Nancy: I am Nancy from Oakdale, Minnesota. I have decided to go back to work and need to put my child in daycare. What are the questions I should ask to qualify the daycare as a good provider?
Dr. Kevin Everhart: Nancy, the first thing you should do is inquire is to whether or not the school is licensed, and what kind of credentials they have if they are credentialed by the Association for the Education of Young Children for example.
You also want to look into the child to teacher ratio. You should have a low ratio. Lower the ratio, typically the better quality at the center. Check in to see if the center has a curriculum, they should be able to explain to you, what's going to happen during the day and how your child is going to benefit.
Also inquire about whether or not you can talk to families who are currently enrolled in the school to get a sense for whether or not it's going to be a good fit for your child.
If money is an issue, you might want to look into early head-start or head-start, because they are very high quality programs. And typically, University-based child-care centers are a good bet as well. Good luck!
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