Choosing a daycare for your child can be one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a new parent. There are many different factors to consider, and it’s difficult to know where to start. To help you find the right daycare for your family, we’ve outlined some key points below that will help guide you through this process.

Choosing the right daycare for your family can be a difficult decision. You want to make sure that you choose a place that is safe and nurturing, with people who will care about your child as much as you do. We’ve compiled a list of questions to ask yourself before settling on a daycare facility so you’ll know what to look for in an establishment.

• Is it licensed? Daycares are required by law to have licenses from their state’s Department of Early Education and Care Services. If they don’t have one, it means they haven’t been inspected or cleared by the State agency responsible for regulating them.  

• What is the ratio of caregivers per child? The National Association for Family Child Care recommends at least one adult supervisor and four children, or two supervisors with eight kids in each center.  One care provider should be assigned as a cafeteria manager who takes charge when multiple staff members are absent so there isn’t confusion about responsibilities among different people on duty that day (source: KidsAndCaringCom).