How to Choose a Daycare: A Step-by-Step Guide
Choosing a daycare is both a significant and challenging decision. How do you begin your search? What questions should you ask? How do you know which daycare is the best?
These are all great questions families have when starting their search for childcare. That’s why we put together a step-by-step guide to help you make an informed decision about daycare for your little one!
10 Steps for Choosing the Right Daycare
1. Understand Your Needs
As you start to think about enrolling your child in a daycare program, it’s important to first understand what your family’s needs are. What are you looking for in a daycare? What’s most important to you in a daycare? Begin prioritizing your criteria, whether that be location, cost, safety, curriculum, or any other factors that matter most to you.
Once you understand your individual preferences for a childcare program, you’ll be able to better evaluate your options and find a daycare that fits your family’s unique needs.
2. Begin Early Research
It’s important that you start your daycare search as early as possible. Whether you have a newborn, are expecting, or planning to have a child, it’s best to begin your research as early on in the process as possible.
Get familiar with the daycare options in your local area. Ask family, friends, or colleagues for their recommendations. Read recent reviews for different schools on their website, Google, or daycare directories such as Winnie or Care.com.
3. Prepare Questions
As you explore your local options, start creating a list of questions you want to ask. It’s best to evaluate daycares using consistent criteria, so prepare a list of questions in advance to ensure you ask the same ones at each school visit.
To save you time, we’ve created a Quality Childcare Checklist to help you with your daycare search. Feel free to add questions as you see fit!
4. Schedule School Tours
After you’re familiar with some different daycare options in your area, start scheduling school tours at the ones you wish to see firsthand. It’s important that you tour before making a final decision so you can meet the staff in person, get a feel for the school environment, gauge your child’s comfort, and better determine if the school will be a good fit.
We recommend touring 3-5 schools so you can see a variety of approaches and daycare settings and choose the one that best suits your child.
5. Observe and Ask Questions
When you tour each daycare, stay extra observant of everything you see, hear, and feel. Notice how the teachers and staff interact with the children. Are they welcoming, attentive, and engaging? Observe how the children are interacting with their environment. Do they seem happy? Are they smiling? Are they learning? Pay attention to the classrooms and facilities. Is the daycare center located in a safe area? Is the school clean? Is there lots of evidence of learning throughout the classrooms?
Take note of everything you observe and point out any concerns you may have. Tours are a great time to ask lots of questions. Make sure you bring your list of questions and ask any additional ones that arise during the tour.
6. Weigh Your Options
After you’ve visited your top schools, it’s time to start evaluating your options. It may be helpful to make a pros and cons list to help you make a well-informed decision.
Ask yourself what you liked about each daycare, what you didn’t like, and how each one aligns with your priorities. Review our Quality Childcare Checklist, if you filled it out, and identify the best candidates.
7. Review Costs
Next, review your family’s budget. How much can you spend on childcare? Review tuition and pricing for each of your top daycares and see how they compare. It’s important that you watch out for any hidden fees. Daycare centers commonly charge extra for things like snacks and meals, supplies, classroom transitions, and potty-training assistance. Be sure to clarify all potential costs beforehand to avoid any financial surprises down the road.
It’s also crucial to keep in mind that while choosing the least expensive option may seem wise, lower prices can sometimes reflect lower quality. You get what you pay for. By choosing a higher-quality daycare program, you are investing in your child’s future.
8. Consider a Trial Day
If you are still torn between two or more daycare options, ask the schools if they offer a trial period. While this may prolong your decision process, a trial period will give you firsthand knowledge of how the daycare runs. You’ll be able to observe your child interact with the teachers and engage in the classrooms, giving you valuable insights into whether or not the daycare is a good fit for your family.
Not every daycare center offers a trial period, but if this is something you’re interested in, ask the school director!
9. Trust Your Gut
The most crucial factor in your decision is your intuition. If you have a strong feeling about a daycare center, whether it’s good or bad, trust your instincts!
First impressions can often provide valuable insights that data alone may not reveal. Ultimately, you know your child best, so listen to what your instincts are telling you.
10. Choose a Daycare
After you’ve completed each of the steps above, you are ready to choose a daycare for your child! Reach out to your top school as soon as you’ve made your decision to ensure there’s availability for the time you wish for your child to start.
Once your child is enrolled, continue to pay attention to the quality of care and education your child is receiving to confirm the daycare center remains the right choice for your family.
Other Helpful Resources for Choosing a Daycare
- Quality Childcare Checklist: Questions to Ask When Choosing a Daycare
- Daycare Safety Checklist: How to Select a Safe Daycare Provider
- When to Start Looking for Daycare
- Choosing Daycare: Close to Home or Work?
- Do I Need Daycare if I Work from Home?
New Horizon Academy is a nationally recognized early learning provider with over 100+ schools in Minnesota, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, and Kansas. Through a play-based curriculum and high-quality daycare, New Horizon Academy schools nurture and prepare children to succeed in school and life.
Schedule a tour to learn more about our highly trained teachers, safe and secure facilities, and commitment to providing the highest quality care. Contact a New Horizon Academy childcare center near you today!
