Questions to Ask Before Enrolling Your Child

The daycare tour you take in April will shape every weekday of your life for the next year or two. Most centers run a polished version of the visit — fresh paint, the calm room, the senior teacher. The questions below are designed to get past that surface and tell you what the place is actually like on a Tuesday in November. Get the answers in writing where you can; verbal promises do not survive staff turnover. Share your child's health information from Healthbooq with providers so they understand any specific needs.

Staff and Qualifications

Who is in the room with your child for eight hours a day matters more than anything else.

• "What are the credentials of the lead teacher in my child's room?" A Child Development Associate (CDA), an associate's or bachelor's degree in early childhood, or equivalent experience are reasonable answers. "She's been with us a long time" alone is not enough.
• "What is your staff-to-child ratio in this room, and what does the state require?" State minimums vary widely. The AAP recommends 1:3–4 for infants, 1:4 for toddlers, and 1:7–8 for 3-year-olds. If they meet the legal minimum but not AAP, ask why.
• "What is your annual staff turnover, and how long has the lead teacher in this room been here?" The national turnover rate in early childhood education runs 25 to 40 percent a year. Anything under 20 percent is a good sign. Under 12 months for a "lead" is a yellow flag.
• "How much paid professional development do staff get each year?" Quality centers fund 15 to 30 hours per year. "Whatever the state requires" usually means very little.
• "What is your sick day and substitute policy?" The honest answer is what you need. Floating substitutes who don't know the children are common; ask how often it happens in this room.

Communication

You will not be in the room. The communication system is your only window in.

• "How will I know what happened today?" Apps like Brightwheel or Procare are now standard. Ask to see a real (anonymized) daily report. You want feeding times, nap length, diaper changes, mood, and at least one specific moment ("Asked for the truck three times, finally said 'truck' clearly").
• "How quickly will you reach me in an emergency?" A clear answer: which staff member calls, by what method, and what the threshold is for calling at all. Get the threshold in writing — fevers, falls, bites.
• "How do you handle parent concerns?" Listen for a real process: who you talk to first, what happens if it's not resolved, who the director is. Vague answers ("we have an open-door policy") often mean there is no process.
• "Can I tour again, unannounced, after enrollment?" Yes is the only acceptable answer. Federal law allows licensed centers to be visited by parents at any time their child is present.

Health and Safety

This is where written policies matter most.

• "What is your sick policy?" Standard exclusion criteria from the AAP: fever over 100.4°F, vomiting, diarrhea (more than two loose stools above baseline), undiagnosed rash, pinkeye until treated 24 hours, strep until 12 hours of antibiotics. Children should be fever-free without medication for 24 hours before returning.
• "How is medication administered?" Look for: locked storage, written parent authorization, double-signature on each dose, a log book. Anything less and errors happen.
• "What is your protocol for a serious injury?" Specifics: who does first aid, who calls 911, who calls the parent, who stays with the other children, who documents. They should be able to walk through it without hesitation.
• "How often are emergency drills practiced?" Monthly fire drills and biannual lockdown and weather drills are the floor. Ask when the last one was.
• "What is the staff CPR and first aid coverage?" Ideally, every staff member is current. At minimum, one trained adult per room at all times.
• "How are diaper changes and toileting handled?" Listen for: gloves, surface cleaning between children, no child left unattended on a changing table. This is also a chance to ask how privacy is handled for older toilet-training children.

Discipline and Behavior

Get specifics here. Philosophy statements tell you nothing.

• "How do you handle a 2-year-old who bites?" A reasonable answer: separate the child briefly, attend to the bitten child first, then address the biter at their level — name the feeling, explain why it hurts, redirect. They should mention parent communication and pattern-tracking. "We have a three-strikes rule" is concerning.
• "What do you do when a child refuses to clean up?" Look for offering choices, modeling, and a willingness to pick their battles, not punishment.
• "What is your written policy on physical discipline?" It should explicitly prohibit spanking, grabbing, shaking, threats, shaming, and food withholding. Most states require this in writing — ask to see it.
• "How do you use time-out?" Current research and the AAP recommend short, calm "time-ins" or "calm-down spaces" rather than isolation, especially for children under 3. Hard-line "two minutes per year of age in the corner" approaches are out of step with current practice.
• "How do you handle behavior concerns with parents?" A regular, calm, two-way conversation — not a surprise email at pickup.

Money and Logistics

Read the contract before you sign. Ask the awkward questions out loud.

• "What does tuition cover, and what is extra?" Common extras: registration fee (often $50–$200 nonrefundable), supply fee, field trips, activity fees, lunch. Get the all-in number.
• "What is the late pickup fee, and when does it kick in?" $1–$5 per minute is standard, often after a 5-minute grace period.
• "Do I pay for sick days, vacation days, and holidays?" Most centers charge a flat tuition regardless of attendance — make sure you understand this.
• "How many days a year are you closed?" Typically 8 to 15 (federal holidays, staff training days, the week between Christmas and New Year). This affects your work calendar.
• "What notice do I need to give to withdraw?" Two to four weeks is standard. Some require 30 days written notice and forfeit your deposit otherwise.
• "What is your annual tuition increase?" Most centers raise 3 to 8 percent yearly.

Your Child's Specific Needs

If your child has a known issue, dig in.

• For food allergies: Ask about EpiPen training, allergen separation in food prep, table-cleaning protocol, and how birthdays and treats are handled. A child with peanut allergy at a center with peanut butter on the menu is a daily risk.
• For a child with a medical condition (asthma, diabetes, seizure disorder): Ask if the staff has experience and what training they will do before your child starts. Bring your specialist's care plan.
• For developmental concerns or an IEP/IFSP: Ask whether they coordinate with Early Intervention or therapists, whether therapists can work on-site, and how they accommodate plans.
• For dietary needs: Vegetarian, halal, kosher, dairy-free, gluten-free — ask whether the kitchen accommodates or whether you pack lunch. Many centers say "we accommodate" but in practice serve a hot dog at every cookout.

Curriculum and Daily Life

• "Is there a curriculum, and what is it?" Common frameworks: Creative Curriculum, HighScope, Reggio Emilia-inspired, Montessori. Ask how they actually use it, not just what they call it.
• "How much screen time on a typical day?" The AAP recommends none for children under 2 and limited educational screens for 2- to 5-year-olds. "Occasionally for a movie on Friday" is reasonable; daily TV is not.
• "How much outdoor time?" AAP and NAEYC guidelines recommend at least 60 to 90 minutes of outdoor or active play daily, weather permitting. Ask the cutoff temperature for going outside.
• "How do you assess development?" Tools like the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) at intervals, written observations, conferences twice a year — these are reasonable answers.
• "Can I volunteer or join field trips?" A program that welcomes parents in is one that has nothing to hide.

Get It in Writing

After the tour, ask for the parent handbook and read it the same night. Specifically request written copies of:

• Sick policy and medication policy
• Discipline policy
• Emergency and evacuation plan
• Tuition agreement and withdrawal policy
• Daily schedule and curriculum overview

If something they said on the tour is not in the handbook, email the director and ask them to confirm in writing. Things change when staff turn over.

Trusting Your Read of the Place

You will not get every answer perfectly. The point of asking is partly the answers and partly how the answers are given. A director who responds with specifics, examples, and a willingness to admit weaknesses ("our infant ratio is technically 1:4 but we sometimes run 1:3") is showing you something real. A director who deflects, gets defensive, or gives only marketing-deck answers is also showing you something real.

If you walk out unsure, you are allowed to keep looking. Enrollment slots feel scarce in the moment; the wrong fit is more expensive than waiting another month.

Before enrolling, ask questions about staff qualifications, communication systems, handling of health emergencies, behavioral discipline approaches, costs and payment terms, and what the enrollment process itself involves. Get clear answers in writing to avoid misunderstandings.