Choosing the right childcare daycare center is essential to the safe care of your child. According to The Journalist's Resource, around 11 million children up to age five spend about 35 hours every week in a daycare center. While daycare is a common setting for the children of working families, you should always do your due diligence and ask the right questions. Here are five questions you should ask.

1. What Is Your Child-to-Caregiver Ratio?

In many states, the child-to-caregiver ratio is regulated. A lower ratio is usually better. Ideally, each care provider will have no more than five children aged two or older to care for and no more than three children younger than age two. You must ask this question because your child will likely be better off in an environment where the caregiver assigned to them is able to provide enough attention throughout the day.

2. How Are Employees Researched Before Being Hired?

What background checks does the childcare daycare center do before hiring its candidates? The center must take steps to protect the children by ensuring every employee that works in the center is fully vetted. Everyone working in the center, from teachers to receptionists to custodial workers, should be required to pass an in-depth background check.

3. What Are Your Security Measures?

You can determine how secure the center is by asking about security protocols. Does the center have cameras? Do they check the IDs of anyone visiting the center? How does pick-up work? These questions and any others related to building access can give you a sense of whether your child would be safe in the building. The more secure a daycare center is, the less worried you may be after dropping them off every day.

4. What Are Your Emergency Procedures?

What steps does the center take if a child is injured? Are employees CPR certified? Knowing if the center can handle an emergency is always beneficial. If you or other parents are unable to get to the center immediately during an emergency, it can be reassuring to know that there are safety and emergency procedures in place to keep the children safe. Ask if the center has a written policy for dealing with emergencies and how often they typically occur at their facility.

5. What Are Your Policies on Late Pickups?

If you're late to pick up your child, will you be charged? It can be helpful to know exactly what constitutes being "late" and whether there's any wiggle room or margin for error for that time frame. This can help you define what your constraints are and how the daycare center can accommodate your work schedule and commute time.

Asking the right questions can give you the information you need to make an informed decision. Call Almost Home Academy today for a childcare daycare center that's happy to answer all your questions. We look forward to speaking with you.