Can I do some sort of background check on a child care center?

Question

Call me overprotective! I will be placing my 18month old in daycare soon. I was wondering if there was any way to check the history of the child care center. I am living in Mitchell county North Carolina. I would appreciate any help.

Answer 1

The agency which governs and issues the license should have information on any violations that may have occured. They get inspected on a regular basis and there will be a log of this available for public viewing. It is usually through the county offices.

Answer 2

here is the website for North Carolina's day care licensing. good luck!  look for the center licensing reports.  a missing staff form may be OK, but some centers have been busted for things like not having crib sheets for the babies to sleep on  :(

Answer 3

Yo ucan usually check with the state to see if their license is valid and if they had any complaints. Also, ask for a lot of references and call / meet them personnally to discuss the provider. Finally compare with other daycare providers in your area using tools like http://www.daycarebear.com ...

Answer 4

I would contact the local health department- they should be able to give you access to past health inspections.  In my state that covers everything from health/safety to developmentally appropriate practice.  I would also visit on numerous occasions- a good school will let you visit unannounced.  There might also be an outside organization that oversees the child care centers in your area.  There is a website called, Child Care Aware (http://www.childcareaware.org/en/) that allows you to search for child care and it might have some information.  Most of all I would make sure that your child care center is NAEYC accredited (www.naeyc.org) and that the teacher turn-over is low.  High teacher turnover is usually a sign of lower quality care and NAEYC accreditation means that the school is held to a higher standard in their practices.  Good Luck!