Questions to ask when touring a daycare

A tour tells you more in twenty minutes than a website can in an hour. The trick is knowing what to ask, and what a reassuring answer sounds like. These are the twelve I would not skip.

People

• Who will actually be with my child, and how long have they been here? You want names, and you want tenure measured in years, not months. High turnover is the single most common thing parents notice too late.
• How many children per caregiver in my child’s room? Ask for the number, then ask what happens at drop-off and pick-up when rooms combine. The answer should be specific and unembarrassed.
• What happens when a caregiver is out sick? A good program has a plan and can describe it. “We manage” is not a plan.

The day

• Walk me through a typical day for my child’s age. Listen for structure with room to breathe: meals, naps, outdoor time, free play. Watch whether the schedule on the wall matches what you see happening.
• How do you handle naps, and where do infants sleep? For babies, the answer should be a crib, on their back, with nothing soft in it. Every time.
• How do you communicate during the day? An app, a paper sheet, a text at pick-up. What matters is that it is consistent and that you would hear about a bump or a bad day promptly.

Safety and health

• How do you handle illness, and when do you send children home? You want a clear policy you can live with. Ask how they tell you.
• Who can pick up my child, and how do you check? There should be a list, an ID check, and no exceptions for someone who “seems fine”.
• When was your last state inspection, and can I see it? Every licensed provider is inspected. A confident director will show you and talk you through anything cited. You can also look it up yourself on the provider’s page here before you go.

Practicalities

• What are the hours, and what happens if I am late? Ask about the fee and the grace period. Then ask what the last hour of the day looks like, because that is when staffing is thinnest.
• What is included in the fee, and what is extra? Meals, diapers, supplies, registration, holidays. Get it in writing.
• Is there a waitlist, and how does it work? If yes, ask what moves a family up it. The honest answer is usually a sibling already enrolled or an infant spot opening.

What to notice without asking

Do the children look engaged or parked? Do caregivers get down to eye level? Does the room smell clean rather than covered up? Are the outdoor spaces actually used? Would you want to spend a day here? Trust that.