I am going to be switching from a group daycare company to an at home daycare. I was given some references but since I have never dealt with an at home daycare I am not sure what to ask the references. Can anyone give me a list of good questions to ask the references?
Home
/
Toddler & Preschooler
/
What should I ask home daycare references?
Verified answer
ask to look at specific areas of the home (bathroom, fridge, beds, closets) its your child so be snoopy! i guarantee if they're opening their home to your child. you better know whats in it. i wouldn't hesitate a second to do this! also check local records through your department of human services to see if any type of reports have been made against them. Your local department of human services should be able to provide you with a list of guidelines home day cares are to follow.
My (now) 6 year old son attended an in-home daycare until he was almost 2 years old. We had some experiences that were more annoying than anything else, but included many sick days which were unexpected (where I had to then use MY leave to babysit), 2 weeks per year of the babysitter taking vacation, multiple doctor's appointments, etc. The care itself was good but we had a difficult time with the overall availability of the in-home daycare. We felt as though we had to use much of our vacation time from work to cover her doctor's appointments, medical issues, and vacations. Also, there were a couple of times when we would pick our son up, and he was being watched by an Aunt/friend of hers without us knowing ahead of time. Lastly, she went on vacation once, and when we took our son to her house on the day after she was supposed to return, she didn't answer the phone/door & swore later that we misunderstood when she would start babysitting again. I nearly lost my job over these types of issues. Since my son started going to the actual daycare center, we are much happier. We know well in advance when they will be closed and we feel more informed. My son did break his arm on a playground once, but that could happen anywhere, even if I had been at the playground. My son has attended the same center for 4 years now, and our younger son has been attending the same center now since he was 8 weeks old. If you go with an in-home daycare, make sure everything is in writing. If they're going on vacation, have them type something up about when they'll be 'closed'. Plan to use much of your vacation as backup daycare. My vote is for the actual daycare centers. Hope that helps!
If the reference is a parent whose child is in/was in the daycare, these are some additional questions you might want to ask:
Are they reliable?
Did you have any disputes with her, and how did she handle it?
Was your child clean and fed when you picked them up?
How often did your child get injured while at the daycare?
How much advance notice were you given for vacation time/sick time?
Does she get annoyed if you call during the day to check on your child?
When you pick up your child, does the provider seem edgy or anxious for the child to leave? (This is a sign that the provider is taking on too much or may not be happy with her job, either way, not good for the kids)
Has there ever been a problem with the provider calling at the last minute and cancelling.
Any problems with discipline
Any problems with serving nutritious meals or taking the children in a vehicle without proper seat belts and/or car seats?
Smoking permitted in the house?
Big dogs?