Questions to Ask a Daycare Provider Before Hiring Them

One of the hardest tasks that a parent has to do is choose a daycare for their child. I’m a mom of 3 little girls and have been very lucky to have had the opportunity to work from home while raising my girls. As a work at home mom, my chosen career is a home daycare provider. I have been taking care of kids in my home for over 8 years. I have met many parents and have had several parents sit down with me to decide if I was the right person to take care of their child while they were away. When you are trying to find the perfect person to watch your child, there are certain questions to ask a daycare provider before hiring them.

As a home daycare provider, I have many parents sit across from me in my living room for the first time and too often they don’t know what to ask me. Most parents that come to me are first-time moms so they are clueless, which isn’t their fault. Most often, I’ll take the lead and tell them everything they need to know but as a parent, it is important to know what questions to ask. Here are a few questions that I encourage parents to ask before hiring a daycare provider for their child.

• How much do you charge?
• Do you require a deposit to hold a spot?
• Do you offer a sibling discount?
• Do you have rate increases?
• When do you prefer to be paid? (If you’d prefer to pay your provider every two weeks or monthly, ask them if they are okay with that)
• What days are you closed throughout the year (this will most likely include a list of holidays)?
• Do you have scheduled personal time off during the year?
• Are you paid for personal time off?
• How much advance notice do you give for time off?
• What hours are you open?
• What is your sick policy for kids?
• Are you registered with the state or listed?
• How long have you cared for kids in your home?
• Who will be home during the day?
• Who lives in your home?
• Have you and those in the home had a legal background check? (if they are registered or listed by the state, they probably do, but you still need to ask for an updated copy)
• Do you or anyone in the home smoke?
• Do you have pets?
• Where do the pets stay while the kids are home?
• Are your pets vaccinated?
• Have you been CPR certified?
• How many kids do you watch?
• How many kids are you willing to watch?
• What are the ages of the kids?
• Do you separate the older kids from the younger kids?
• Do you have scheduled nap time?
• Where do the kids sleep? (make sure to visit the location that they will be sleeping)
• Do you provide meals and snacks?
• Where do the kids eat?
• How often do you change diapers (this is important because some providers change every 3 hours)
• Do you assist in potty training?
• What do the older kids (toddler+) do during the day?
• Do you allow outside time? (make sure to look at the outside play area)
• Do you have a learning curriculum for them?
• How do you discipline?
• Newborn- Where will my newborn be sleeping?
• Newborn- How do you handle a crying newborn?
• Newborn- How often will you be able to hold my newborn?
• Newborn- What supplies do I need to bring?

These are only a few questions that I make sure to answer for parents that are interviewing me for childcare. Depending on your situation will depend on if you ask all of these questions or only a few. In addition, you might think of more questions based on the answers that they give you.

Can you add to this list of questions?

You might also enjoy:

How to Start an In-Home Daycare

10 Ways You Can Help Your Child’s Home Daycare Provider

What Not to Do When You Drop Your Child Off at Daycare