Finding a childcare provider for your child is one of the toughest tasks a parent has.  There are several tips I can offer to parents who are engaged in this search.

1.  Ask friends and neighbors who their childcare provider is.  A referral from a parent is the best referral you can get!

2.  Visit several childcare facilities; don't make up your mind after visiting only a couple of places.

3.  When you visit a childcare facility, be very observant.  I recommend listening for teachers' voices while you are walking down the hall.  Some teachers are sometimes not truly themselves when a parent is in the classroom.  A teacher will not yell at a child in front of a parent but they may do so when they are in the classroom alone with the children.

4.  Ask to see a daily schedule of activities for your child's potential classroom.  Find out what your child will be doing throughout the day as well as what time snacks and meals are served.   Even the infant room will have various activities planned.

5.  Ask about meals and snacks.  The state of Georgia has set a minimum guideline for what childcare providers should provide for the children at meal and snack time.  Make sure the facility provides at least the minimum guidelines.  If your child is a big eater, ask about their procedure regarding second helpings (many facilities do not offer second helpings).

6.  Become aware of teacher to child ratios.  The state has set a maximum ratio based on the ages of the children in the classroom.  Make sure the facility's ratio is the same or less than the state ratio.  For infants, the state ratio is 1:6.  Could you imagine leaving your child in a classroom with one teacher and five other infants?  Most chain facilities can afford to hire more teachers and keep their ratios lower than the state requirement.

7.  Ask to see an example of their classroom cleaning log.  Most facilities require a thorough cleaning of each classroom twice a day.  Taking a look at the cleaning log allows you to see what the facility is doing to help prevent the spread of germs.

8.  Ask about the facility's sick child policy.  Believe it or not, some facilities will allow sick children to return to the facility even though it is against policy.  Use very thorough questioning regarding this topic.  No matter what type of sick policy a facility has or how well the center is cleaned, children in a childcare facility will get sick.  Take a look at the other families at the facility and hope that they are responsible and caring enough to keep their sick child at home.

9.  Find out who will be in your child's classroom when their primary teacher is absent.  Will your child's class be combined with another class?  Will the teacher to child ratio increase dramatically?  Will a less qualified and less experienced teacher be placed in your child's classroom?

10.  Once you have found an acceptable childcare provider, visit the facility a couple of more times at different times of the day.  The classroom's primary teacher will not be in the classroom all day.  You will want to meet the afternoon teacher as well as the primary teacher.

The most important tip I can give you is this: if you do not feel comfortable with the facility, do not enroll your child there.  Every parent will worry about their child but knowing that your child is with people whom you trust makes the transition a lot easier.

Visit this link to view Georgia's rules for childcare facilities

http://nrc.uchsc.edu/georgia/georgia.htm