5 Tips for Choosing Daycare; Momma to Momma

Choosing daycare for your toddler is hard! Especially if you’re like me, and waited until they’re almost 3 to introduce the idea of being separated from mom & dad for a period of time. I had some feedback and did some research and gathered the top five pieces of advice and tips for choosing the right daycare!

1. "Make a list what you want in a daycare and then prioritize that list.” The examples I got were as follows:

• Location- do you want them near your place of work or home?
• Price- Is there a price range that you need to stay under?
• Hours- Do you work hours other than normal business hours?
• Curriculum/Beliefs- Are there certain things you would prefer your child to learn while at daycare? Or not learn? Do you have beliefs that you would like to have promoted to your child? 

2. "Spend time with the staff and let your child play with them while you watch from either behind a window or from afar. Does the staff seem to understand your child’s babble? Do they seem frustrated?”

 I know that my child is frustrating at times. She is very high strung. My concern is that she will push staff’s buttons and test every nerve.

3. Look into policies. Read all the fine print. Specifically the following:

• Discipline- Do they believe in the same discipline as you do? Are time outs something that is acceptable for you?
• Meals and Snacks- Is the food appropriate for your child? Do you agree with goldfish instead of fresh fruit, or vice versa? Are you going to have to bring your own food?
• Sick policy- What constitutes a sick child? What symptoms are standard for either sending a child home or refusing stay for the day?
• Nap time- Is nap time going to throw your child out of whack? Is their nap schedule too early or too late? 

4. "Check to see if the director and lead teacher are educated and licensed. Not just licensed for the daycare, but check to see if they have a degree in teaching or child development.”

I know Autumn isn’t quite old enough to be in preschool but I would really prefer her to be taught some fundamentals rather than watch videos and play tag all day. Also, those who have invested their time and money into receiving an education in child development seem to have more concern and care for the growth of a child than an individual who merely wanted to have their own business in this field. 

5."State government is attempting to pass legislation that disallows parents to use personal beliefs as a waiver for immunizations. It isn’t law yet, but many daycares are already jumping on board and turning away kids that don’t follow the regular schedule.”

This is something that concerns me, because I have been vaccinating Autumn on an alternative vaccination schedule. This has been closely monitored and tailored by her pediatrician who fully supports this decision due to family history of reactions to vaccines as well as Autumn’s own health issues that we are still trying to diagnose. So this is scary to me. We really need daycare for Autumn so that both of us can work, but is it really worth putting her health at risk by updating all vaccines at once?

Any other words of advice that you guys would share?
~Brittany