Questions to ask Daycare / Preschool: A very thorough list!
If only I had thought of all of these questions the first time I put my daughter in group childcare, I wouldn’t have had to pull her out and then find another placement for her. Doing this twice was NO fun; the second time around I had a lot more questions given our first, awful experience. Leaving your child in a childcare facility is incredibly difficult for many, but it can be a little easier if you know what you’re in for and find a good fit for your family. Ask as many questions as you can before you start! It will help you feel a bit more at ease when you leave them on day one.
You may not need to ask ALL of these questions in person, and some of the answers may be on the facility’s website, but I think it’s super important to at least skim this list so you can think about your OWN FAMILY PREFERENCES and desires before you start touring daycares and preschools!
After typing this whole post, I felt a little embarrassed by how many questions are on this list. However, I’m not going to edit it down! This childcare facility you choose will essentially be CO-RAISING your child with you! It’s good to be thorough (if you want to be)!
I’ll start with some general tips and then list the questions by category.
General Tips
Start touring or researching 9-12 months ahead so you aren’t stressed or rushed in your decision making down the line. MORE than 12 months ahead in big cities like NYC, LA, SF, CHICAGO etc.
Ask a mix of open ended and specific questions
Tour the facility without kids there AND try to observe when kids are in session as well
Get clear on what (if any) education philosophy you prefer and make sure to research ahead so you can ask any questions specific to it during your tour
Decide if you’d like a home based daycare / preschool or a center based program
Look around for “container baby” red flags, especially at daycares that take smaller pre-crawling kids. Is your child going to be moved from “bucket seat” to “bouncer” to a very small space to crawl around in?
Be honest: sometimes parents feel that they need to answer questions during tours and interviews a certain way. However, it’s important to be really clear on who your family is and how your family/child may or may not fit into the culture at the daycare or preschool you’re interviewing. Better to know now than be surprised later…!
ASK TO SPEAK TO CURRENT FAMILIES!! Most schools are happy to provide references upon request. They are probably going to send you to families they know are happy, of course… Here are a few things to ask them:
What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about the school?
How is the communication from director/teachers?
Does your child like going to school?
What do you wish you knew before you started at this school?
Questions to Ask
SAFETY & HEALTH
Are masks required for kids? Teachers?
Do the school and teachers have training in identifying ticks? What precautions do they take to prevent tick bites when outdoors? Lyme disease and other tick illnesses are ALL OVER now, not just the east coast of North America. The school should have some knowledge in prevention.
What is their sunscreen policy (do you apply at home? do they apply or reapply? can you send your own brand?)
Is there a sign in/out policy?
Are there any locks, keypads, cameras, etc.)? Safety protocols that are unique to the school or location?
What is the vaccine policy?
What is the plan in case of a natural disaster, school shooting and/or if cell phone use is limited?
Are they licensed, regulated, accredited? NOTE: you can (should!) contact licensing in your area to inquire about violations or complaints BEFORE YOU ACCEPT AND GIVE A DEPOSIT!
EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY
Is there one?
How rigid is it? (i.e. Waldorf is a low tech and media education philosophy, but each school enforces this to different levels. One example is that some daycares will enforce the rule of no media or characters displayed on clothing and others will not)
Some popular education philosophies to research beforehand are: Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, Bank Street and more…)
What kinds of play and activities are provided (kids choose, open ended, outdoor, whole group, etc.)
Is there a religious affiliation for this school and how much/to what degree is the religious aspect emphasized? How is the religious aspect handled for students and families who do not identify as that religion?
Are there parent teacher conferences or educational goals to be met?
Academic or play based learning?
HYGIENE
How often do kids wash their hands?
Are children with runny noses (but no fever) allowed to attend?
Do teachers wear gloves to change diapers?
What are the cleaning procedures? Do they change if someone has been ill?
Does the school or program have a plan for childhood parasites like pinworms, lice, scabies, etc.?
FOOD, SNACKS, DRINKS
Who provides food: parents or school?
If they provide food: can you see a sample menu?
Is the food organic?
Do they serve milk, if so what kind (organic, 2%, whole milk, etc.).
Do they have water bottles easily accessible for children to drink water from? Is the water filtered?
Is water restricted in any way (I.e. only after meals, etc.)
Are they comfortable providing reminders for your child to drink water?
How are food allergies handled?
Is the campus nut free or peanut free (or both)?
What is the birthday policy (sweets, treats, baked goods, parties, kids with allergies etc. – what is allowed?)
BATHROOM, DIAPERS & SLEEP
How often are children reminded to go to the bathroom?
What is the potty training / toilet training / toilet learning philosophy for the school (is it required to be toilet trained before arriving or does school help?)
Will school support your family’s chosen potty training philosophies or preferences (I.e. One location we toured said they followed the parent’s lead for how to potty train, and then a few minutes later they said “but we can’t have kids having accidents here so they have to wear pull ups all day when potty training <— listen for changes like that “yes, but….no.”
How do they deal with pee and poop accidents?
How often should you send diapers, wipes, creams?
Is potty training prior to starting the program required?
Do kids nap? How are naps handled? Does everyone nap at once?
CLASSROOM MAKEUP
Are children split by age or some other way?
What is the age range that attends this school (sometimes it’s infants only, other times 2 years and up only, etc.
Do families of various racial, ethnic, financial, gender etc. backgrounds attend this daycare / preschool?
TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS
What is the owner/director’s educational background and experience?
What kind of educational background and experience do teachers and staff have?
Are the teachers and staff required to have certain credentials or training to be hired?
What is the adult:child ratio?
What is their substitute teacher plan?
How are substitutes trained?
What is the staff turnover rate?
What do they look for when hiring teachers?
What is parental involvement (especially if it’s a co-op, which usually requires a lot of parental involvement in exchange for decreased tuition).
SEPARATION POLICY
When new children start, what is the process?
How long do they wait until calling a parent for help?
What strategies do they use when children are crying?
Are they open to easing children in a few hours a day, or is it more of a “rip the band aid off” whole day immersion approach?
If parents do not want to/cannot be called in to help, can they handle the crying on their own and feel comfortable with a “school handles it” approach?
COST
What is the tuition? Is there financial assistance available/what are requirements?
How is payment delivered (check, credit card, online payment) and by what day of the month?
Is payment split into 10 or 12 payments?
Are there any additional fees (application fee, materials fee, cleaning fees)?
Should we budget for any other expenses throughout the year (i.e. family barbeque, teacher gifts, etc.)
TECHNOLOGY
Are screens, TV shows, movies, iPads etc. used at all?
Is there an option to opt out of technology use?
KINDERGARTEN READINESS
Is learning more play based or traditional sitting and listening to a lesson?
If children are able to attend through age 5, is there a plan for kindergarten readiness?
How do teachers evaluate kindergarten readiness?
SCHEDULE
What percent of time are children outdoors?
What is the plan for outdoor time during inclement weather?
How often do they do whole group seated activities vs. small groups? How long are children required to “sit and attend” ?
Is part time enrollment an option (2, 3, 4 days per week)?
If part time: can days be consecutive (i.e. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) vs. every other day? Note: Some children will benefit from consecutive days so that they know which their home vs. school days are.
Is there the option for early drop off or extended aftercare?
Ask for a copy of the vacation schedule; are there any additional staff training days you should know about in advance?
Ask them to share “a day in the life” at this daycare / school.
Ask for a sample weekly schedule (if you choose part time and there’s a special weekly event like a cooking day, for example, you may want to choose to have your child’s days include that special day or activity.
COMMUNICATION
How do teachers and directors prefer to communicate with parents (text, in app messages, email, phone, in person at the gate during pick up?)
How often do they communicate?
Are there any photos, video cameras set up, texts sent throughout the day? If so how often (just when a child starts? Each week? Daily?)
What is the director/teacher’s communication style if questions or concerns arise? How can we work together as a team best?
Do they have experience with communicating with co-parents, parents who are divorced, etc.
DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, DISCIPLINE & CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Do they specifically teach about cultural and gender diversity and address stereotypes?
Are students of various abilities and neuro diversities welcome here? Is this an inclusion setting?
How are diversity, anti-racism and gender inclusivity addressed and handled especially if a certain child is being targeted?
How do teachers handle and view discipline?
What style of conflict resolution is used at this program?
OTHER
How do teachers assess for development? Are there benchmarks or goals they expect the child to meet? Are they trained in screening for red flags in academic, social, emotional and physical development?
Are there parent-teacher conferences?
Are the staff practiced in working with neurodiverse learners?
Are the staff equipped to handle any special medical circumstances, disabilities, etc.
How long has the daycare / preschool been around?
How long has the director been at this school?
Are there field trips? (how often, how are kids transported, etc).
What is the application process? Is there a waitlist? Are admissions rolling throughout the year or only 1-2x/year (usually September/January)
How is parking at pick up and drop off?
Ooof! At the end of this, I’m wondering wow, so many questions, why don’t I just keep her home!? Because:
I have to work
Social interaction is good for her!
It’s fun
She will make friends
I will make friends with parents (hopefully?)
If you find the right fit, you can learn a LOT from the childcare providers at your child’s daycare / preschool!
GOOD LUCK!
