by Leneah Willis

Created on: December 17, 2009   Last Updated: December 22, 2009

Choosing the right childcare provider can be a hard task. You need to know the person you are leaving you child with, and that can be harder than you think. Making sure that  the provider you pick will be the right one for you child. Here are some great tips to make sure you are ahead in the game in finding that perfect person.

Find someone in your area. when choosing, call around to a few different providers to make appointments with them. You need to make sure you child is in the best of hands. Once you have made your appointments to have a meet and greet you need to sit down and write out a question sheet. Write down every possible question you might think of. Your questions might consist of, How much do they charge, What are their hours, What kind of activities do they participate in, and things in that nature.

There are also other things to consider. Will the provider include meals and snacks, will they have any kind of educational activities. What are the discipline acts they take in cause your child acts up. Do they venture outside to play, and how much TV is allowed. But those are just the beginning.

When you go to your meet and greet bring you children with you. You need to see how the provider and the child act together. Ask for a tour of the house. Your children will be spending most of their time there, so you need to know what conditions the house is in. Ask if they have any pets. This might be good to know if your child has allergies. And when speaking with them, ask them about themselves. How long they have been providing for child in their home. You also need to know how many child they watch on a normal basis. Each state has its own law as to how many children per provider is allowed. If they have children themselves they also count if under a certain age.  A great thing to also know is if they have CPR training, and are certified.

Before you leave ask if they have a contract you can look over that may include vacation time and discussing holiday pay. There might also be a reference page attached. If not see if they have references that you can call.

If you are looking into sending your child to a daycare, you can do a few things a little different. Check with the BBB to see if they have any dings on there record. Meet with all the staff to make sure everyone meets your standards. 

Your children need to be in a safe and healthy home that you both feel comfortable in. Make sure you know the person you are leaving your heart and soul with.

Learn more about this author, Leneah Willis.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.