When I went back to work after DS1, he was in day care near work and it worked really well. The three of us (DH, DS and I) drove in to town together so we had extra family time, and DH and I went to the day care centre every lunch time to see DS (until he moved up a room and lunchtime was sleep time). Also there was never a rush to pick him up before closing. Now both boys are in daycare near home and it's less convenient, but not too bad. Only one time did DH and I both have late meetings then we got stuck in a traffic jam - we just made it there at 3 minutes to 6 (closing time).

The things I would look for most of all are the way the carers relate to the kids, how they relate to you (do you feel like you could get along with them and trust them with your kids) etc, and also what type of facilities they have - will they be stimulated enough etc. It might take more than one visit to be sure, but first impressions count for a lot. We are very lucky, both centres we have used have been fantastic. Also bear in mind that the centre is only as good as it's staff, so be wary of frequent staff changes - it wouldn't hurt to ask about turnover up front. GL, it's a hard decision.