You’ve spent the last nine months making sure you’ve done everything right. Your house is childproofed and you made sure you got the safest car seat, crib, and stroller. Now you need to find the perfect childcare center. Where do you begin? Read on to learn about the top questions prospective parents should be asking daycares on their radar.
Top 3 Questions to Ask Prospective Infant Care Center
- How do you put the infants to sleep?
- What does the daily routine look like?
- What ages are in the room?
Is the Childcare Center Following Safe Sleep Practices?
Baby safe sleep practices are always being reviewed, but currently, it is considered safest to put babies on their backs to sleep. Does the daycare support this?
Are there individual cribs for each individual infant to sleep in, and are they new and up to the present safety codes? Are they clear of any items that might endanger your child? Ask to see where your infant will be sleeping. Also, ask if they will be following your sleep schedule from home.
What Will the Daily Routine Look Like With This Infant Care Provider?
How is the daily routine of the daycare set up? Does it match what you have at home? Infants don’t do much beyond their basic needs: eat, sleep, play, love. However, when they do these things is critical. It is important for your infant to have a consistent schedule between home and daycare.
You want your childcare provider to be in sync with you and your child as an individual and to customize as your infant grows. Does the infant care provider have developmental toys, games, books, and other items for sensory exploration? Are the babies taken outside? When your child is awake, you want to make sure they are exploring their world and developing appropriately!
Their daily schedule will impact baby’s habits at home, from when they go to bed to how much they eat and more, so you’ll want to verify that they clearly communicate what your baby does during the day – especially their feeding and wake schedules.
What is the Optimal Age Range for the Daycare’s Infant Room?
When considering daycare, it is important to know what ages will be grouped together. Will older children be mixed in, or will it be all infant care? A good rule of thumb is that for infants, you want the age to run from approximately six weeks to one year.
This keeps the focus on babies and baby-specific concerns. What is the teacher-to-child ratio? For infants, you would want a lower ratio than you would consider for older children since babies need more hands-on care. A 1:4 ratio is a comfortable one when considering a childcare facility for infant care.
We know there are many choices when looking at childcare. You can hire a nanny, consider an in-home babysitter, or opt for a daycare. When everyone from your next-door neighbor, to your mother, to your great-aunt Marcie wants to give their opinion, only you can know what the best infant care is for your family.
After reviewing your checklist and touring the facility, you can make your decision with confidence, knowing that, just as you have with everything else, you are making the best selection for your child’s care.