While one may think that staying home with your infant may be best, there are many benefits to putting an infant in day care when both parents return to work. Babies learn socialization skills early, plenty of time to play and learn throughout the day. Daycare providers can also help to get a baby into a much needed feeding and sleeping routine from a young age. But, choosing an infant day care can be a stressful event for a new mom and dad.
I’ve put together a list of things you can do to make choosing an infant daycare in the Quad Cities a lot easier.
Daycare center or In-home? Your first decision will need to be whether you want to send your baby to a daycare center or an in-home caregiver. Daycare centers employ many teachers for each age group. They are often more expensive than in-home day care providers. In-home providers take care of babies and children in their own homes. In-home daycares also give more one-on-one care for your child. Determine which kind of setting you would prefer for your infant.
Interview staff and childcare providers.
- Find out about feeding, napping and changing schedules.
- Ask about learning activities.
- Ask policies regarding sick children and discipline.
- Check out our list on questions to ask.
Ask for references. Day care centers and in-home day care providers should provide you with a list of references.
Find out about communication policies. Ask how they will communicate with you about your infant’s day. When caring for infants, providers usually provide a written schedule. Some might also give notes at the end of every day showing how much the baby ate, slept, and how often he or she was changed.
