Daycare has a lot of benefits for young children, especially if they are also a preschool. Through spending time at a daycare, children learn how to be apart from their parents, and learn how to get along with their peers.
There are so many studies linking the benefits of a good preschool to success in children, but finding a good fit for your child is just as important as attending. If you’re in the search for a new daycare, here’s a few questions you should ask at your tour.
What is Your Sick Child Policy?
Every child will experience an illness at some point in their life. It’s important to know what to expect when this happens. Details you may want to find out include what symptoms are considered sick.
Are only children with no symptoms allowed to attend? Are children with fever restricted, but a cough and runny nose still fine? Will you still have to pay for a day even if a child can’t attend?
Do you teach social and emotional learning?
In the past, academics was the only focus in school. New studies have shown that social and emotional learning are just as import as academics though. Good social skills help children learn how to properly interact with their peers and make them more likely to ask for help from the teacher when needed.
Strong emotional skills help kids gain control over their emotions and handle stressful events better. If your daycare offers social and emotional learning, it’s a great thing.
Do you administer medication?
If your child ever needs antibiotics or other medications, it’s important to find out if the daycare will be willing to give that medication to the child while they are at daycare. You’ll also want to learn about any rules or restrictions they may have on medication.
Are children supervised at all times?
This may seem like a silly question to ask—you’re paying for someone to supervise your child while you can’t after all—but it’s still something you want to clarify.
What does the schedule look like?
If naptime is at 1PM on the dot at daycare, but it’s earlier or later at your house, the change in schedule can be disruptive for your child. Asking about the schedule can help you match your home schedule so your child is comfortable in both environments.
While there are no wrong questions to ask your potential daycare, these questions are all great ones that will give you a better understanding of the daycare you are looking at. You may never need your child to receive medications or to benefit from a sick day, but knowing the policies of the daycare can help you be better prepared in case something does happen.
What ever choice you make, do tour a daycare before signing your child up for it. It’s so important to meet the teachers and see the environment for yourself before leaving your child there.
