Jan 31, 20237 min read

75+ Questions to Ask on a Daycare Tour

How to find a daycare provider? Do your research, request tours, and ask lots of questions!

My family has recently been considering switching our childcare provider. I really did not do a lot of research to choose the one we are currently at and since it was mid-pandemic, most providers were not allowing tours. While our current childcare provider is fine, we are exploring options to make sure we are choosing a daycare that is the best fit for our family.

Are you considering starting your child in childcare? It can be scary leaving your child with someone you don't really know. But doing your research for a great child care center can help you feel comfortable when you go to drop off your little one.

Finding a great childcare provider is so important because the first few years of life are the most important years for our children's brain development. So you want to make sure the people and the environment your child is in all day are safe, nurturing, and full of play and learning.

Many daycares are now allowing tours again after putting them on hold during the pandemic. Going on a tour is important in addition to asking questions because you want to have the opportunity to see the facilities and observe interactions between staff and children, observe safety precautions, food storage, etc.

If you are thinking, but what do I look for? What questions should I ask? This post is for you! If you are wanting a printable version of the questions below to take with you on your tour, check out the printable PDF at the bottom of this post!

Finding a Licensed Daycare

The first step, make sure the provider you are considering is a licensed childcare provider.

Unfortunately, this part can be a bit more challenging to verify because it varies by state. You can look on your state's government website. Care.com has a handy tool to link to the correct resource by state.

I have found it pretty confusing in my state because there are a number of providers who are exempt from needing a license. I have found these ones are accredited by a third party. However, this has taken a bit of research, which of course takes quite a bit of time.

Questions to Ask on a Daycare Tour

I highly recommend requesting a daycare tour. The tour gives you an opportunity to see the environment your child will be in firsthand. (Online pictures can be deceiving!). While on the tour or before/after it is a good idea to ask a lot of questions in addition to observing the facility. Below I have compiled a list of questions that can be helpful to ask.

Scary Mommy and childcare.gov have excellent questions/resources for parents that I found while I was doing research for this post.

General Questions

What qualifications and certifications do the teachers have? Do they participate in continuing education and/or professional development?
What type of background checks do the staff go through?
How many kids will be in the classroom?
How many teachers and/or teaching assistants are in the classroom? At all times?
How do you handle communication? How will I know what is going on throughout the day?
When are you closed?
What are your hours? What if one of us is running late?
What are the procedures for drop-off and pick-up?
What are the procedures for someone else (like a grandparent) picking up or dropping off?
Do you allow parents to stop in?
When is tuition due? How do I pay for it?
Do you pro-rate tuition if my child is out for an extended period? (for example, due to illness or quarantine)
What are we expected to provide? What do we need to bring in each day?
Is there a dress code?
Ask about their turnover with teachers. You want a place with low turnover.
Ask if you can meet the teacher they will be with when they first start. That is the scariest time, and it will help you to know who they will be with all day. If they are not there, once you choose a facility, I would ask if you can meet them before the first day.
Ask for a copy of their family handbook
Ask for a copy of the classroom's daily schedule. Is there a balance of playtime, storytime, activity time, and nap time?
Are there opportunities for families to be involved with the program?
Are there events the children participate in during the school day? Are there events outside of school hours?
Are there parent/teacher conferences at least twice per year?
Do parents have the opportunity to speak with the teacher at drop off/pick up?
If a teacher has concerns about a child, how do they share those with the parent?
How does the program transition children to the next classroom?
Do you take pictures during the day? Are they available to parents? How?

What are safe child-to-caregiver ratios? According to childcare.gov:

0 - 12 months: 3 - 4 children per caregiver (maximum 6 - 8 children per group)
12 - 23 months: 3 - 6 children per caregiver (maximum of 6 -12 children per group)
2-year-olds: 4 - 6 children per caregiver (maximum 8 -12 children per group)
3-to-5-year-olds: 6 - 10 children per caregiver (maximum 12 - 20 children per group)

Safety

Are the children with the teacher at all times throughout the entire day? If not, who is with the children when the teacher is not there?
Are the children monitored at all times, indoors and outdoors, and while sleeping?
Are teachers trained in CPR? In First Aid?
Are first aid kits readily available for all teachers?
Where are medications stored?
What are the safety and security policies?
What are the safety and security policies for outside play time?
How do they maintain furniture and equipment?
How do you handle incidents that may arise during the day? (For example, if they get hurt, if they accidentally hurt another child, etc.)
What are their procedures for emergency situations (tornado, fire, active shooter, etc.)? Do they practice their procedures?

Health & Wellness:

Are your staff immunized?
Is there an immunization requirement for children attending? How do families show proof?
How often do they change diapers? What is the diapering process?
What kind of nap schedule do they follow? How is nap time handled?
What kind of feeding schedule?
What is the procedure for sending in breast milk?
How do they store milk and keep children's supplies separated?
How often do they clean toys, materials, and furniture?
What are the cleaning procedures?
What are the handwashing procedures for staff? For children?
Do they provide meals and snacks once applicable? What healthy guidelines do they follow for food?
What if your child has an allergy, how do they handle that?
Is this a nut-free facility?
Will my child's meals (how much and what they ate) be part of what is communicated on a daily basis?
How do they handle sicknesses? How do they prevent illness?
Do you have a potty-training procedure when that time comes? Is there an age that potty training is required?
How are challenging behaviors handled?
What is the bullying policy?
Does the program allow children to have screen time? If so, how is screen time utilized, and for how long?
How are children comforted if needed? For example, if a child is upset when a parent leaves or when they are injured.

Learning Questions:

What type of curriculum do they use?
What type of "discipline" do they use?
What kind of materials/toys/equipment do they have for kids to play with?
How often do children get to play outside? What are the safety and security policies for outside?
What type of support is offered for children with learning delays or disabilities?
How do they support social and emotional development?
How do they support cognitive/executive function development?
How do teachers encourage children to solve their own problems?
How do teachers encourage language and physical development?
How do teachers support healthy peer-to-peer communication and social interaction?
Do teachers play with the children to facilitate learning?
How much of the day is devoted to play? How is play guided (if at all) to promote learning?

Things to Observe on a Daycare Tour

Sometimes being able to observe is even more powerful than hearing the responses to questions. So I would request a tour and look for:

Observe adult/children interaction and children/children interactions - are they positive? Do adults get on the child's level to talk to them?
Observe admin/teacher interaction - you want your teachers to be treated well and feel supported by the admin (as much as you can tell from observation).
Look at the layout of the classroom and other areas your child will be in - can the teachers always see the children?
Look at the toys and equipment inside and outside of the facility - are they safe? Are they well maintained? Are they age-appropriate?
Observe the cleanliness and organization of all spaces your child will use.
Observe bottle storage and food safety procedures.
Observe sleep spaces - are they following safe sleep guidelines? Are the spaces clean and well-maintained?
Observe the classroom walls, shelves, and display areas. Are people from diverse backgrounds represented? Are colorful pictures displayed? Are real-life pictures or animals displayed? Is children's artwork displayed at their eye level?
Observe play spaces - are there a variety of materials within the children's reach without needing help? Is there a space where children can relax and take a break? Is there a space that encourages play?
Observe safety and security throughout the center (inside and outside).

Want a printable version of these questions to take with you on your daycare tours? Click below!

Summary

Finding a childcare provider can be super stressful, especially for new moms. My son started daycare at 5 months old and I cried after coming home from dropping him off. I also experienced anxiety about what was happening at daycare (we were not allowed in past the lobby due to COVID and I felt like I had no idea what was happening). I wish I had asked more questions at the time.

I highly recommend touring a few different childcare providers and asking a ton of questions so that you will feel comfortable dropping your child off each day. Remember to trust your instincts! The tours give you an opportunity to see the environment and meet the people your child will spend a significant amount of time with. It gives you an opportunity to get a gut feeling about a place. Asking questions can make sure you know what will be happening each day and help you feel comfortable with the provider and facility. I hope this list of questions helps you!

Remember Mama, you are doing a great job! You got this!