How Do I Choose a Safe Daycare for My Child?

Parents work hard every day to provide for their families, and a lot of times parents need a daycare to help them with their children. As daycare becomes more popular, parents have a lot of options to choose from.

First-time parents who have never dealt with the daycare scene might get overwhelmed with all of the different options they have to choose from and often go with the first place they visit.

Unfortunately, a lot of daycare centers don’t have the proper training, employees with correct qualifications, licenses, and child-proof facilities. When a daycare doesn’t care enough to put children before profit, many injuries can occur.

This is why we want to give tips for parents searching for a daycare.

If you are a parent dealing with a daycare injury, please check out our article: What Options Do Texas Parents Have For A Claim Against The Daycare Where Their Child Was Injured

Important Tips for Choosing a Safe Daycare for Your Child

1. What’s The Daycare’s Security Like?

The first thing you will want to consider is how secure the daycare is. By that, we mean, can anyone walk in and out? We prefer for daycare centers to have a waiting area where parents have to get checked in and out that way the daycare knows exactly who is in the daycare at all times. Daycare Centers should also have cameras all over the facility to keep children safe. Although a lot of daycare do have the cameras installed, a lot of the time they are not turned on and running. In the scenario that a child was to get hurt while at daycare, the security camera footage will play a key element in the investigation. It will show the truth of what happened. The footage will speak for the children who can’t speak for themselves.

2. What’s The Daycare's Hiring Process?

As a parent, you have a right to know who will be looking after your child while not in your care. We suggest that parents ask the daycare manager what their hiring process is like. For example, you’ll want to know where they get recruited from and how they can apply. How many interviews are there before a final decision is made? Do they have a preference in age? Do they need prior experience, etc? Have a list of questions to ask ready before touring the daycare.

Check out our article on qualified employees: What Can Dallas Daycares Do To Hire Qualified Employees?

3. Does The Daycare Have Insurance And Licensing?

Will your children be covered if they were to get hurt at this daycare? Do the teachers have the correct and latest CPR skills? These are questions that are important to ask when searching for a daycare. Every parent likes to believe that nothing could ever happen to their child until it does. We suggest going for daycare centers with proper licensing and full coverage insurance.

4. What Is the Child-to-Caregiver Ratio at the Daycare?

A parent should ask this at the beginning of a daycare tour, pay attention to classrooms, and make sure it is correct according to the State’s regulations. The State set a specific child-to-caregiver ratio to prevent any injuries at daycare.

Be alert to details of how many children are in one classroom. Are they in the same age group? Does the teacher seem like he or she has it all under control, or is she stressed?

5. Is The Daycare Going to Limit or Discourage Visitation?

If, for any reason, the daycare doesn't want parents to come around at any time of the day, this should be a huge red flag. Parents have the right to come in and visit their children as needed.

6. Ask For References of the Daycare(s)

We always tell parents to ask for references at the daycare. By this, we mean that the daycare should find parents willing to give you their experience. If they can’t find anyone as a reference, just read all the reviews. Especially the bad reviews, and trust your gut feeling.

7. Call the Daycare

Give the daycare center you have in mind a quick call and see their attitude while answering the phones. Are they sweet? Do they give you all of the information you ask for? Does this sound like a person you want near your child?

8. Visit the Daycare With Your Child Before Enrollment

When you have narrowed down your options for the daycare center that catches your eye, visit them and take your child. You may feel one way about the daycare, but your child’s feelings may differ. Does he seem nervous? Shy?

Also, pay attention to how other children and teachers treat them.

9. Go to Your Child’s First Day at Daycare

Ask the daycare center if they can give you a “trial run” to see how your child feels while being at daycare alone. Similar to the above, this will be able to let you know if this is the daycare for your family or not.

10. Do Your Research On the Daycare

We can’t stress this enough to parents. Please don’t settle for the first daycare you find. Ask questions, tour the facility, look at reviews, and call the daycare. This is where your child will spend a lot of time away from you. You want to ensure that they will be under the best possible care.

Get More Detailed Information on Finding a Safe Daycare

For more information on finding a safe daycare, be sure to download our free guide, 10 Tips for Finding a Safe Daycare. If you have further questions about finding a safe daycare, don't hesitate to reach out to our team by calling (214) 699-4409 or by filling out the contact form at the bottom of this page. You can also reach out to us by starting a chat below.