Choosing a Childcare

If you are planning on having a baby, you should research the cost of child care where you live even before conceiving if possible. Planning for a child care bill is similar to planning for college tuition. You have a 4-5 year period where you have a payment that can be equal to or even higher than your mortgage. If you plan ahead and set aside one year's worth of care before getting pregnant, you can set aside a few extra month's worth before giving birth and set up a dependent care flex account through your work if they offer one so that each time you pay your fees, your work will reimburse you from your flex account with a simple form signed by your care provider.

You should begin looking for childcare at least 3 months before your child is born in order to have time to research cost, learn about the daycare laws and regulations in your state and interview at least 8 providers.

If you are already a parent and are returning to work or changing daycares because you are not happy with your current situation, you unfortunately do not have the luxury of time. You do still have a responsibility to interview several providers, which can be done with an initial phone interview and follow up personal interviews with the providers you like the best.

Before beginning the process of searching for childcare, look at a map. Highlight the areas of town which are convenient for pick-up and drop off. If one parent is going to be primarily responsible for picking up and dropping off, you may want to choose childcare between their work and home. If one parent will be picking up and the other dropping off, choose childcare as close to home as possible, or closest to the parent who is first to be contacted in an emergency.

There are a million questions to ask a provider. It is important to prioritize what is crucial to your family when it comes to daycare. If your child has a cat allergy, the first question you should ask is “Do you have cats?” Cross every provider who does from your list. We of course recommend crossing off anyone who lives in a home where there is smoking. Providers will make the excuse that they smoke outside, but they are cuddling your child against their fog covered clothes. If there is a dog in the home, ask if the dog is allowed to play with the daycare children. If the answer is yes, be careful. It is a huge risk to expose even the gentlest of dogs to a ton of people every day, especially the type of people who will stick things up the dog’s nose or climb all over him. If the dog is kept separate from the children it should be a non-issue except with a child who has an allergy. Once again, a provider will swear their dog wouldn’t harm a fly. No dog comes with a guarantee. It also isn’t fair to the dog.

Begin your weeding out process by starting with providers who are registered or licensed in your state. Although having a license is not a guarantee of quality, it does mean someone is occasionally checking up on that provider. Try to find providers who are on the food program, which ensures your child is well fed. We explain registration and the food program in a later chapter.

When calling providers, try to be considerate of what they do for a living. Try to avoid early morning when parents are dropping off, lunch time and afternoons from 4:30 to 6:00 PM. Most providers will say that the best time to call is from 1-3 PM or after 6. Always ask the provider if this is a good time. If it isn’t, don’t be offended if they ask you to leave your number.

The next two pages are a checklist of questions to ask a provider. You can use these as a guideline for interviewing on the phone or in person. You may find you can make a decision about someone with the answers to just one or two questions, but there are some you need to ask anyone you are considering.

NOTE: It is rude to make your first questions to a provider about cost. If you want a great relationship with your provider, your first concern should be her qualifications and experience, not how cheap her rates are. Although cost is an important consideration, childcare is too important to base solely on the money. Find a provider you love, and give up the extras you have to in order to afford her.

The following checklist may not have every question you need answered. It will help you to get started.

Childcare Interview Checklist: Crucial yet overlooked questions are in bold.

1. Are you licensed/registered? If so, what level of registration do you have?

2. How many providers are in your home/center?

3. How many children are you currently caring for?

4. What is the age range of children you watch?

5. I will need childcare from _____ to _____. Are those hours within your business hours?

6. Tell me about your experience with children. Do you have children? How long have you done childcare?

7. What is the daily schedule like in your childcare?

8. Will you be transporting my child in a vehicle? If so, where will you go and how often? Does your vehicle insurance cover daycare transportation?

9. Are you currently certified in CPR and 1st Aid?

10. Does your childcare participate in the food program?

11. What type of education do you have? Do you take continuing education courses to stay current in childcare issues?

12. What are your policies on illness? Vacation? Personal days?

13. What holidays are you closed?

14. Do you have an emergency plan in place and perform drills for fire, tornado . . . ?

15. If there is an emergency, where will my child be taken?

16. Has everyone in your household had a physical and background check?

17. Has anyone in your household been convicted of a crime, including sex offenses, D.U.I.’s, suspended driver’s licenses or other misdemeanors or felonies? (This information can be verified through public records and the State Licensing agency)

18. Has your license to practice childcare ever been suspended or revoked, even temporarily? (You can verify this info.)

19. What are your feelings about discipline? How will my child be disciplined for the following..

Biting Hitting Not sharing Lying

20. What type of activities do you offer for my child? Are there preschool activities provided for my child when they become preschool age?

21. Do you carry childcare insurance? Are parents able to view a copy of the policy?

22. What types of pets live in your household? Are they around the children regularly?

23. Do you have current vaccinations and health checks for all the animals in your home?

24. What meals and snacks do you provide?

25. What supplies will I need to provide for my child?

26. If I have questions or concerns, how should I address them with you?

27. If you have concerns about my child, how will you let me know?

28. Do you meet with parents regularly?

29. Do you have access to testing materials to make sure my child is on track?

30. What are some important things you like for new parents to know about your childcare?

31. If I choose to breast feed, can you accommodate me? Can I come there on my lunch to nurse my child?

32. Will my child have her own crib/cot for sleeping? If not, can I provide one and will you keep other children out of it?

33. When was your last daycare inspection and what, if anything, were you required to change? (This info can be verified with the State Licensing agency)

There are bound to be more questions you will have for providers. The last thing you should ask is about what they charge. If you are seeking part-time childcare, understand that it is more expensive than full time. Don’t be afraid to pay for a full-time slot with a provider you like, as long as you let her know that you will expect to use some of the extra time for doctor’s visits, grocery shopping etc . . . . ANOTHER NOTE: Just because you pay by the week does not mean you should max out your time every week. You are cheating your child if you are not working but still leave them in childcare. It is always considerate to pick your child up early or keep them home when you can. Even though your childcare provider may have other children regardless, one less makes for an easier day. Your provider will appreciate your concern for your child and for their mental health. Don’t make excuses about keeping your child on a schedule. You should have your child on the same schedule at home that they are at childcare anyway, so there should be no problem with you keeping your own child when you are not at work. The purpose of daycare is to provide an alternative to your care when you can’t be available. It is not intended to be a dumping ground so that you can have time to relax. Once you have a child, being there to raise them needs to be your first priority. Your provider may assure you it is no big deal. To your child it is.

When sitting with a provider for an interview, it is just as important to look around at your surroundings and observe the provider with your child, her children and her daycare children if they are present. Does she express interest in your child? Does she talk to your child or hold them while she talks with you? Does she inquire about their schedule, their health and your expectations for them? Any provider should show an interest in finding out about your child. After all, she is making a commitment to watch a child she knows nothing about. Pay attention to how she deals with her own children. Do they seem to mind and respect her? Do they seem out of control and aggressive? Remember they will also be around your child all day. In addition, if the provider you are interviewing is harsh or inappropriate with her own children, do not assume she will be any nicer to your child. Thank her for her time and move on.

It is crucial to pay attention to safety and sanitary aspects of a childcare home. Pay close attention to the following:

1. Are there poisons down where a child could reach them? Medicines on the counter, bug spray or cleaners on the table, or other poisonous items your child could ingest. If your child is an infant, these things still matter because before you know it your child will be climbing up to those counters. If another child should happen to be poisoned while your child is there it could cause terrible consequences for you and your child.

2. There is a difference between clutter and dirty. Toys and blankets lying all over are one thing, baseboards with food all over them is another thing altogether.

3. There is no harm in using the bathroom. Bathrooms that the toilets are disgusting and the sinks are grimy are an indication of less than regular cleaning. Even worse, she may have cleaned up before you arrived and this may be her idea of spic and span.

4. Check the condition of the toys. Are they dirty, broken or inappropriate for your child? If you have an infant and there are tiny Lego’s or army men lying around on the floor, think twice.

While you are talking to the provider, listen carefully to what she says about her other parents and the children in her care. Is she negative about them or does she seem to really like them? Is she full of complaints about her job or does she appear to thrive on caring for children? If she tells you their personal information, she will probably disclose yours. You should immediately leave if it begins to become apparent that her life is full of drama and mess, such as children in juvenile detention or lawsuits against parents.

Before you even go to an interview, ask the provider if she is willing to agree to a background check. There are companies on the internet that will help you check out the background of any prospective provider. Most states have their court records on-line so that you can see if the provider has been sued by parents or are in the habit of suing parents. The Dept. of Human Services will have background checks on file, but in most states they only check for child abuse. I recommend you do a little research on your own. In the back of this book, along with the listings of licensing agencies for each state we have included information for companies to use, on-line court records for the states that have them and more.

Never hire a childcare provider or center without references. Ask for a minimum of three and take the time to call them. Ask them what they like best, what they would change and how long they have been with the provider. If a provider has been doing childcare for several years and all her references have been with her for 2 months, there might be some turnover there.

One of the most common questions parents ask is whether to use a center or a home provider. There are absolutely pros and cons to both. Here is a list showing some of the great and not so great things about each type of facility.

Home Provider versus Center

Center Pros:

1. Because of the facility license, a center is required to be inspected more often and more in-depth than home childcares.

2. There are several adults in a center, which theoretically means they are monitoring each other.

3. Some centers offer great preschool programs

4. Children are in a room with other children their own age

Center cons:

1. Because your child is exposed to 15 children instead of 6, they are more often exposed to illness.

2. Centers rely on staff to do the cleaning every day. Since they do not live there, center staff may not clean as thoroughly as they would probably clean the home where their child plays also.

3. Class sizes are larger in centers because of State regulations. Therefore your child may receive less one on one attention.

4. Centers are less flexible when it comes to hours. They do not have the ability to keep your child in case of an emergency like a home provider would.

5. Staff members in childcare centers make an average of $8.00 per hour. As a result, this attracts young, inexperienced individuals who often do not have children of their own. In addition, the staff turnover in centers is tremendous. Your child may change caregivers multiple times per year, which is detrimental to their emotional security. Finding a childcare center where the staff is provided free childcare is the most desirable. You will find these centers have much better staff that stays much longer. Ask how long their employees have been there and what benefits they offer in order to keep turnover low.

6. You cannot have the in-depth interview with each teacher in a center that you can have with a home provider. And you have no choice when your child changes teachers because of staff changes. Make sure you ask how employees are checked. If all they do is the bare minimum State required child abuse check—be advised that this is not adequate used alone. See if they do a complete background check of their own, if they drug test, and if they check all references.

7. Because training records are the responsibility of the center, every time a worker goes to a new center, the clock starts over on training. This means that a caregiver can go from center to center and never have to actually have CPR, 1st Aid and Universal Precautions. Since centers loathe spending money on training until they know an employee is going to be a safe bet, this happens far more often that parents realize. Make sure if you choose a center that they require both in-house and DHS training, and ask if training records are available for parents to view.

Home Providers:

Pros:

1. Your child will build a long term bond with one, maybe two caregivers and will stay with those same individuals long term. Home providers traditionally keep clients much longer, so your child will make long term bonds with other children in the daycare, as well as the provider’s children. Even if your provider changes helpers, she will still be a long term figure in your child’s life. There are centers that are owner run and these are the best option if you choose the center route.

2. In order to keep their own child from becoming ill, a home provider will sometimes be more vigilant about separating and sending home children who are ill. In addition, numbers don’t lie. If your child is in a home with 8 children, statistics show they will be exposed to less illness than in a center with 30.

3. Home Providers have the ability to be more flexible in a lot of areas, such as arrival and departure times, items that can be brought to daycare, toilet training and more.

4. The percentage of home providers who quit childcare within the first five years is much lower than the percentage of childcare center staff who quit within two. That alone is a reason to stick with home care.

5. Home providers are available for communication far more readily than center staff. You cannot simply call your child’s teacher in a center. You have to speak with a director, who then has to talk with the teacher, and someone will get back to you. With a home childcare, you call the person who is caring for your child directly.

6. In a home childcare, if another child becomes ill, because of the close knit relationship you will know sooner and have more information about what is wrong, and therefore what to watch your child for.

7. As your child grows, they will spend almost 20 years in some type of institutional school environment. By placing them in a home setting, you are providing them with a more family oriented setting, and avoiding the institution for a few more years.

8. Because of the lower overhead, the cost of a home provider is often much more reasonable for a parent. I know, we said don’t ask about cost, didn’t we? After all the other factors it will come into play, and there is a difference of sometimes $100 per week or more per child.

Everything we considered ended up coming out on the side of the home provider. Although centers are a perfectly good solution, there really is no better person to raise your child than someone who will make them feel like they are at a second home all day. Find someone who will be around for years and form a lasting bond with your child and your family.

Once you have chosen the perfect Mary Poppins for your little tyke, it is crucial that you start off on the right foot and stay there. Be sure to read the handbook thoroughly, and ask questions if you need to. Be honest about what you expect and be prepared that you cannot always have the services you want in group care. We'll cover that in future articles.