Day care or head start?

Question

what kind of things should i look for in a place? she will be 3 on march 6th and i want to get her in to day care or head start cause she is not around any little kids her age! so what things should i look for and what should i ask for questions? i live in Augusta Maine if that helps at all.

Answer 1

what kind of educational programs do they offer for your child's age? do they have an open door policy so you can check up on things unexpectedly? what is the student/teacher ratio? what will they do during the day? how do they handle lunches? what are the hours of operation> what is the cost for part time/full time? how do they handle discipline? what does the schedule look like?are the teachers cpr/first aid trained? what will they do if your child gets sick?do the kids take field trips? If so how will they get there and where will they go? it may also be a good idea to do a background check on the center as well as the teachers who will be with your child.  

Answer 2

The poster above me has a great list of questions, another big thing that a lot of daycares won't have any problem with is a visit for the child before they start.  It would be probably an hour or two or possibly a full day, depending on the daycare and you and your child would join a class for the day.  They would likely include your child in their daily schedule, and you could either participate or just observe.  This helps you get a better idea of how things work in the daycare, and your child will feel more comfortable going in on her first day if she has already met the kids and the teacher(s) with you there.

You should also ask about:

Naptime

Bathroom rules (How closely supervised are they in the washroom?)

Handwashing technique (both teachers and kids)

Do they brush their teeth after lunch?

Potty Training