The Day Care Guide: Quality Care and Your Day Care

Whether you're looking at a day care center for the first time, or evaluating the quality of the ongoing care your child receives, you shouldn't skip over the details. New situations are often difficult for both young children and caregivers. Children especially need to take the time to settle in, get to know new people, and feel comfortable in a new routine.

Evaluating a New Day Care

• Do all caregivers and children wash their hands often, especially before eating and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and going outside to play?
• Is the diaper changing station clean and neat?
• Do caregivers always keep one hand on the child while diapering?
• Is the garbage brought out every night?
• Are caregivers attentive to your child and mindful of his well-being-is the ratio of staff to children appropriate?
• Is the playground inspected for safety often?
• Is the playground surrounded by a fence?
• If there is a sandbox, is it clean?
• Are the soil and playground surfaces checked often for dangerous substances and hazards?
• Is the playground equipment the right size and type for the age of children who use it?
• Is the center's caregiving philosophy consistent with your own?
• Evaluate the health and safety procedures and general policies of the center.
• Is the staff prepared to handle an emergency?

Evaluating Ongoing Care

• Visit it unannounced a few times, preferably at different times of day.
• Observe how your child responds to the staff, other children, and general environment.
• Ask your child how they're enjoying the day care facility, teachers and new friends.
  • What does she say about her day when you pick her up?
  • Does she seem relaxed and happy when discussing it, or uptight and sad? Most young children are tired at the end of the day, but this doesn't necessarily mean the day wasn't fun.
  • Is she happy about making friends there, or is she having difficulty with the other children?
  • Is she learning to share?
• Schedule a parent-teacher conference with your child's teacher to see how it's going overall. They may have keen insight into whether or not your child is thriving in her environment.

While children often go through phases at the day care facility they attend, you should have the consistent feeling of having made a good match, both for you and your child. If you feel like something isn't right, look into it. Dropping a child off at a day care center which offers loving care, a safe environment, and like-minded peers for constructive interaction will provide your whole family with peace of mind.

You can use Care.com to find a new day care center. Visit our Day Care Directory and search by ZIP code to find a day care near you.

Lisa Tabachnick Hotta writes about parenting and other issues for Care.com. A freelance writer, editor and researcher, she has two young children.