How to Locate Child Care Facilities
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Child care facilities provide social enrichment.Digital Vision./Digital Vision/Getty Images
Decide the confines of the geographic area where you will find and evaluate child care facilities. Most often, this will be the area immediately surrounding your home or an area conveniently located along the route to your daytime activities. Consider traffic patterns at the times you would drop off and pick up the child, in addition to geographic distance. - 2
Many child care facilities offer creative activities.Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images
Reflect on your values and expectations as a parent. Answer these questions: what kind of environment do you want the facility to provide for your child? What kinds of activities will the facility offer children? What kind of philosophy about child socialization and child development will you expect the facility to employ? Are you an adherent to a specific philosophy like the Montessori method? What type of activities do you believe will be most fulfilling and advantageous to your child? Do you want a facility where your child will learn chess or a foreign language? What hours of operation does the child care facility need to offer? Put together a wish-list of features and programs that you think the ideal child care facility would offer for both the child and for parents. - 3
Outdoor play areas are indispensable.Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
Compile a list of child care facilities in your target geographic area by conducting online research, asking friends and coworkers for recommendations, and by canvassing the geographic area while looking for child care facilities. - 4
Look into staff qualifications and turnover.Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images
Make a list of about ten facilities that are situated perfectly given your schedule and traffic patterns. Find the contact information for each of these facilities and conduct a preliminary phone survey with the facilities to understand their operation and philosophy. Ask questions about the kinds of programs they offer, their hiring practices, security procedures, staffing levels, and staff qualifications. Visit the website, where available, of each facility to see look for information about their child care philosophy and programs. - 5
Observe how facilities care for current children.Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
Make a short list of five facilities that you plan to visit due to the feedback and results of your phone and Internet research. Visit these facilities and discuss your needs and your child's needs thoroughly with the program director or daycare proprietor. Ensure that you communicate your expectations clearly and receive definitive answers on whether those expectations can be met. Where possible, try to observe the facility during operating hours and note the mood and behavior of the children already there. - 6
Choose the facility that meets your essential criteria.Creatas/Creatas/Getty Images
Rank the facilities you have visited and create a list or pros and cons that they each possess. Choose the facility that most closely meets the criteria you selected based on geography, child care philosophy, and services and programs offered. Ensure you consult your child and even encourage your child to feel ownership of the decision.
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