Trusting someone to care for your children while you are at work is a BIG decision. There are so many things to consider when trying to find the right fit for your family. As a former director at a childcare center, here’s what I think are the most important things to look for when choosing a childcare center:
Most Important: Budget and Tour
The first thing to do is set your budget. Knowing what you can and are willing to spend each week for care is important. You don’t want to tour a location that is out of your budget only to fall in love with it and not be able to afford to send your child there.
Once your budget is set, schedule a tour. You want to be able to interact with the director and teachers. You want to see how clean the center is, see how they interact with the kids, look at the lesson plans, and make sure you feel comfortable in the location.
Questions to Ask During Your Tour
Each licensed center is required to have a binder complete with all their inspections and any special investigations that have happened. Ask to see the binder to look over any investigations that have come up while the center has been open. You’ll be able to see the complaint, the report made by the investigator and any follow-up action plans that the center was required to take to rectify the issue.
While touring the center, ask what your tuition includes. Are you expected to provide food, or will the center be providing meals? Do they provide diapers and wipes or are those things that you need to send with your child each day? How do vacation days work? Will you be required to pay for days your child isn’t at the center or are there vacation credits that are offered? Ask how tuition is paid, when it’s due, and if there are sibling discounts.
Ask if there are lesson plans that you can look at so you can get an idea of what your child will be focusing on while at the center each day.
How do the teachers communicate your child’s day to you? Is there a report that they send home? Do they use an app to send messages and information about eating and sleeping habits?
Your Comfort is Most Important
Ultimately, the most important thing is ensuring that you feel comfortable leaving your child(ren) at this location. These people will be caring for your child upwards of 8 hours a day. It’s important that you feel comfortable with the teachers, the administrators, the policies and the mission of the center! Trusting your gut is key, you want good vibes only. 😊
Childcare is limited right now, so it’s important to start your research early. Infant classrooms have been known to have a year to a year and half waiting list. If you know you will need childcare in the future, it’s important to start touring centers as soon as possible to ensure you are able to get a spot when you need it!
We’re Here to Help
If you’d like to talk with a Family Support Navigator about how to choose the right childcare center for your little one, email us at navigation@familyfutures.net or contact us on our website. Also – our friends at Great Start to Quality have an amazing database of childcare centers in the Grand Rapids area! Check that out here: Grand Rapids Childcare Center Search
