How to Choose the Best Daycare for Your Family

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I knew it would be one of the more labor-intensive decisions I would make as a parent. I wanted to take my time, do research, ask friends questions and for recommendations, and find just the right place for my family.

After months of searching and touring more than a dozen places, my husband and I finally chose a daycare for our daughter. With a plethora of childcare options around the Des Moines metro, I wanted to see what my options were, and ultimately find a place that I trusted would treat my daughter well. If I had to do the same process all over again, I absolutely would, because finding a provider I like and trust is one of the most important things to me as a parent.

How to Choose the Best Daycare for Your Family

Here are my tips on finding the best daycare for your family:

1. Start the process early.

While you may feel silly looking for daycares when you don’t even look pregnant yet, I promise you won’t regret starting to search sooner rather than later. You will regret putting it off when you find long waiting lists or no openings at places you really like. I had a few daycares tell me they were impressed with how soon I was starting, which was about halfway through my pregnancy. The Type-A person in me couldn’t handle not being prepared and having daycare lined up well before my child was born.

2. Ask for referrals.

One of the first things I did was ask colleagues and friends for their daycare recommendations. Having that referral from someone I trusted made me know I could trust the provider as well.

3. Be flexible.

When I ran into one dead end after another from referrals (whether due to lack of openings, being too expensive for our budget, or just not getting the right vibe when touring the facility), I found myself frustrated. I really wanted to find a daycare based on a recommendation from someone I trusted. But since that wasn’t a viable option for me, I found the next best resource – Iowa Childcare Resource and Referral (ICRR). (See more details in my next point.) This ended up leading me to the daycare I found for my daughter.

To find what you’re looking for, you may need to be willing to drive farther across town or perhaps spend a little more money for the right daycare. To me, any sacrifice it is worth it to know that my daughter is in good hands. Even though I didn’t have the personal referral, the comments I’ve heard from other parents at my daycare, as well as the values and mission of the leaders, confirmed I made the best choice for my family.

4. Utilize Iowa Childcare Resource and Referral (ICRR).

While I didn’t find their website exactly user friendly, the customer service on the phone was invaluable – and FREE. Here’s how it works: with just a little information from you on what you are looking for in a daycare, ICRR sends you a list of providers to contact. They take criteria such as location, in-home versus center, and even if you wish for the in-home daycare to not have pets. (My husband has allergies, so we didn’t want to take that chance with our daughter.)

Based on my preferences, I was sent a detailed list of several dozen daycares to contact. The list included information such as educational background for the in-home providers and quality inspection indicators for the centers. ICRR does not endorse any providers but simply provides information for you to contact them and do any of your own additional research. They also give you several informational handouts on what to look for in a daycare.

Because of ICRR, I ended up finding a center close to my home that I had not found upon my initial research. We set up a tour, and the whole time I just felt a great vibe, my questions were answered just as I’d hoped, and I knew we’d found “the one” for our daughter.

5. Make a list of questions to ask, and decide what’s important to you.

I perused several websites that listed questions to ask when touring a daycare and made my own list based on what I deemed important. Here are some suggestions to consider:

  • Do you have an open door policy? (Meaning, can I stop in at any time during the day? A quality, good provider should answer yes to this question.)
  • What is your discipline policy? (Even at a young age this is good to know. Does their policy match your values?)
  • How do you handle colicky/fussy babies or spirited toddlers/children? (Ask this if you know you have one.)
  • What activities do you offer during the day? (As a Type-A person, I wanted to know what my daughter’s day would be like.)
  • What do you provide for the children, and what am I responsible for? (For example, some daycares provide formula, while others you may need to bring your own. Most places should be breastfeeding friendly if you want to provide your own milk.)
  • Are you cloth diaper friendly? (Most places are not, but those that are will likely have stipulations on the type of diaper you use. I was lucky to find a provider that allowed me to bring the diapers I used.)
  • How long have your staff worked here? (This will give you an idea of turnover rate. Low turnover is a good sign.)

Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions. It’s a part of the process. You probably won’t find every perfect thing you want in a daycare, but it’s important to find one that meets your top criteria and respects your parenting style.

6. Trust your gut.

There were several places I toured that were good daycares, but my gut just knew it didn’t feel right. Whether it was a difference of personalities (I don’t need to bleach toys multiple times a day) or not a lot of organization and structure, I learned as I went along what I was (and wasn’t) looking for in a daycare.

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Because I started the process early, took my time, did research, and trusted my momma instincts, I was able to find a great daycare. It makes my heart happy to know that my little girl enjoys seeing her friends every day. It’s hard to let go and send our little ones to daycare, but it has brought many benefits for my little girl, and I couldn’t be more thankful.

Finding the right daycare for your family is an important decision. Don’t be afraid of the process, and don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions along the way. At the end of the day, trust your mommy instinct and you’ll know you’ve chosen the best one.

What is important to you in your search for the right daycare?

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