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Child Care Checklist

Choosing the right child care for your child is not a task that should be taken lightly! Below are some questions to ask the provider and a formal checklist to fill out for each child care provider you interview. Bring a blank checklist to each provider interview and later when you reviewing each child care provider you can use the checklist to make a very important decision; Is this child care right for my child?

Questions to ask:

In your own words, please describe a typical day.
How much TV are the children allowed to watch?
How do you discipline your preschoolers?
Is there nap time and how long?
Do the children play alone or do the preschool teachers normally join in the play?
Are there any food programs and what type of food / snacks are served?
If you provide transportation, do you use seatbelts or car seats?
What about emergencies? How are they handled?

Child Care checklist

Question -- If the provider knows the answer, circle YES, otherwise circle the answer NO.
Please note: Some of the questions don't require you to ask a question but to look around and answer to yourself, YES or NO
Where are the emergency plans posted?	YES	NO
Is there a fire extinguisher and working smoke detector in each classroom?	YES	NO
Do you have a child care license and may I see it?	YES	NO
Do the children have access to obvious hazards such as dangerous substances, frayed electrical cords, cleaning supplies or medications?	YES	NO
Can you show me the toys the children will play with and are they appropriate for each age group?	YES	NO
Are there pets on-site and if, yes, are their vaccinations up-to-date?	YES	NO
Is all the furniture in good condition?	YES	NO
Is your initial reaction positive when entering the child care?	YES	NO
Is the child care large enough for active play and is there areas for quiet play?	YES	NO
Does anyone smoke that works at the child care?	YES	NO
Is the outside play area free of hazards and litter free?	YES	NO
Is the outside play equipment in good condition?	YES	NO
Weather permitting, do they allow the children to play outside every day?	YES	NO
Is there shade available in the outdoor play area?	YES	NO
How do the child care providers interact with the children?	YES	NO
Is there variety in the outside play equipment and is it appropriate for each age group?	YES	NO
Does the provider keep a schedule of activities and is it posted and current?	YES	NO
Is proper handwashing being performed after diaper or toilet training?	YES	NO
Will daily communication between provider and parent be performed?	YES	NO
Do the pre-school teachers seem caring and responsive to the children?	YES	NO
Are conflicts between children handled in a positive manner?	YES	NO
Do the children seem content and engaged during their activities?	YES	NO
Do the children have any choice in the daily activities?	YES	NO
Are all providers and staff current with CPR and first aid training / certification?	YES	NO
Does the provider allow parents to drop in anytime?	YES	NO
Are meals & snacks provider and are they nutritious?	YES	NO
Will I be charged when my child is out sick or on vacation?	YES	NO
Is there a weekly meal schedule? Does the cost include meals and snacks?	YES	NO
Is transportation offered?	YES	NO
Is there a fee if my child is picked late?	YES	NO
Is transportation offered?	YES	NO
If a preschool teacher is out sick, who fills in and are they certified?	YES	NO
Do you accept children with special needs?	YES	NO
What are your hours of operation and your holiday schedule?	YES	NO
Can I participate with activities?	YES	NO
Do you offer state subsidized child care programs?	YES	NO
Do the children watch TV and how much?	YES	NO
Can I participate with activities?	YES	NO
Is the type of discipline used appropriate for the age group?	YES	NO
Do you provide nap time and how do you handle them? How long are they?	YES	NO
What security measures are in place? Do you monitor and lock all entrance doors?	YES	NO
Is the heating and air conditioning system working and adequate?	YES	NO
Do the preschool teachers receive continued education training?	YES	NO
Is the caregiver to child ratio seem correct, does it follow state rules?	YES	NO
If you were a child, would you want to spend the day here?	YES	NO
Are the children being supervised at all times?	YES	NO
Are older children and toddlers seperated during play?	YES	NO
Are older children and toddlers seperated during play?	YES	NO
Is the fire escape plan posted and current?	YES	NO
Are the bathrooms cleaned and stocked with the essentials?	YES	NO
Are the bathrooms cleaned and stocked with the essentials?	YES	NO

Know your provider

This child care checklist is not exhaustive; you can not ask too many questions! However, the above child care checklist is a good start and should provide you adequate questions to ask a family day care, child day care centers and early learning centers. If you like this page, please share it with a fellow parent or post a link on your facebook page.

Child Care Checklist for Parents

MetroDaycare.com does not in any way endorse or recommend any of the child day care listings found within its site, and cannot be held responsible or liable in any way for your dealings with them. MetroDaycare.com provides this site as a directory to assist you in locating providers in your area, does not own or operate a child day care facility itself, and makes no representation of any of the listings contained within the top level domain MetroDaycare.com. We encourage that you look into any child care provider that you wish to place your children, and we provide this service only as a means of locating child care providers in your area. Metrodaycare.com does not guarantee the accuracy of listings on its site. However we do strive to keep listings accurate. Report errors here.

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