How should I go about picking daycare?

	How should I go about picking daycare? I am a mommy of a 1 & 3 year old little girl. I've never had them In daycare, & Never left them with anyone other than my family & Their daddy's family. I was wondering If someone could give me some questions that I should ask (Not that I don't already have a million; lol) & Maybe give me some tips on choosing the right daycare for my little ones! Thanks. Asked By: - 11/19/2010

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Asking around other parents might be able to point you in the right direction. Visit the places you are thinking about. Don't settle for just the tour and BS the center director will give you. Ask to sit in the room and talk to the teachers. Try not to be intimidating, just friendly. See how they interact with the kids. Ask what kind of activities they do. Just be nice and a good teacher will understand. Let them know you are looking for the right fit, not critiquing their teaching style. A good center will have administrative staff that is nice to the teachers. Rooms should be clean but if they are to perfect the staff is spending more time on cleaning than the kids. "Lived in" is the best look. Decent space for the number of kids. Toys! Find out the laws in your area that regulate how many kids are allowed per teacher. Make sure the center is in compliance. At least ask them about it. I only worked for chain centers, things might be a little different with at home places. Just look for a good fit. Talk to the teachers, make sure they seem happy. Over worked teachers might mean the kids are not getting enough individual attention. It's a hard job. Be nice to the teachers, remember how crazy your life can be and they have that times however many kids plus their personal life. Nannies are great, I was one. I liked how close I was with the child and the whole extended family. I knew their schedule and could keep the son on it. That meant a smooth transition between me and Mom. I went to their house, making Mom's life easier. Get references, have interviews, have a potential nanny come spend a whole day with you so they can see how you interact w/ your child, and vice versa. Good luck! Answered By: MegS - 11/19/2010

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It almost goes with out saying but i'm going to say it... go with your gut. After you tour the place if you don't feel right forget them. Even if one of you is fine with them but the other is not don't do it. Find a place that you both like. If you like the first one you check out still check out a few more to compare notes. You may find out that they were not the best and you like another one more. Make for sure you meet all the teachers not just the ones who will be in the room with your children because eventually they may watch your children too and it is nice to know the names of people that will be seeing your child everyday. Check out every room your child may or may not be in. Ask about their policies for injuries at daycare. Some call you for every little tumble they have regardless of injury or not. Not saying that it is a bad thing but my nephew got a scratch on his finger- no blood no mark nothing and they called my sis in law at work and wrote up an incident report. While others don't tell if your child was bit (which happened to us we pulled our son out of there so fast). Most daycares are secure buildings but I defiantly recommend it. Make sure they have a menu posted of what the children eat. and a schedule of what they will do that day/week. Go to the center at different times to see what the children are doing... art projects ect. and if they seem to enjoy themselves there. check and see if there are art projects that the kids have done on the walls. Answered By: drop_in_the_ocean_2006 - 11/19/2010

Look at the ratings on it and read reviews . check out the teachers and all licenses and the owners first. If all checks out good. Look at the property inside and out. The toys, furniture and so on, and ask about the daily activities the food if its included. Ask about Nap time and if they have a camera going all day or not that you can excess remotely. If its a private daycare in a private persons home do a criminal background check its cheap and worth it. Look at the neighborhood check out if there any child molesters residing in the neighborhood just in case you never can be safe enough. And when all checks out good i would get a nanny teddy bear cam that you can live with your child and look at it end of the day. good luck Answered By: Tunde - 11/19/2010

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How should I go about picking daycare?

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