How to Choose a Good Daycare

Sending children to a daycare center has become a necessity to many families as a stay-at-home parent is not always an option. A little awareness about what to look for in a child care center can make a lot of difference.
Daycare abuse is oftentimes fostered by the way the facility where it occurs is run. There have been some cases where the entire staff at a facility has been involved in the abuse. In others, it’s only been one or two abusers who were allowed to continue abusing because of the negligence of the facility in providing security. In any case, there are ways that a company can run a facility that make it a very hard place for abusers to get away with what they do.

Use the following checklist when choosing a daycare or child day care center.

Security - Preventing daycare child abuse doesn’t necessarily require that a facility have an actual security guard at the door, but there should be some security. At some point before having access to any children, even visually, anyone who enters the facility should be asked for their ID and be forced to engage a staff member. If you can just waltz in and walk right to where the children are, you may want to look for a different facility.
Is the entire staff background checked? - When you interview a daycare provider, ask them about the screening processes they use for their non-childcare staff. This means the custodial staff, any drivers the day care center employs and even the office and administrative staff. If the facility does not require background checks of all employees — caregivers or otherwise — walk out the door. You wouldn't buy your child a bike that hadn't been safety inspected and wouldn't put them in a car seat that hadn't been inspected; you should demand that all personnel at the day care facility are checked out before being hired. Secrecy and inattention to detail are both warning signs that a facility is not on the up and up.
Can You See Their licenses? - Just about every state has a form of license that is intended to be displayed prominently and publicly by anyone who holds it. Ask to see where the staff’s licenses are kept. Make sure that your daycare provider is current on all their licenses. This means checking them out with the state board.
How many care providers to a child? - It’s important that the caregivers at the facility aren’t overloaded. No matter how good they are at their jobs, there is only so much a human being can do and children are a handful. If you feel that your child needs access to more supervision than the facility can provide, you may want to consider a smaller facility.
Watch out for any facility that limits your access to your child. - There should be no restrictions on visiting times. You should be able to walk in the door anytime you please without any interference or discouragement from the staff.
Research all possibilities. - Do not be content to search online but ask around for referrals from friends, family members, doctors, etc.
Interview parents. - Talk with those who attend the center or have attended in the past. Ask for reasons why the daycare center is acceptable or unacceptable.
Call the company. - Talk to a manager to discern the general feel about the facility. Ask the following questions:

• How do you discipline the children in your care?
• May I drop by your daycare to visit without calling first?
• What is the process you use when hiring childcare staff members?
• How are your daycare staff members trained?
• If there are older children at the facility, are they separated from the younger children?
• How do you prevent against daycare accidents and injuries?
• Are there security cameras on site at your daycare center?
• Has your daycare ever been under investigation for daycare abuse or daycare neglect?

Take your child to see the center. - See it for yourself, and observe how your child gets along with others and with the teacher.
Go along with your child the first day. - After selecting a reputable daycare provider, get permission to bring the child in for a visit. You will get to know how comfortable your kid feels with the day care provider and the other children at the facility. It is important that you go along with your child for a day or two. You can also guide the daycare provider about the behavior and specific needs of your child. It is the best way to avoid Dallas daycare negligence.
We also suggest that you stay involved even after selecting a daycare center, and arrange for parent-caregiver meetings regularly - or even volunteer to help inside the facility. This will allow you personal supervision and also pressure the facility into behaving their best at all times. Imagine how much better every daycare center would be if parents got more involved in the day-to-day activities.
A daycare center owes you a responsibility to keep your child happy and safe. By paying attention to how a daycare facility is run, you can determine a lot about how your child’s experience will unfold.
If there is any sign of daycare abuse or daycare neglect then get your child out of harm's way, and call Rasansky Law Firm right away. We have years of experience with daycare neglect, and we can help you.