In today’s dual income world, most families will need to find some form of daycare for their children. With so many options available, finding the right care provider for your child can be daunting. This article is designed to help simplify your decision.

Introduction

Like many families, my wife and I are not fortunate enough financially to allow one of us to stay home with our daughter. After four months at home, we needed to find daycare for her so that I could return to my job. Though we dreaded the prospect of leaving our little angel in professional care, we also knew that there were a variety of care options available to our family. Since my wife had taken some early childhood coursework, we had basic ideas in what to look for in a quality day care provider. The purpose of this article is to share some of our experience in the hope of helping others make informed choices about child care.

Center vs. At-Home Care

The most basic distinction in the daycare world is between center-based daycare and at-home daycare. Daycare centers, by definition, have multiple care providers (often called teachers), and tend to care for large numbers of children. At-home daycare usually consists of one or two providers who care for children where they live. At-home daycare providers often have children of their own who the provider cares for along with your children. It is important to recognize that there are important advantages and disadvantages to each type of arrangement.

One of the key advantages of at-home daycare relative to center-based daycare is cost. Though it is not very pleasant to think about pinching pennies when our children our involved, daycare is very expensive. For many parents, the cost of daycare, especially for infants, will rival the monthly rent or mortgage payment. Full time infant daycare can cost well over 250 dollars per week, depending on where you live. At-home daycare usually costs approximately 20-30 percent less than the daycare center alternative. If your total daycare center bill for a single infant is 10-12 thousand dollars per year, a savings of 20-30 percent is significant. Keep in mind that as your child gets older, the weekly cost for full time daycare should decrease, even adjusting for overall childcare price increases.

A second advantage to the at-home arrangement is flexibility. With some limited exceptions, most daycare centers open at around 6AM and close at around 6PM. If you show up to pick up your child after 6PM, you are often subject to a late charge and a per-minute fee for the extra time. Under ordinary circumstances, if you are more than 15-30 minutes late to pick up your child, the center will contact the police. This may seem harsh, but centers must protect your children and their own legal interests. Most at-home providers will provide you with more flexible hours. If you ask in advance, at-home providers will usually work around your schedule. If you need second or third-shift daycare, however, you will need to search a lot harder for an at-home provider who will accommodate you.

A third potential advantage of at-home daycare arrangements is continuity. Daycare center employees do not make much money, especially considering the importance of the job they do. As a result, there tends to be a lot of employee turnover at the average center. As a result, your child may have several different teachers during the course of a single year. At-home providers, if they remain open, do not have turnover. If you like the way that your at-home provider interacts with your child, you can usually count on that interaction to continue.

Daycare centers also have several key advantages over at-home daycare. First, employees at centers tend to have better training than at-home providers. Many centers require at least one person in each room (a room leader) to have early childhood education training. Several of the employees will likely have current CPR and first aid training as well. The center director will have established emergency procedures for just about every situation. As a result, daycare centers tend to be more equipped to deal with unanticipated situations if they arise.

Daycare centers also tend to have a better curriculum than do at-home providers. With an infant, this is not that important. However, as your child gets older, it will become increasingly important to make sure that your child spends their day in an educational environment. While my daughter was at a daycare center, she was able to take computer and dance classes, as well as educational and fun field trips. Usually an at-home provider will have fewer of these opportunities available for your child. In addition, daycare centers tend to have large play areas for your child to enjoy. At-home daycare is often more limited in terms of play equipment.

Finally, you can usually be confident that your daycare center will be there when you need it. Though daycare centers are less flexible than their at-home counterparts, they are also less likely to close. Like many small businesses, the failure rate for at-home daycare providers is relatively high. Many at-home providers are surprised by the expenses involved in running their business. In addition, stay-at-home parents who start daycare businesses often move on to other professions when their children are old enough to attend school. There is also the issue of sickness and vacation. If your at-home provider is ill, it is possible that you will have to find alternative arrangements for your child on that day. Most at-home providers also ask for at least two weeks of prearranged vacation time. Often, that vacation time does not fit with your family’s schedule. During these periods, you will also have to locate alternative care for your child or children. Most daycare centers are only closed on major holidays. Many parents have these vacation days as well.

Choosing an At-Home Provider

If you have lived in the same community for awhile, word of mouth endorsements are one of the best ways to find an at-home provider. Some of your friends or relatives may have children in daycare, or may even operate an at-home daycare of their own. Ask around and you will get some very useful information. If you are using the word of mouth method, make sure that you get as many reviews as possible. Any at-home provider should have a list of references available for you to call. Some helpful questions to ask the provider and her/his references are provided below.

If you are new in a community, and don’t know many people, you should be aware that there are often community referral resources available that can help you find a quality at-home provider. Contact your local department of health and human services to see if there is a referral service available in your community. After my wife and I relocated to the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area, we paid a very small fee for access to one of these referral services. The information provided, which included details about curriculum and licensing, was invaluable.

Here are some questions that you should ask any potential at-home provider.

Are you licensed?

Different states have different requirements for at-home daycare licensing. You must make sure that your at-home provider is licensed to provide daycare. This is the most basic step in ensuring your child’s safety. In addition, if you have a flex plan at work that allows you to save for daycare expenses on a pre-tax basis, your employer will normally only dispense funds to a licensed provider. Ask to see a copy of the license.

What training and experience do you have?

Ideally, your at-home provider will have long-term experience in the field. In addition, they will have taken some early childhood classes or have an early childhood degree. Quality at-home providers will also have CPR and basic first-aid training.

How many children do you care for, including your own? How old are they?

State and local licensing agencies impose limits on how many children an at-home provider can care for. There will be a total enrollment cap that includes the provider’s own children, as well as age-specific enrollment caps. Make sure that your potential provider will not bump your child because they will be at capacity when little Suzie comes back from summer vacation (believe me, this does happen). You also want to make sure that your child will have children their own age to play with.

What is your nutrition plan?

State licensing is often a bit more vague when it comes to nutrition. Minimum requirements exist, but you will want to ask what types of food your child will actually be eating. If your child has food allergies or other nutritional needs, you will want to make sure that your at-home provider can meet those requirements.

What is your curriculum?

Your at-home provider should have a plan to help your child learn. Even infants need some degree of structure. For example, my daughter’s original at-home provider used the popular Mother Goose curriculum. At-home providers are a lot like the old style one-room school teachers. They need to be able to accommodate the developmental needs of children at multiple stages.

When can I come in to observe you in action?

You should make sure to visit any potential at-home provider while they are working. You want to see how the provider interacts with the children. Do they seem to like being there? Does the provider play favorites? Is there structure and fun? You will also want to look around a bit. Look at the areas of the home where your child will be. Check the outlets and cabinet doors to make sure they are adequately child-proofed. Make sure there is a fire extinguisher and first-aid kit at hand. Are food allergies displayed near the food preparation area? Also check the play area(s). Will your child have fun playing here? Is it a safe environment? There is a lot to look for so try to have a checklist when you go.

What are your vacation requirements?

Daycare providers need vacation time too. You just need to make sure that their expectations match your needs. Often, an at-home provider can help you find alternative care sources when they go on vacation. Ideally, your at-home provider will also provide you with vacation days. Normally, you need to pay your daycare bill whether your child is there or not. You should be provided with some vacation days so that you can go on a trip or care for a sick child at home without being charged.

May I have a list of your references?

Get the list of references and be sure to actually call them. Ask references about their general experience with the provider, as well as any specific concerns you might have. You can find out a lot about your providers childcare habits by talking to references. In addition, ask them what types of art and education projects that their children bring home. This way, you will have a better idea of what your child will get out of the experience.

Choosing a Daycare Center

The word of mouth and referral methods apply to daycare centers as well. In addition, here are some questions that you should ask.

What experience and training do you require of your employees?

At daycare centers, children are grouped in rooms by age. Each room should have at least one teacher with early childhood training. In addition, there should always be someone at the center who has up to date CPR and first-aid training.

Is your center accredited; with what agency?

All centers are licensed. Most good centers are also accredited. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is one of the primary accreditation bodies. Being accredited means that the center has gone above and beyond the minimum licensing requirements.

What is your employee turnover rate?

Turnover is high at daycare centers. However, good centers will often have lower turnover rates. This is good for you and your children. Ideally, there will be at least one experienced provider in each room.

What is your teacher/child ratio in each age group?

While there are state minimums, some centers have better teacher/child ratios than others. Be aware, however, that a lower teacher/child ratio will usually make the center more expensive.

What is your menu plan?

The center should have a printout of what meals are served each day in the center. They should also have a food allergy list in each room.

What is your curriculum?

Most centers have a well-developed education plan for children under their care. Lesson plans are normally posted in your child’s room at the center.

When can I come in to observe you in action?

You should visit the room your child will be in and watch the teachers in action. In addition to the items listed in the at-home section, you should try to get an idea about how different teachers handle discipline in the room. If your child is an infant, make sure that diapers and bottles are labeled so that they are not mixed and matched.

What are your vacation requirements?

With a center, you will not have to deal with a provider going on vacation because there will be a substitute. You will want to find out about how many “sick days” and vacation days that your child gets. If your child attends full time, you will normally get two weeks of vacation time that you will not have to pay for. Otherwise, you pay whether your child is there or not.

May I have a list of your references?

Once again, get the references and call them.

Do you offer discounts through specific employers or insurance providers?

Many times, employees of specific companies can get a discount at specific daycare centers. Your employer can give you some of this information. However, you should also ask at the center. In addition, some centers provide discounts for families with specific health insurance carriers. A typical discount is 10 percent.

What is your multi-child discount (if applicable)

Most centers offer discounts if you have more than one child enrolled. You can do some comparison shopping to find the best discounts at the best centers.

Conclusion

Finding the right daycare center for you and your child is not always easy. By asking the right questions, however, you can find a trustworthy provider without breaking the family budget. Since there are so many questions to ask, you should make a list on paper and bring it with you. Taking good notes using those notes to compare contending providers is time well-spent. Any provider worth your time will be willing to answer your questions with care and courtesy.

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