3/11/14

10 Questions You Should Be Asking Your Childcare Provider

April McCormick 2 Comments
As most of you know, when the wild-child turned two, I decided it was time to start a Parents Day Out Program, so Ollie could socialize with other children, while I run errands, sleep, get a mani/pedi, sleep, clean the house, sleep... you know, some things...

I was lucky enough that a dear friend with twenty years of childcare experience, ranging from professional nanny to working in state run facilities for naughty and troubled children, turned me on to the church I currently take Ollie too. It's the same place she takes her daughter, which really was enough for me to just take her word for it.

I took this photo,
with tears in my eyes,
the first day I left Ollie at daycare.
I have to admit, when it came to choosing a childcare facility, I really had no idea where to start with questions, well after the million dollar one, How much will this cost me? Never did it cross my mind to ask how often the toys and carpets are cleaned. Or how how long the teachers have been employed. Even basic questions like what security measures are taken in natural disasters or acts of terrorism, or transitions to outdoor playtime.

Maybe these questions seem like common sense, but to me a first-time parent, I honestly didn't really know what I needed to ask. Thankfully, I had an experienced friend ask them for me. I have no doubt her pre-qualifying questions are the reason Ollie now asks to go to school to see his teacher, friend and the "choo-choo table."

After talking with a few friends, I realize how lucky I was to find a great childcare provider the first time around. So I decided to work with my friend, and the director of the facility, a 35-year childcare veteran, to come up with a list of important questions to ask a facility, to help you find the right fit for you and your child.

To see the complete list of questions with explanations, you will have to head over to parenting.com where the article has been published!  CLICK HERE to see the list of 10 Questions You Should Be Asking Your Childcare Provider.

April McCormick

April is an award-winning writer and blogger. Her work has been published in over ten countries and four languages. From books to newspapers, to print/online magazines and everything in between, you can find her work. For more on April, Visit AprilMcCormick.com

2 comments:

Abiola said...

Thanks for sharing. I totally identify with that first separation with all the emotions. It really never occurred to ask all those questions. I just needed a 'safe and clean' place to keep my (first) baby while we are away at work and the school seemed to fit the 'bill'. Though they seem to have a high turnover where the carers / teachers are concerned, It's been three years and we have no intention of changing schools just yet. I make sure I ask questions from the personnel and my kids to ensure nothing is amiss though.

March 10, 2014 at 9:39 AM
Secretn0 said...

Oh man, just looking at the picture of the jacket got me all teary eyed because it brought back memories of the first time I left my son at "school." My husband and I moved to a new state last July where we didn't know anyone so I signed up my son, who is two, for school two days per week. It allows me to get errands down and sometimes even just relax (am I allowed to say that?!?). Anyways, the list is great. Thanks for sharing!

March 10, 2014 at 2:05 PM

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