pick up your child. Ask if the center has a drop-in policy for children who need occasional care but do not need to be regularly enrolled.

Inquire about the daily schedule. Make sure the center offers a variety of engaging and stimulating activities for your child. Possible activities to look for include arts and crafts time, story time and physical outdoor play. Find out if nap time is on the schedule to determine if the timing works for your child.

See if your disciplinary techniques match. Ask the daycare provider how they discipline children who misbehave. Do they redirect them, place them in timeout or use another technique? You don't want to confuse your child with drastically different discipline techniques, so finding a daycare center that aligns with your disciplinary method can ease your child's transition into daycare.

Check references. Ask local friends and family members for recommendations. Follow up with them with specific questions after you visit the daycare center. Ask the center for a list of references as well, and take time to follow up with parents who have used the center to collect opinions.

Visit the facility during operating hours. Watch how staff members interact with children. Are they affectionate and loving? Do they intervene in disagreements and discipline the children gently and appropriately? Do they respond immediately to a child's cries? Do the children appear happy? Is the environment well-organized or chaotic? Is the center clean? Seeing the daycare facility when it's full of children will help you determine if it's the right fit for your child.

Check licensing and accreditation. HealthyChildren.org suggests checking with local government agencies that oversee daycare centers to find out if licenses are up to date and if any violations or complaints have been filed against the center. Check the center's accreditation status, whether it is pursuing or has attained any form of accreditation.

Ask about an open door policy. Are you free to stop in to visit with your child, or simply observe? You want a daycare center that is a welcoming place for not only your child but your family as well. An open, welcoming environment is one that both you and your child will appreciate.