7 Tips for Choosing the Right Daycare for Your Child

Brittany Redfern - MomsNChargeThe following post was written by Brittany Redfern. Brittany Redfern is a first year law student at Villanova University School of Law. Brittany became a mother to her 3 year old son while in pursuit of her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Temple University. Brittany credits motherhood at a young age for piloting her capstone project on breastfeeding disparities in low income minority communities that won her recognition and awards. Brittany aims to expose young mothers to the endless possibilities for them and their children just by having a little faith and being more afraid of abandoning the dream than of the dream itself. 

I know choosing a daycare is probably one of the toughest decisions any parent can make. You want it to be perfect. You want to make not only the best decision for your child, but also for yourself. You want it to be convenient, clean, and overall, a good fit for your child. From experience, here are a few tips for choosing the right daycare for your child.

1. Decide if you’re seeking part time or full time care:

When Deuce first went to daycare, he was 7 months and I was not prepared for him to be gone all day with a center or even sitter, so when he first began daycare, he only went part time. Because he was going part time, I was only paying for the days he attended or maybe even hourly now that I think of it. It would not be until he was 9 months that he began attending daycare full time (up to 10 hours each day, 5 days per week). Once we changed his care from part time to full time, I paid a flat rate for each week.

2. Decide if you prefer a home or an actual daycare center:

At 7 months, Deuce was still EBF (exclusively breastfed) and had been around limited children and adults. For his first center, we were searching for a home center because I wanted the small, intimate family feel for him. I wanted him to be going to an older woman’s home who was more like a grandmother than a babysitter. Within one month of searching, I found a licensed home center not far from our own home. The center was run by an older woman and her adult daughter where they watched 4 other toddlers. When Deuce began, he was the only baby and was then renamed “Baby Deuce.” I knew that around 12-15 months though, I would move him to a formal center because I desired the curriculum some offered.

3. Decide if age is relevant to you:

I’ve talked to several other mothers who refuse to send their child to daycare until the child can talk or at least communicate some sort of harm or danger that may have occurred at their center. Others choose to wait until their child is potty trained so as to limit adult contact with their child’s genitals. My goal for sending Deuce to daycare was not age driven to me, but instead was motivated by my school/work schedule. As long as I could afford to be a full time student and then a stay at home mom, I would do it, but eventually, I needed to go back to work for financial reasons. Deuce’s age was not relevant to me. He had been home already 6 months and I found a center I trusted even during his infancy.

4. Utilize your Department of Public Welfare’s search engine that has any reports and/or complaints filed against/with any licensed center in the state:

This is self explanatory, but online, you can find the results of any pop up visits performed at any center you’re interested in as well as any sanctions that have happened. Particularly with the sanctions, you can look to see if the center corrected it in the given time allotted. This resource is extremely useful and I actually wish I had used this resource in the beginning of my daycare search. I was not aware of this for awhile.

Click Here to reach Pennsylvania’s search engine 

Click Here to reach Delaware’s search engine

Click Here to reach New Jersey’s search engine

 5. Ask Around:

Although I chose Deuce’s first center on my own, when I was ready to begin searching for a new center, I consulted a close family friend whom I knew had high standards for their children’s care. I also realized since we don’t have much family here, it would be beneficial to have Deuce at a center where someone who was like family frequented and he would have a “cousin” there. She told me about the center and I made an appointment to visit. Once I visited, I fell in love with the staff there and was blown away by their curriculum. Deuce was moved from his old center to his current center within 5 days and we have never looked back. But my point is to ask someone you trust where they send their child especially if your children are around the same age.

6. Find out the cost:

As I was saying before, many centers charge a different price for full time care (up to 10 hours each day, 5 days per week) and part time care. Although the cost is something you should be cognizant of, don’t let it discourage you. There are often scholarships directly from the center based upon income, and even state grant subsidy programs available if you are a student or work. Regarding cost, you should also inquire as to if there is an application fee, what meals are included in your weekly tuition, and also if diapers, wipes, juice, and snacks are to be supplied by you.

7. Finally, take a visit to the center once alone and a second time with your child:

The first visit to Deuce’s center was done alone during the children’s nap time so that I could speak with the teachers and staff without the distraction of my own child or the children at the center. The second visit was done with Deuce in tow immediately following nap time so that he could see the staff, children, and environment.

Choose a center that fits you and your child. Use the resources of the government and even family and friends. Happy hunting!

Do you love your daycare? What tips can you share to make it easier to find a great daycare?

 

 

You Might Also Like

20 Comments

  • Josselyne
    April 3, 2015 at 8:37 AM

    AWESOME Post. I took the same steps when choosing a provider. It doesn’t make the process more emotionally easier, but it does give you a sense of security knowing that you followed some type of guide. Understanding that a parent will feel as though no-one will love their child as much as they will, is normal. Pick a provider who is open to surprise visits..This is key for me.
    Josselyne would like you to check out…THE WINNERS AREMy Profile

    • Christine St.Vil
      April 6, 2015 at 9:48 AM

      Thanks so much for sharing Josselyne! I agree that it definitely can give you a sense of security. Leaving your children (for any amount of time, especially as first-time parents) can be really difficult.

    • Brittany
      April 6, 2015 at 11:38 AM

      Thank you so much Josselyne fo your input! You are so right – emotionally, it doesn’t get much easier until … NEVER! LOL I love my son’s current, but I had to go through two centers and get a feel of what I really

  • Adanna
    April 3, 2015 at 1:51 PM

    These are all fantastic tips! I think the best is using your local agency search engine. I used the 311 directory in New York and it was fantastic to learn about everything from actual enrollment numbers to violations. Its also important to visit a few times and see how comfortable your child is.
    Adanna would like you to check out…Becoming A Stronger MomMy Profile

  • Michellette "MimiCuteLips" Green
    April 5, 2015 at 10:44 AM

    Love these tips, I did several of these back when I was seeking childcare. I got a list of licensed providers in my county. I also asked around and that made the hard decision a little easier. We found an amazing sitter for my son (now 10). When we had our second child two years after he left we called the same sitter and she has kept our daughter for 3 years now.
    Michellette “MimiCuteLips” Green would like you to check out…Spring #OURPROJECT52My Profile

    • Christine St.Vil
      April 6, 2015 at 9:47 AM

      That is so great Michellette! We’ve only had to use temporary childcare services once. Thankfully, it was with a close family friend so it made things so much easier.

  • Rachel Lannister
    May 25, 2017 at 2:50 PM

    Thanks for the terrific article. I particularly liked what you said about visiting the daycare once by yourself, and the second time with your child, to make sure that both you and the child feel comfortable there. I’ve been looking for a daycare that I could have my son stay at. I want him to be as comfortable as possible, as he isn’t great in new environments so I’ll definitely be sure to take him on a visit with me.

    • Christine St.Vil
      May 25, 2017 at 11:09 PM

      Hi Rachel, thanks so much for stopping by. I’m so glad that this was helpful for you. Children have great intuition as well, so it’s definitely a great idea to allow him to visit with you. You’ll be able to see how he interacts with the teachers and other kids as well 🙂

  • Jordan Miner
    January 13, 2018 at 1:20 AM

    My wife have been looking for a good part time daycare, and I think that being able to get some tips would be good. I’m glad you talked about being able to figure out the cost, which would be good. I’m going to have to look for a good part time daycare service, and see what we can do! Thanks!

    • Christine St.Vil
      January 17, 2018 at 1:32 AM

      Thanks for stopping by Jordan and glad you found these tips helpful! I hope you and your wife are able to find a great part-time option 😉

  • Sutton Turner
    March 14, 2018 at 11:25 AM

    I like how you suggested asking around when finding a child care center for your baby. I have been looking for a place to put my daughter in and want to ask my friends and family where they put their kids. Thanks for the tips on choosing the right daycare for your child.

    • Christine St.Vil
      March 15, 2018 at 8:56 AM

      Thanks for stopping by Sutton. I think it’s always important to get referrals when it comes to the caretakers of our children.

  • Amanda Drew
    June 26, 2018 at 4:51 PM

    I like your suggestion to ask around to find other places people have liked. My daughter is turning two, and I think that I’d like to find somewhere for her to be at during the day that she can make friends in. I’ll have to follow your tips to find the right child care center near me for her.

  • Penelope Smith
    August 23, 2018 at 12:21 AM

    This is some really good information about childcare. My sister is wanting to find a daycare for her son soon. So, I liked what you said about how she should think about asking around her neighborhood for suggestions on daycares.

  • Duncan Lance
    October 4, 2018 at 5:30 PM

    I do like that the final suggestion you make is to visit the daycare center in person before you take your child there. After all, visiting the daycare center will give you a chance to sit down and talk with the teachers and staff in person. This will give you the chance to determine whether or not they have the skills and experience to take care of your child.

  • Katie Wilson
    April 8, 2019 at 7:08 PM

    Thanks for the tip about visiting a daycare a few times both with and without your child before you choose it. It would make sense to find somewhere that both you and your child feel comfortable at, as you suggest. I’m looking for somewhere for my son to go now that I have a new job, so I’ll have to visit them first before I choose them.

  • Daphne Gilpin
    May 20, 2019 at 2:22 PM

    I like your suggestion to visit the day care center with our child so they can see the environment and people there. My husband and I need to fine a good child care service for our daughter because I’ll be starting a new job soon and will no longer be able to watch her during the day. I’m glad I read your article because I think following your advice will help me feel comfortable with the day care service we choose.
    Daphne Gilpin would like you to check out…Friendship Community Care welcomes new Service Coordinator in HarrisonMy Profile

  • rachel frampton
    June 9, 2020 at 8:59 PM

    I barely have the time to take care of my child due to my busy schedule; that’s why I’m currently looking for a daycare center. I’m glad you shared this; I’ll make sure to look for a licensed daycare. I’ll also keep in mind to ask the cost of the service per hour before making any final decision.

  • Elly Camron
    January 15, 2021 at 10:44 PM

    Thanks for sharing

  • Leave a Reply to Amanda Drew Cancel Reply