The Quest for a Great Daycare

As I return from my “maternity leave” from blogging, my maternity leave from work is also coming to an end.  I have very mixed emotions about returning to work: I cherished every single moment I had at home with my baby, but I have missed my friends at work and I really do love my job and look forward to getting back into my library.  Ideally we’d be leaving Audrey with her grandparents, but Iowa and Atlanta are a little too far for a daily commute, so Audrey will be starting daycare soon.  I won’t focus on the specific places we liked or didn’t like because what works for us may not work for your family.  Instead, I offer some tips based on our experience in the quest for a great daycare.[hr]

Start early.

We began looking into daycare when I was about four months pregnant.  We figured that about eight months until she’d start daycare (five months until she was born, then two or three for maternity leave)  would be plenty of time to make a decision and work our way to the top of any waiting list.  Imagine my surprise (and panic!) when the first place I called said I was #28 on the list for the infant room and that many of these families had been on the list for over a year!  Start searching as soon as possible so your decision isn’t limited by availability.

Your friends are your number one resource.

We were clueless about where to look or what we should ask when we visited a center (and what the right answer should be!).  This is one situation where 85,000 hits from Google is the opposite of helpful.  If you’re new to the area or are the first in your group to have kids ask around at work, the gym, or any other places you frequent.  Not only did our friends give us a short list of preapproved places to check out, they also told us things to look for in a great daycare.

Shop around.

Visiting lots of different types of daycares will help you figure out what you do and don’t like.  Even if your mind has been set on an in-home daycare, visiting a few centers will help you make a more informed decision.

Create a list of questions before you visit.

When we visited a center the caregivers would always ask if we had any questions.  As a first time mom I felt a little ridiculous having nothing to ask; after all, these people would be caring for my child soon!  But in truth I had no idea what to ask.  Now that I’m an experienced mom (three months qualifies me as “experienced”, right? J ) I have a better idea of what I need to know.  Consider the following:

• How many children and adults are typically in the room?
• What kind of a schedule or routine does the room follow?
• What kinds of activities will my child participate in?  For babies, where will they be when they are awake? (crib, swing, play mat, bouncer, floor)
• How should my child’s things (bottles, clothing, diapers, wipes, diaper cream, etc.) be labeled?
• How should expressed breast milk be sent with my child? Does it need to be in the bottle already, or are frozen bags okay?
• Where do you store breast milk?  Is there a designated refrigerator, or does it need to be sent in a small cooler?
• What happens to an unfinished bottle?  Is it dumped out, saved, or reused?
• Is there a comfortable place for me to nurse my child at the center?
• For older children: Is any food provided by the daycare?  Am I allowed to send food from home?
• Where is my child allowed to sleep?  Is a swing allowed or only in a crib?
• What is allowed to be in the crib?  Can they have a blanket or other comfort item?  Can they be swaddled in the crib?
• What sort of communication happens between parents and caregivers?  Do caregivers keep a daily log of eating, sleeping, diapers, and other activities for each child?
• Is there a place to store a car seat during the day to allow for flexibility of pick up?
• Are there any shared supplies in the room (wipes, tissues, diapers, blankets, etc.)?
• What do I need to do if I plan to drop off or pick up my child at a different time than usual?
• What payment plans do you offer?  What does my payment cover?
• Is there a discount or special price for siblings?
• What holidays are you closed?  What is your policy for vacation/summers?
• What security measures are in place?
• What are your emergency procedures?

Some of these may seem like “duh” questions but were not so obvious to us during our initial search.  These kinds of questions can be asked whether you are looking into an in-home daycare or a center and will help you decide which is right for your family.

Go with your gut.

We left the first daycare we visited with a very weird feeling.  Neither of us could explain it; we just knew that place wasn’t for us even though it had come highly recommended from a few friends.  It’s okay to make a different decision than your neighbor or best friend.

Let go of the guilt.

Okay, maybe this one is just for me.  Am I the only one who feels a little guilty leaving her precious baby in the care of people she just met?  Whether you are choosing to return to work or you do so out of necessity to support your family, you are a wonderful mother for doing what is best for your family!  So focus on the positive aspects of your child being in daycare, like social interaction with other children, developing independence, and more opportunities to learn.  Guilt will only cause you to make emotional decisions about child care, so let it go (let it go!) and remember that you are just finding more people who will love your child (thanks for that advice, Lindsay!)

Although I’m anxious about returning to work and leaving Audrey in daycare, knowing we took our time and did our research to find the best possible place for her makes it easier.  Please share any tips you can to help other mommas in their quest for a great daycare!