Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Stages

The 5 questions parents should ask day care facilities

Vin D'Eletto
By

Day care is a necessity for working parents and a great way for kids to develop social skills. Studies have shown that quality day care results in better academic performance and cognitive achievement later in life.

As a parent, it’s normal to have some questions and concerns when picking a day care facility. Here are five day care interview questions you should ask to ensure your child receives quality care.

Woman working at day care with children
FatCamera/Getty Images

1 – Are you licensed?

Find out about state regulations for day care licensing ahead of time, since requirements vary. Asking about licensing is a good way to make sure the day care follows certain safety standards.

Recommended Videos

Requirements for a day care license typically include:

  • Safety standards
  • Best practices for food prep
  • Staff training
  • Background checks for staff

Day care facilities usually need a license issued by a state agency, but some states have special provisions for facilities with a religious affiliation. Requirements for family child care homes can vary depending on its size.

You can visit the National Database of Child Care to double-check that a facility has a valid license.

Some states have a Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). It’s a framework a day care can use to assess the quality of care delivered and improved it. Find it if QRIS exists in your state, and ask about the steps the day care takes to implement this framework.

2 – Are you accredited?

Accreditation is different from licensing. Some facilities choose to go above and beyond state regulations and get accreditation. It’s usually a sign that your child will receive high-quality care and that the day care focuses on educational programs.

Professional organizations like the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the National Association for Family Child Care can handle the accreditation process, but keep in mind that the requirements to meet vary from one organization to another.

3 – What is the rate and fee structure?

On average, day care costs $991 a month for a baby and $847 a month for a toddler. There are a few questions you should ask about rates and hours:

  • Find out whether the day care uses an hourly, daily, or weekly rate.
  • How flexible are the hours? Are there extended hours for parents who work late?
  • Are there additional fees for services like early drop-off?
  • Does the facility offer weekend-care options?
  • Is the day care open on federal holidays? Is the rate different?
  • If the day care closes on holidays, do you get a discount?
  • Are there additional fees for things like meals, snacks, activities, or supplies like diapers?
  •  Are there discounts available?
  • Do you have to pay in advance?

4 – Discipline and communication policies

Ask about how the day care staff handles discipline to make sure their philosophy aligns with your values as a parent. Does the day care use timeout or another method? What kind of situation would warrant putting a child in timeout?

If you can, talk to staff members to find out how they handle children who throw tantrums, won’t share toys, and other situations. Pay attention to how the staff handles these situations when touring the day care.

You should also ask about communication policies:

  • Will staff tell you if they had to discipline your child?
  • What kind of updates do they share with parents?
  • Can you expect to have a short conversation with a staff member when you pick up your child?
  • Does the day care share photos and notes about your child’s activities?
  • Does the facility use calls, emails, or texts to communicate?
  • Is there an app where parents can log in and find about the day’s activities?

5 – Food, beverages, naptime, and activities

It’s crucial to get a feel for what your child’s day will be like before deciding if a day care facility is a good match for you.

Find out how meals typically take place:

  • Ask if you can see the food-prep area.
  • Find out about the meals, snacks, and beverages the day care provides throughout the day.
  • Is there a nutritionist who works with the day care?
  • What is the day care’s policy for kids who have allergies or dietary restrictions?
  • How does staff deal with kids who are picky eaters?
  • Can children bring their own food and snacks?

You should also ask about naptime and visit the area where kids sleep. Do they sleep in cribs or on cots? Does the naptime schedule match your child’s needs? Ask how flexible the schedule is and what happens when a child won’t nap.

Ask about activities and educational programs. The teacher-to-child ratio is an important consideration, and you also need to make sure that the activities and educational milestones make sense for your child’s age.

Boy and girl babies at day care
FatCamera/Getty Images

Final thoughts

Bring a list of questions you want to ask about the day care facility to your initial interview. Don’t hesitate to ask for references so that you can contact other parents and make sure their kids had a positive experience at the day care.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Vin D'Eletto
Vin D'Eletto
Why your kids should do their own spring cleaning – none of you will regret their little helping hands
Everyone benefits when the kids help with spring cleaning
Little girl cleaning her home

There are two types of people in this world: those who love spring cleaning and those who absolutely dread it. Let's face it, spring cleaning can be a daunting task because there's so much to tackle. Not only do you need to do your regular, everyday cleaning, but when it comes to spring cleaning, you also want to do a deep clean, declutter, and organize everything in sight. 

Quite honestly, it can be a lot for one or two people to take on. This is why it's important to include all members of the family when it comes time to roll up your sleeves. Involving all members of the family in spring cleaning, including your children, means you can divide the work and get things done faster. You'll also teach your kids a little something about responsibility and teamwork at the same time. Yes, those anti-cleaning cutie pies of yours should be an active part of this annual affair. 

Read more
Moms with depression may be hurting their child’s development, study shows
Learn why maternal depression may impact a child's development process
Woman suffering from postpartum depression

If you're a mother who suffers from postnatal depression, you may be struggling to prioritize your mental health. The demands of being a mother are tremendous, and many women feel they need to put their own needs aside to prioritize that of their children and their family. However, a recent study out of the University of Missouri shows why it's more important than ever that mothers focus on their mental health. This tells us that maternal depression may negatively impact a child's development.

How depression can affect response time
This study, which notes the importance that conversation and back-and-forth interaction has on language development, assessed the response time between 104 mothers and children at 14 and 36 months of age. It found that "mothers and children are in sync," noting that when a mother was quick to respond, so was the child and the same was true when the mother was slow to respond. "The significant new finding was that the moms who were more depressed took longer to respond to their child compared to moms who were less depressed," noted Nicholas Smith, an assistant professor at the MU School of Health Professions.

Read more
5 things you should never say to a pregnant woman
She's already cranky, puffed, and exhausted. Please don't make it worse with these common questions for pregnant women
Pregnant married woman standing in a floral gown

These lists are sometimes hard to compile because of the beautiful complexity and differences between women. What may be offensive to one may be exactly what another needs to hear. Women, particularly pregnant women, are multidimensional, deeply thinking, individualistic human beings, and there is no "one-size-fits-all" list that applies to everyone.
However, there does seem to be an invisible boundary of privacy that drops when a woman is expecting a child. In a time when she is very likely uncertain, nervous, and potentially bombarded with any number of questions, swimming in a pool of nerves, people think this is the time to invade her space.
Most of these are well-intentioned questions, habitual, even. Rightfully so, people are excited and happy at the sight of a pregnant woman, and sometimes in that joy, manners can slip. It's important to keep in mind that many women -- particularly the more introverted ones -- are uncomfortable with all the new attention they're probably receiving. For the women who don't relish having these conversations with their family members, friends, hairstylists, and strangers in the produce section, these questions can be very awkward. Keep reading to find out the things you should never say to a pregnant woman.

'Are you going to breastfeed?'
This one is usually said with an air of haughtiness that also says, "It is the best choice, you know. Any mother who doesn’t breastfeed is just the absolute worst and shouldn’t be allowed to have children if only because of her shocking selfishness."
Ladies (and gentlemen), think about this one for a moment. While, as mentioned above, your intentions are undoubtedly lovely and kind, you may very well be deeply offending the already uncomfortable pregnant woman you’re talking to. Take into consideration that there are many reasons her answer to this question may be (gasp) "No."
Perhaps she has a medical issue that prevents her from breastfeeding. Perhaps she has a deeply rooted psychological reason she’s chosen not to. Perhaps she just feels icky about the whole thing, and despite her best efforts, just can’t move past it. Whatever the reason, she already knows breastfeeding is the healthiest and “best” option without you telling her so.
She doesn’t need to know that it’s what you did and that your babies were just healthy little horses. She doesn’t need to hear that feeding her precious, unborn baby formula is the equivalent of feeding it Tang instead of freshly squeezed orange juice. She’s thought about her choice more than you have; whatever that choice is, it's really none of your business.

Read more