As a parent, there is little more nerve-racking than leaving your child in the hands of a complete stranger. Their well being, their care, is now left to some people who you “hope” have the patience and understanding to deal not only with your child, but several other similarly aged children at the same time. Their tantrums, their habits, and every action becomes magnified and is put on display for everyone else to see.

Of course, most families have no choice – one or both adults must work to make ends meet. Of course, there’s an obvious tradeoff – cost. The obscene cost to putting one child in daycare for several hours a day is beyond what most families can afford. Its not uncommon to pay more than $200 a week in childcare costs per child. That’s approximately $800 a month. For some, it makes sense to have an adult stay home (or even ask Grandma if she can help out!)

Still, if you find you must select a look for a daycare, here’s some tips to help ease you through the selection process.

Ask around.

The best advice is to ask your family and close friends which daycare they’ve chosen.  While price will always play a role, there is no substitute for your child’s safety and well being and treatment.

Proximity to work or home is important.

Daycares charge you if you pick up your child late – so it is imperative that you are always on time. Daycares close to work, school, or home tend to be the most convenient.

Visit the daycare with your child.

This gets them acclimated and gets them a  little more comfortable with the setting. Plus you can see more about how the teachers interact with the other children.

Ask about the teachers

Their education, accreditations, manners, age, and how much experience they have is extremely important.

Obey your instincts

If you don’t like the setting of the daycare, or a specific teacher, or if your parental inctincts kick in and you find yourself uncomforable in the environment, listen to them. Your child will probably feel the same way, or perhaps even more so.

Do your homework.

Go home, sleep on it, do a quick Google search or call around. Check the daycare’s accreditation. Check for complaints, disciplinary actions, etc.

Chat with the daycare director.

They are the “boss” and help oversee everything. They help set agendas, schedules, programs, etc. If you have concerns about the center, a teacher, etc, talk about them openly. Worst case, you don’t put your child in that daycare.

If your child requires special attention or has habits, talk about them with the director.

This will put you a little more at ease and will prepare the director and child care specialists for your child.

Check the security of the day care

Are there security measures in place? Is there a keypad entry? Do you have to sign in and out. Find out who has access to your child.

Emergency procedures are important as well

Is there a planned evacuation route? Fire drills? Is there safety equipment there? How about medical emergencies? What happens if the daycare is closed, or closes early? This is all important, though very few people think about it.