The Button Law Firm Explains How a Simple Phone Call Can Help Parents Spot a Safe Daycare

How a Quick Phone Call Can Reveal a Lot About a Daycare

When choosing childcare, parents often focus on in-person tours, online reviews, and recommendations from friends. But there’s another step that can give you valuable insight into how a daycare operates: picking up the phone and calling them directly.

This isn’t just about asking basic questions. A phone call can help you gauge the overall warmth, professionalism, and communication style of the people who will be caring for your child. It’s also a way to see if the facility is accessible when you need them most.

What to Look for When You Call

During your call, pay attention to how the staff interacts with you:

• Do they answer promptly and with a friendly tone?
• Are they knowledgeable about the policies and safety measures you may have discussed during a tour?
• Do you reach the facility or are you routed through a corporate call center?

Some large daycare chains operate like retail stores, making speaking with someone inside the building challenging. In an emergency, you must know you can quickly connect with the right person. Testing this before enrolling can save you stress later on.

Key Questions to Ask and Red Flags to Watch For

Here are some important questions to ask during your call, along with examples of strong, safety-focused answers you should hope to hear:

1. What is your discipline policy?
   A good answer: “We use a calm and positive reinforcing approach to discipline. We never use yelling, belittling, or any form of physical or emotional abuse.”
2. How is your facility childproofed?
   A good answer: “We follow all state regulations. Furniture is secured to walls, cords are kept out of children’s reach, electrical outlets are covered, and harmful products are locked away.”
3. How do you keep track of children throughout the day?
   A good answer: “Our caregivers count and use a name-to-face recognition system whenever we move from one area to another to ensure no child is left behind.”
4. How do you ensure safety during playtime and in the classroom?
   A good answer: “We maintain appropriate child-to-caregiver ratios and closely monitor all children to make sure they receive the attention they need at all times.”

If a daycare can’t answer these questions clearly or if its answers make you uneasy, it’s worth reconsidering whether it’s the right environment for your child.

Protecting Your Child Starts with the Right Questions

Taking the time to make this phone call gives you an extra layer of confidence before making one of the most important decisions for your family. Clear, open communication is a sign of a responsible childcare provider—and if you can’t easily reach them now, it may be even harder when it matters most.

If you suspect your child has been harmed due to a daycare’s negligence, contact The Button Law Firm today at 214-699-4409, intake@buttonlawfirm.com, or through our contact form.