Questions To Ask When Touring An Infant Childcare Facility

There are many decisions parents must make in the early years of childhood, from types of diapers to choosing an infant care facility. Naturally, you want to ensure that the right care center has responsible, qualified staff who will keep your child safe while you work to provide for your family. The staff at Providence Children’s Academy is happy to offer tours to prospective families to see if our infant care center is right for you. In-person visits, as opposed to just interviews with staff, allow parents to see firsthand how the program operates and where their child will be spending their time.

In-person tours are also a great opportunity to ask questions. Seeing the facility in person may bring up questions you wouldn’t have thought of from just looking online. Below is a guide for questions to ask while touring an infant childcare facility.

How Many Children Are There Per Staff Member?

The fewer children there are per caregiver, the better individualized attention each child has. This allows caregivers to better understand what each child needs, form bonds, and help them thrive away from home. Smaller class sizes also make it easier for the children to eventually form bonds with one another, as well as practice sharing and listening.

What Are The Staff Qualifications And Training?

Every infant childcare facility should always be managed by highly qualified and trained individuals. Young children have specific needs that must be catered to by people who understand their development. Be sure to ask if the caregivers are specifically qualified to care for infants, past references, credentials, and anything else you can think of.

Staff with degrees in early childhood education or child development will have the experience required to help your baby thrive. A healthy infant care facility will invest in every aspect of your little one’s development.

How Do Caregivers Interact With Children?

Transparency with parents is important. After all, you’re entrusting the facility with the most important thing in your life: your child! You can tell a lot by observing how the staff interact with children, and regular interaction is a crucial part of early child development. Even if they can’t yet understand, talking to infants and interacting with them is building the foundation of language skills.

What’s more, a high-quality daycare will always interact with children in ways that are nurturing, enthusiastic, and caring. Good teachers encourage wonder and fascination with learning and trying new things. Children respond to this kind of care by paying attention and reciprocating the care that they experience. They also learn better in an environment where curiosity and playtime are encouraged.

What Types Of Games And Activities Happen At Infant Childcare?

Speaking of play, a good childcare facility has activities and lessons that are age-appropriate, with opportunities for indoor and outdoor play. For infants and toddlers, sensory exploration is important: toys with different colors and textures are particularly interesting. As they grow, activities and games that exercise motor skills, such as puzzles or art projects, become more appropriate.

Above all, the ideal learning and playing environment is safe, clean, and accessible for children at all stages of childhood, and adaptable as needed. You may also want to ask how the items are cleaned and stored, and ensure they are in good condition. Many facilities also have portals where parents can log in and see how their child is doing and receive updates as needed. Communication with parents is important: you may ask how that is facilitated throughout the day.

What Health And Safety Practices Are Implemented?

Infants are especially susceptible to illness, so it’s extremely important to inquire about health and wellness practices. It should be a given that childcare providers wash their hands regularly and instruct children to do the same when appropriate. Providers should be certified in basic first aid as well as life-saving measures such as CPR. You may also want to ask about security policies and fire drills.

Is The Facility Accredited And Licensed?

A high-quality infant childcare center will have national accreditation through the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Many parents will also check out reviews online or ask their friends for recommendations. A facility that has not only met or exceeded minimum standards of excellence to receive its license will have an average of 4 or 5-star ratings.

What Are Your Safe Sleep Practices?

For infants and babies, how they sleep is paramount to their safety. Make sure that the infant childcare facility you’re considering practices safe sleep practices by making sure that babies are always sleeping on their backs, without blankets, pillows, or toys in the crib.

How Are Feeding Schedules Handled?

Dropping a newborn off at daycare can be overwhelming, even for the most seasoned parents. Trusting someone else to take care of your baby’s most vital needs is not an easy task. It’s important that the childcare center you choose understands that every infant is different, and there is never a one-size-fits-all approach to feeding infants and babies. The right infant childcare facility will recognize this and follow the baby’s individual routine, whether it’s being fed formula, breast milk, or a combination of both. Complete with detailed logs of feedings.

How Often Are Diapers Changed?

Babies’ diapers should be changed every two to three hours, or as needed, with detailed documentation and a tracking log for parents. If the place you’re considering operates diaper changes on a fixed schedule, regardless of need, that is a definite red flag.

Additional Qualities Of A Healthy Infant Childcare Center

These are just a few of the factors that determine whether a childcare facility is safe for children. Additional factors that individual families will want to consider include socio-economic status and community. Not every place is suitable for every budget, and not every community offers what your unique child needs. These are factors that will vary by family.

By enrolling your child in an infant care center, you are doing more than just keeping them safe and occupied while you head to work: you are helping them establish a routine and fun learning environment that will ultimately prepare them for preschool.

Choose The Right Infant Care Facility In Coconut Creek

Providence Children’s Academy is owned and operated by a family just like yours: one that is wholly invested in the growth and development of children. That’s why our facility offers small class sizes to ensure individualized attention and care.

Our staff engages directly with children in age-appropriate methodologies and activities to facilitate healthy mental, emotional, social, and physical growth. With this hands-on guidance and support, your infant is sure to thrive.

To schedule a tour of the facility or register your child, call 954-570-6914 today.