When you are looking for a daycare, you need to approach your daycare search as you would a job hunt. Do your homework, and start early – six months before you’ll need it isn’t too soon, especially living in a large city because daycare slots fill up fast.
Once you find a daycare center or home daycare you like, you’ll need to take a few steps to make sure it’s one you want to stick with. Follow these three steps to finding the right daycare in the Quad Cities.
1. Decide your priorities
First, you need to decide what you want. Meaning, are you looking for daycare near work? Or, would a daycare closer to your home be more convenient? Do you want a small daycare environment, or would you rather your child around lots of other kids?
Write everything down so you can refer to the list as you size up potential sites.
2: Do your research
- Ask around for reputable daycares. Friends and family are your best source for personal references.
- Ask some experts. Get the number of your local childcare resource and referral agency, which, in turn, can refer you to licensed centers and home daycares in your area.
- Go online. Look on Facebook and Craigslist for childcare listings.
3: Visit and interview
You can call and talk to providers, but you will want to meet them and see what the center or the home looks like. Check out this post on questions to ask your potential daycare provider during the interview.
Ultimately, choosing a daycare is a very personal decision. Basically, you’ll want a clean and safe environment and experienced loving providers. Children need to form strong relationships with their caregivers, so make sure your child and them connect during interview.
