Top 10 Signs of a Good Day Care

Leaving your child at a day care center for the first time can be scary and stressful. Choosing a trustworthy environment you and you child are comfortable with goes a long way toward easing your mind. Dr. Michelle Saenz, a clinical psychologist who works with children and parents at the Los Angeles Family Resource Counseling Center, shares her top 10 ways to spot a great day care facility.

"I personally always go by word of mouth," Saenz says. "Websites can be misleading, and usually the day care center hires an outside contractor to create the website. Ask friends and friends of friends." If a center comes highly recommended by its clients, that's a great sign.

“It's a good sign if the building is clean and organized and the staff know where everything is,” Saenz says. “Also check [to make sure] there’s a decent level of supplies. Will the staff and children have everything they need?”

A good day care should allow you to visit at various times. “I suggest parents come back at different parts of the day,” Saenz says. “They should be able to accommodate you coming by yourself for a half-hour to volunteer and see what it’s like.”

Also important is the way staff members handle problems. “Handling of the children’s behavioral issues needs to be individualized,” Saenz says. "If a child is acting out because they are having problems communicating, it’s imperative that the person taking care of them can recognize that and give them the right tools.”

A good day care has planned days, not baby-sitting. "Find out how does the day start at the day care," Saenz says. "Will your child be responsible for certain things, like bringing a snack and putting it away? Do they have to know how to write their name? You should also be able to show your child pictures of the teachers they will meet.”

Make certain the facility is regulated and official. “Check to see if the day care is passing all the applicable laws and that they’re licensed," Saenz says. "Also, a good day care should be up-to-date with their child-development courses.”

“Student-to-teacher ratio should be around three children to one staff member,” Saenz says. “Make sure there isn’t one person in charge of six kids. That would be unsettling to me.”

One of the key measures of a good day care is its openness to a tour. Always take one, during which you should see happy and engaged children. Ask as many questions as you need to. “A lot of times parents are so nervous,” Saenz says. “Don’t stay quiet on a tour. Come in with your own set of questions.”

The most important sign of a good day care is the level of structure. “If your child is a little bit more behind developmentally or a little bit less verbal,” Saenz says, “then you want to make sure the day care or preschool is structured, where they have circle time and story time, for example."

The staff at a good facility should be willing to allow communication with other parents. “It's great if the day care will connect you with past or current parents who would be willing to talk to you,” Saenz says.