While daycare is a must for most families in Anoka County, as a mom, I know how hard it is to leave your child with people, especially people that you don’t really know.
The first step in looking for a new daycare is to make a point of visiting them in person, not just calling them over the phone. When you go to a Coon Rapids daycare provider or Andover daycare provider to see them in action you want to be ready with questions to ask. The best way to find out about someone or something is to ask them open ended questions and then dig a little deeper withquestions about anything you still have questions about andthat you find important. The following are the top five questions to ask when looking for a new daycare to entrust your child with.
1. Why should I send my child to this daycare center? In answering this question, the daycare should go into how long they have been in business and their accreditations as well as telling you all about what a wonderful daycare they are running.
2. How do you screen your staff? The staff will be the ones who will be dealing with your child the most so you want to be certain they have been screened properly. Their answer should include finding out about not just their background but also about their credentials and any special training that they have received.
3. What are your hours of operation? This is when you want to find out not just when they are open on a day to day basis, but their holiday schedules, days they are open and their flexibility as far as when you can drop off and pick your children up.
4. What do you want from me as a parent? You need to know up front what their expectations for you are, including when payments are due, whether or not meals are included, who handles supplies like diapers and wipes, and, if there is any medicine that needs to be given, what requirements they have regarding those.
5. What are your disciplinary practices? Everybody has their own disciplinary stylefor their children. Regardless of what your personal style is you want to make sure that you are putting your child into a daycare that is going to mirror your style, not one that is going to work against yours or confuse your child.
Use these questions while doing your research and you should leave with all the answers you need to find the best Anoka County daycare provider for you!