Choosing the right daycare can feel overwhelming, but asking the right questions makes the process easier and more empowering.
This article presents important questions that can help you evaluate the facility’s safety, staff qualifications, and daily routines to ensure it aligns with your child’s needs.
Question to ask: What is the child-to-caregiver ratio?
The staff-to-child ratio directly impacts the quality of care and attention.
For infants and toddlers, a low staff-to-child ratio is especially important because younger children require more hands-on care, such as feeding, diaper changes, and close supervision.
Ratios vary by state; 1:4 for infants is common in Texas and Pennsylvania. Mi Casita not only meets state-mandated ratios, but often exceeds them — providing more personalized attention for each child.
Question to ask: What are the staff qualifications?
- Extensive background checks.
- CPR training.
- Language skills for staff at immersion daycares.
Spanish immersion daycares like Mi Casita employ native speakers to create a fully immersive, authentic language environment from day one.
Question to ask: If the daycare is bilingual or immersion-based, what percentage of the day is spent in the target language?
Ask how much time is spent in the target language—some programs split 50/50, while others immerse children fully. At Mi Casita, Spanish is the primary mode of educational and co-curricular activities and the staff members are native speakers.
Question to ask: What does a typical day at daycare look like?
A well-structured daily routine typically balances learning, play, and rest, catering to the needs of different age groups. For infants and toddlers, the day often revolves around feeding, napping, and supervised play. Infants focus on sensory play, while preschoolers enjoy structured learning and outdoor play.
For preschoolers, the day can include more structured activities. Various educational activities, such as storytelling, arts and crafts, and literacy practices might be performed. Outdoor play is a key component, allowing children to develop motor skills and socialize.
Meals and snacks are provided at regular intervals, and a designated nap or quiet time is often included in the afternoon.
At Mi Casita, a typical day for 2-year-olds includes Circle Time, outdoor play, projects, music, story time, meals, and rest — all in Spanish.
As a parent, you can visit the daycare during the day to observe and evaluate. Families are welcome to request a printed copy of the daily routine and schedule.
Question to ask: What is the daycare’s approach to discipline and conflict resolution?
A daycare’s discipline and conflict resolution approach reflects its philosophy of guiding children’s behavior and fostering a positive environment. Start by asking how they handle common behavioral issues like biting, tantrums, or sharing conflicts. High-quality daycares use redirection, problem-solving, and time-ins instead of punishment.
Inquire about their discipline policy to ensure it aligns with your parenting style. Many daycares focus on teaching rather than punishing, using methods like time-ins (where a child sits with a caregiver to calm down and reflect) or natural consequences (e.g., cleaning up a mess they made).
Question to ask: What are the health and safety protocols?
Health and safety protocols are a cornerstone of any reputable daycare, ensuring that children are protected from harm and that their well-being is prioritized.
First, inquire about their cleaning and sanitization practices. Regular sanitization prevents illness from spreading between children – however, many parents report that their children do get an increase in viruses during their first year at daycare.
You should also discuss their illness policy. Most daycares have clear guidelines on when your child should stay home (e.g., fever or vomiting) and how they handle children who become ill during the day. Safety protocols are equally important. Ask about emergency preparedness, such as fire drills, evacuation plans, and procedures for handling medical emergencies.
- Don’t forget to inquire about the facility physical safety features, such as:
- Locked doors during operating hours
- Secure entry systems, such as key cards
- Surveillance cameras
- Fire drills
- Policies allowing parents and authorized guardians for pick-up
Question to ask: What meals and snacks are provided? Do you accommodate dietary restrictions?
Proper nutrition is important for both infants and toddlers to boost overall health. When evaluating a daycare, understand their meal and snack policies.
Some daycares offer snacks or meals. You can check to understand their policies and what, if any, food you may need to send with your child. At Mi Casita, a nutritious snack is provided. However, families provide refrigerated lunches and afternoon snacks.
Many children have dietary restrictions due to allergies, religious practices, or personal preferences. Ask how the daycare accommodates these needs. A good daycare will have a clear plan for handling food allergies, including cross-contamination prevention and emergency protocols for allergic reactions. Reputable daycares are careful to accommodate children with special dietary needs whenever possible.
Question to ask: How much outdoor playtime do children get each day and are there any dedicated play areas?
Outdoor playtime is essential for children’s physical, social, and emotional development. When visiting a daycare, ask how much time children spend outside each day. Most daycares offer at least 60 minutes of outdoor play in safe, age-appropriate areas. At Mi Casita, children go outdoors every day, weather permitting.
In addition, ask if the daycare has age-appropriate play spaces equipped with safe, well-maintained equipment. Outdoor areas should have soft surfaces like rubber mats or mulch to cushion falls, and fences to prevent children from wandering. Indoor play areas should be childproofed, with no sharp edges or small choking hazards.
Question to ask: What are your policies about drop-off and pickup times?
If you have unpredictable schedules, inquire about drop-off and pickup times and whether there is any flexibility. Start by asking about the daycare’s standard hours of operation.
Clarify if there are grace periods for pickup, as some facilities may charge a fee if you arrive late. Inquire about the daycare’s policy for adjusting your child’s hours or days of attendance. For example, if you need to switch from full-time to part-time care or vice versa.
Similarly, if you need to disenroll your child, find out their policy on notice periods and whether there are any fees associated with early termination.
Question to ask: How can parents get involved?
Ask about parent involvement—volunteering, meetings, and event participation.
Many daycares have dedicated portals and mobile applications to communicate with parents. Some also provide access to live security camera footage.
Mi Casita welcomes families through our parent ambassador program and regular familia events that strengthen community and connection.
Question to ask: What are the tuition rates, and what is included in the cost?
Ask about the daycare’s tuition rates for budgeting and comparing options. Rates vary by attendance—ask what’s included (meals, supplies, activities).
Some facilities may also include extracurricular activities like music classes, yoga, or field trips, while others charge extra for these programs. You can request a detailed breakdown of the costs for consideration.
Mi Casita offers both part-time and full-time enrollment options with flexible tuition rates to meet your family’s needs. Infants under 1 must always attend 5 days a week. At Mi Casita Preschool, for example, we provide sibling discounts.
Question to ask: Is there a waitlist, and how does it work?
Many high-quality daycares have waitlists, especially in urban areas or for specific age groups. Ask if there’s a waitlist for your desired start date and how long the typical wait time is.
Question to ask: Are there any sibling discounts?
Affording daycare can be challenging, so it’s worth asking about financial aid options or discounts. Many daycares offer sibling discounts for families with multiple children enrolled, which can significantly reduce costs. Mi Casita Preschool offers sibling discounts to support families with multiple children.
