How to Pick A Childcare Provider
After 8 months, we finally decided to enroll Deuce into childcare. We only made it this long with the help of paid family leave and flexible/creative scheduling. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Jason’s sacrifice to be a full time Dad after I returned to work from family leave. He’s the MVP.
If you’re looking for part-time or full-time child care, here is what we considered (in no particular order) before making a decision on a childcare provider:
Proximity to home - While some folks consider distance from their employment, we consider distance from our home, because people change jobs everyday B! No, but really, between telework schedules and job changes, we’re less likely to move from our home base before we change our places of employment.
Setting - Family child care homes or childcare centers. We visited both while searching for Deuce and decided to go with a childcare center. There are pros and cons to each. We needed strong systems and reliability and the child care center we chose offers us what we need as working parents.
Affordability - While I wish I could say there is no budget for childcare…there is. We still need to have a roof over our heads, food to eat, clothing, and several other essentials. Price point is important in the decision. While we didn’t go with the cheapest option, we did consider the value as it pertains to drop off and pick up times, whether food and diapers are included, etc.
Curriculum & Values - What happens during the day while your child is away from you matters. With both Bean and Deuce, I found that the curriculum does matter. While Bean started as a toddler and Deuce is starting as an infant, I recognize that a clear curriculum that is communicated is very helpful. Separate, but connected is the student to teacher ratio and credentials of the teaching staff. If not clearly communicated in the curriculum, understanding the values of the child care center was helpful. We chose Christian based settings for both kids to help with the lift of teaching about God’s kindness and love. I invite you to think about your family’s core values and ask questions of the childcare provider to ensure there is alignment.
Safety & Communication - These categories could be separate, but feel very connected to me. It was important to me to know who has access to the building. Access codes, established emergency/ pick up contacts, and consistent communication are ways to build confidence in safety. Consistent communication with staff is another aspect of safety. Initial communication around tours, registration, and enrollment are different ways to gauge communication, which is very connected to safety measures.
Reviews/Referrals - Reviews are helpful in the decision-making process. We relied on reviews with Bean as we didn’t have many referrals from friends at the time. The upside is that Bean started daycare much later. He was able to communicate his needs and what he didn’t like when we enrolled him in childcare. We also taught him about appropriate touch and we continue to ask about his experiences. With Deuce, we relied on experiences from people in our network. She is much younger than when Bean started daycare. It has been important for us to monitor physical and behavioral changes during this time to identify any changes.
Start early! I’m sending you good vibes for a smooth transition for you and your little one!
