5 Things to Consider When Choosing a Preschool or Daycare

Hello! If you are reading this, it is likely because you are on the hunt for the perfect placement for your sweet babe(s). The thought of leaving your little one in someone else's hands may bring a sick feeling to your stomach, because, let's face it, no one can do what you do, the way you do it.

Point well taken, but unless you are lucky enough to be able to stay at home or have a trusted family member care for your child, you will very likely be finding yourself on the path to finding another type of care setting for your child.

I had to embark on this journey and to be quite honest, I dreaded it. How was I going to go back to work and let someone else care for my baby? I did not have a choice in returning to work, but I did have a choice in where I would send her. As a former Child Protective Services worker and now elementary school teacher, I knew what I did and did not want in a placement. I did a lot of praying during this season of searching and I was fortunate enough to find a woman within our church who cared for our daughter for three years and then our son for two years. She was amazing and will forever remain a precious jewel to our family.

Unfortunately, the time came to look for a preschool for our kids and I was faced with similar issues when looking for just the right one. I have since been assisting friends and family in discovering the best fit for childcare for their children and all of that has led me to this post. There are 5 main things to consider when choosing a preschool or daycare for your child.

1. Certification

Certification can be relevant in several areas, all of which you should consider. A lot of "at home" or "private" sitters are not certified through the state. If you are unfamiliar with what this means, you can check it out here (this is specific to VA but you can look up your state as well). Be aware that this means that no one is following up with the care, number of children, or the care-giving environment of this sitter. Our sitter was not licensed and we were okay with that. She had only a few children, her home was always well put together and she sincerely loved our children as her own. I had no concerns. I will say, as a former CPS worker, I have seen the repercussions of home daycares not being licensed, so use your best judgement. We were very fortunate.

Center based daycares/preschools should be licensed. Check credentials. CPR and First Aid may be another certification that you desire your caregivers to have. If your caregiver does not have this, you can always ask them to consider obtaining these certifications, but keep in mind, they may not.

2. Facility

There are regulations as to how many children a center can have. Our children's preschool recently became certified for a larger number of students because they expanded their facility size and the number of staff. Fortunately, their groups will still be relatively small. We preferred a smaller class size for our kids and this preschool fit the bill.

When you are considering a facility, TOUR it. Do not go on the word of workers or friends. See it for yourself. When I was initially looking for a daycare for my daughter, I had heard a lot of good things about a particular facility. I went to tour it and could not find a designated "front" entrance. I ended up taking a chance on a side door. I was able to just walk in. There were two older elementary students playing on a computer with no adult supervision.  I remember thinking that someone could have snatched one of them up and been down the road before someone could get to them. I walked past them and found a worker sitting with a small child in the hallway. I was barely acknowledged and asked if I could see the director, of whom I found out was not there even though we had set up the time to meet that day for the tour. The worker told me that I was welcome to just walk around and check things out. I did. The facility itself was fine, but I was far from impressed. My expectations had been so high based on the recommendations of my friends. I was concerned by the lack of supervision and security.

My background and maternal instinct prompted red flags. I was far from comfortable about leaving my child at this facility. The condition, set up, and security of a facility should not be taken lightly.

3. Staff

Some people are just not personable. However, if you are going to be having your child cared for by someone regularly, they need to be approachable. When trying to find a preschool for our daughter, I attempted several times to make contact with the director. I spoke with her on the phone and was told to contact her on specific day and time to find out if our daughter would be accepted or put on a wait list. I did as we agreed. No answer. I left a message. Nothing. Several days later I called again with the same outcome. I got out of work early one afternoon and stopped by the facility. The director was not there and no one was sure when she would return. I left a message for her there and once again, nothing. I took this as a sign that this was not the place for my child, but it also left a bad impression.

The facility itself was fine and I knew many of the children who attended. However, the fact that I could not get answers to my questions made me concerned about how things would be when my daughter attended. Would they readily get in touch with me if something happened? Would they answer questions as they came up throughout the year? To these questions, I still do not have answers. It is essential that you feel comfortable and confident in the caregivers.

4. Location

Does the location make sense? You'd think this was a given, but it's not. Are you willing to drive out of your way for a great daycare or preschool? Will your time only allow you to go within a small radius? These are things you need to consider as you begin looking at centers.  Our private sitter was on my way to and from work. It was beautiful. However, before finding her, the facility I almost went with was just down the road from my work. It was ideal for me, but not for anyone else who may need to come pick her up. In fact, it was about 30 minutes out of the way for anyone else.

I had to consider location as I began looking for a preschool as well. The one we went with is perfect (for us) in almost every way. It's close to our house and is easy access for everyone who would be responsible for picking up our little ones.

5. Budget

Not to be throwing our business out there, but let me be real. Since our son was born, I have been spending in upwards of $900-$1000+ for daycare/preschool. I know a lot of people spend even more in any given month. Childcare is not cheap and GOOD childcare is that much more costly. Know your budget before checking into facilities. The sticker shock of childcare is one that hit us pretty hard...so much so that we decided to move our son a year early to the preschool in order to save some money (otherwise, he'd still be with his amazing sitter). It can be painful to write that check each week or month, but if you have a good, overall placement, you can consider it an investment. Also, when it comes tax time, be sure to have your receipts. Often times you can claim childcare on your taxes.

Of course, there are many other factors to consider, but the last thing I want to leave you with is this:

Go With Your Gut

You will know if where you are looking to place your child is the right fit. Good luck and I'd love to hear any tips you have from your searching experiences.