Show your support
As a previous early childhood lead educator and mumma trust your gut 100%! If the vibe is off tour else where! You should be asking how many staff to children they have it should be 1-4 (1 Educator to 4 babies). You should be asking what they do in terms of programming eg: What kind of activities do you offer during the day to support their learning? Also asking What would a typical day here look like? If you’d like more advice don’t hesitate to pm me x
- get a copy of the menu they use with older kids. And also ask what they provide babies learning solids and how many meals a day. Also ask what their policy is on storing and using your breastmilk if that’s what you’re doing - on the tour check to see how the other children are treated there and if their are happy, engaged and interested in the activities they are doing. Chances are you’ll also see kids upset at some point while there so look and see how they comfort the kids or console them
- it’s a good idea to ask if they do public holiday discounts or lower rates if you’re on holidays and choose not to have your kid going on those days :) - also good to find out how multicultural the staff is and if any speak other languages as well. Very important to have a mix of adults as role models and a mix of other peers to interact with
- since your baby will be so young when they start, good to just check the age range of the kids in the nursery room. E.g. is it 6months and under or from 0-18months. There’s a big difference between the needs of 6 month olds and a 1.5year old that needs to run and climb and be on only 1 nap a day :) - find out how many meals they provide (daycare serving breaky is actually very convenient) and if they provide nappies and wipes within the fees
@Ellen I just edited the post lol my brain is off today haha my baby will be 8 months by the end of January. Thanks for all the useful advice
Mine started at 8 months too! Yay But yeah everything is still mostly relevant
Questions for Daycare: What are the operating hours and what is the pick up/drop off process? What is the ratio? How many kids are in each room, generally? What is the approach to naps and sleep routines? Are the routines structured or adjusted for individual needs and schedules? What food is offered and how often? What does an average day look like? How much time is inside vs outside? How and how often are parents updated during the day? How does the centre handle discipline or behavioural issues? What is the approach to injuries or similar incidents? Does the centre have policies for sun-safety when playing outside? What is the policy if my kid gets sick at daycare? What is the approach/practice with regard to nappies, toilet training, etc? Do the children ever leave the centre while under its care? What's the general rate of staff turnover? Walk us through an incident report, either for self-injury or a fight. What are the first steps and final steps.
Hey, I’m not an educator and my kid has only been in childcare for 6months but here is what I would do: - find out if they have a high staff turnover or if they use agency casuals for fill ins. Casuals are not necessarily a bad thing but regular staff is important for your baby to feel comfortable there. High turnover indicates issues with management - ask about their sickness policy and what constitutes as ‘too sick to come that day’. Places that are really lax on this I find have lots of illnesses coming home - how often they communicate with parents during the day? Some people really like to be kept in the loop on the app all day - check their rating on starting blocks. It’s a national rating system of the quality. You’re looking for them to either ‘meet’ or ‘exceed’ the rating in all areas https://www.startingblocks.gov.au/?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADRZZXGN1sFS3sLk5kWGtYxoBgUfq&gclid=CjwKCAjwx - find out if they will use your home sleep schedule or use their own