Need Help Choosing a Daycare? Consider These 4 FAQs

Choosing a daycare for your child is a difficult decision to make. There are so many factors involved, from waiting lists to types of programs. Ultimately, your child’s health and safety depend on you making the correct decision. If you need help choosing a daycare, use these four frequently asked questions to help you decide.

What Safety Measures Do You Take?

You are trusting a daycare program and its instructors with your child, so it is essential that they are very committed to safety. Ask them what kinds of safety precautions they take every day. These should include common things like sanitation rules and visitor checks but should also include solutions when severe weather and emergency medical situations occur.

How Long Is Your Waiting List?

Many daycares will have a waiting list for you to join. However, if you’re looking at programs, you’re likely on a schedule. Ask them how long the waitlist is and plan accordingly. No matter how much you love a program, if the waitlist means you won’t get them into daycare in time, you should choose another option.

What Is the Staff-to-Child Ratio?

The fewer children there are per staff member, the more one-on-one attention your child receives. This attention improves both safety and overall performance. In fact, 36% of private schools have a student-to-teacher ratio of 10:1 or lower. Meanwhile, only 10% of public schools enjoy this ratio. This gives children in private school an advantage.

Do You Provide Food?

If your child is at daycare all day, they’ll need meals and snacks. Does the program provide them or do you need to send them in? If they do, what kinds of food do they offer? Are there healthy options? This can be an important thing to consider when choosing a daycare.

By asking these four questions of every daycare provider you’re considering, you can narrow your list down significantly. From there, you’ll know that the daycare you choose will be a good fit for your family. If you need help choosing a daycare in Florida, contact Coral Gables today.