Need Help Finding a Daycare

The decision to hire someone to care for your child can be difficult, if you want someone you can trust, and someone your child will be safe with. Before you actually go out and look for a childcare provider, you'll want to ask yourself some important questions. If you take the time to really think about your answers, you'll have laid the groundwork for finding the Right Daycare, Pre School or Kindergarten for your child, and you'll thank yourself later.

• Determine the reasons why you are looking for childcare. Do you need someone to care for your child while you’re at work, is childcare filling a social need for your child, or do you just need some time to yourself? Whatever the reasons, it's important to determine that up front, so you can target the right kind of care.
• What kind of atmosphere is right for your child? Consider your child's personality and needs. Does your child like small, intimate settings or larger environments with more activity? Does he/she have special needs that will require more one-on-one attention?
• Take a look at your schedule. What types of hours are you looking to fill? Are you looking for full-time care? This is known as Long-Day Care, or just a few days or hours each week? It's important to find a program that can work around your schedule to avoid frustrations.
• How far are you willing to travel? Are you looking for something close to home, close to work, or will you commute farther for that perfect caregiver? What if you can’t find that perfect Centre in your Area, but you have found one that is some distance from your home? This should be considered.
• What do you think a typical day should look like? Are you looking for a program with a structured curriculum, like a preschool, or something with a more casual, unscheduled routine? How old is your child? 3-5 yrs would mean that you could be looking for a Pre School.
• What are your goals for your child in regard to childcare? Do you want your child to become more social, to learn to read, or simply to be in a secure, fun environment while you're at work? Again, the age of your child could have a bearing on the type of Facility you would enroll your child in.
• What is your budget? Sit down and decide what you can afford before you even start looking at programs. Many families find out that with the high cost of good childcare, it sometimes makes more sense financially for one parent to stay home with the child and work part-time. Some states may provide financial rebates if your child is enrolled in a Childcare Facility. You would be best served to contact the Local State Governments for any details on these possibilities.

Once you've organized your initial thoughts, goals, and priorities, you're better prepared to start looking, and to ask the tough questions at the interview.

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