What q's should I ask when enquiring?

[Mum2Romone]

about a child care centre?
what did you ask?

[BrightSparkles]

Hang on i'll try and find the list I've posted before

ETA - FOUND IT! HTH

This is more for family daycare but if your looking at a centre there'd be similar questions.
1. Area that they use - is it safe eg, safety gates where needed etc, cords etc...all the things you'd expect
2. Discipline - you want someone who is going to use appropriate discipline.
3. Routines - is the carer going to try and follow some of your routines or put DS/DD into a new routine so that it suits them??
4. Outings - does the carer have approved car seats etc. This is a requirement that car seats meet Aus safety standards but you'd be surprised. Also, you may not want a carer who is going to be out everyday with your baby - some carers are known for just going out and meeting for coffee everyday...
5. Check bottle prep and nappy change area - is it clean etc
6. Toys and activites - does she do things that are stimulating to the child and age appropriate. You are well within your rights to insepct what she does have for the kids in care.
7. Sleep area - does each child have thier own beds, do you have to supply bedding etc. if not are they washed regularly?
8. Check fee schedules and make sure you read your contract!!! Some carers will charge you astronomically amounts if you pick kids up late or reverse, charge you for dropping them early.
9. Nappy levies - this is usually charged as a once a day fee (eg. I pay an extra $2 a day as a nappy levi). Do they only allow disp. or can you use cloth if you chose to?
10. You are within your rights to go and watch and interact with the kids at anytime to make sure you are comfortable with the carer/centre - if they say no then i'd be wary!
11. What do you have to supply and what do they provide???
12. Pets- do they have them, do they have access to play/sleep areas, are you comfortable with them??

13.What kind of food do they supply if any?

I guess some of the main differences are if your FDC'er is sick, you will need to find alternative care where is a centre there is another person there, there is more one to one time with kids in FDC compared to a centre where there is a higher ratio of kids to staff.

hmmm..... I can't think of anything else at the moment but if I do I will post it for you.
I know it seems like allot of things, but leaving your kids with someone other than family is a big step so you want to check everything and not get caught out anywhere.

[CinderToriella]

Good post Sunshine

[Crystalwings]

I would also be asking to see the centre's philosophy to make sure that it is aligned with your beliefs about what good quality care should be.

Ask for a copy of the centre's behaviour managment policy.

Ask to look at a sample menu if they provide food.

Ask about sleep routines if your child has a sleep and how they settle children.

Ask about centre holidays. Does the centre shut down over xmas etc and for how long.

Does the centre have a daily diary and portfolio's for children.

What are the qualifications of staff and staff ratios?

Thats all I can think of for now. HTH

[human bean]

Also ask what their Accreditation status is and look for their NCAC validation that should be displayed somewhere - if you can't find it ask to see it. You can also look on the NCAC website at their accreditation history.

I would also ask them about their unwell/sick children policy, ask for a read of it and ask them to give you an example of how hey enforce it. Do they notify families via signage if there is an outbreak of illness within the Centre eg. gastro, chicken pox etc and require clearances for children to return.