Questions to ask when deciding which Child Care Centre

Hi Guys,

I am visiting Child Care Centres next week as DS will be going into child care 2-3 days per week next July when he is 15 months old and I want to get my name on some lists to ensure we get him in when the time comes.

As this is my introduction to childcare, what things should I be looking for at the centres? What questions should I ask? What do you think are good/bad things about CC centres

The questions I have for them so far are

• Is food included? Nappies included?
• What are the sleep/play/feed routines
• Sickness policies
• Discipline policy
• Carer ratio to child
• Cost / hours etc

Thanks
Naomi

I would see how I felt about the centre too once I was there, do the kids look happy? are they occupied and interested??
Gut feeling plays a big part too.
Would you consider FDC? Its less children and in a home environment.

Are the carers allowed to cuddle them? For me this was a big thing. I didn't want my sick or upset child to just have their hand held...I wanted them to be comforted.
What are their qualifications?
How many kids are there in each class?

mine was a matter of firstly could the day care cope and secondly is the day care decent

i had a long list and the care manger there sat ddownand went through it with me i was amazed i love the daycare my son goes too best hes been too yet

i hope u find a decent day care

I would also recommend that you ask to see the centre's philosophy to see if it is suited to your vision of good quality child care. I would also ask what accreditation rating they recieved and to see their program.

They're all great questions. I would also ask about transitions between age groups, and when they occur (if they happen frequently it *can* be an indicator of high turnover)

The other advice I would offer is to make sure you know your product. If asking about the ratios, make sure you know what the minimum legal ratios are. Ask about what qualifications the staff have; not just the team leaders, but other staff too.

Discipline is quite an outdated term; most centres would have something more like a behaviour guidance policy. This is just FYI - you might like to go in armed with this knowledge.

Ask them to explain their payments system, as it can vary. Some places do a lot of internet banking, others have eftpos on site, some operate only in cash and cheques. It might not make a difference, but it's good to know.

Call before you go. I really get annoyed at drop-ins who come at a bad time (like when a kid has split his head open, or the roof is leaking, or a baby is screaming and the nursery need extra help) then are unimpressed when I tellt hem to come back later. Save yourself the hassle, and call ahead. There are times in my day when I've got extra staff and it's easier for me to be available.

Rather than ask if they always pick up crying babies, ask "So what do you do when 4 of them are crying at once?" or "Are there any children who just cry all day? What do you do with them?" Firstly because it will give you mroe information, and also, it might just give you some ideas you hadn't thought of (But then again, if you're on BB, that might be redundant! ;))

Good luck!

Try the ncac (national childcare and accreditation council) website (www dot ncac dot gov dot au). They have fact sheets and advice on the appropriate questions to ask :)

ETA once there, search for 'choosing Quality childcare'

With DS' daycare we went and played for 45 minutes while I talked with the carers and watched them with DS and the other kids. I went off that mostly.

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I have visited 3 centres and have found a great one which should have spots when we need them and another that was almost as good which I'd still be happy with. I asked lots of questions and feel heaps better about using CC and that Bailey will be well looked after (maybe not as good as me LOL, but happy and safe nonetheless heheheehe)

Naomi

Noami,

I would also check out www dot mychid dot gov dot au.

There you can search for the child care if they have education programs, fees, operating hrs etc