If you are sending your child to daycare, you need to make sure that the facility meets your standards. Although each centre offers the parent an allocated set of visiting days, we'd suggest the old tried and tested technique of the surprise visit. This enables us to gauge the standards of such a facility on a regular day, when the staff is not pre-prepared or on extra special behavior. Although, we can expect to run into more than a few restricted zones on such an unannounced visit, we will have a unique insight into your child's daycare environment.



One of the first things you could evaluate is whether the centre has been adequately child proofed. Be on the look out for small details like unattended sharp objects (like scissors) or even unpadded corners, exposed wiring, open plug points and the general standard of cleanliness. Children are bound to litter the floors with their toys and dolls, however, there shouldn't be any stains, dirt or grime either on their playthings or on the floor. Spills are a commonplace incident in a daycare centre, nevertheless, the staff mustn't treat such a mess with a lackadaisical attitude or it can inadvertently lead to a hygiene hazard.

Potty training is usually provided at such a daycare centre and the staff is expected to maintain a schedule for each child. On your visit, you could check whether the staff is attentive to your child needs. At any given point of time there should be access to a bathrooms to avoid an embarrassing playtime incident. You might want to do a check on the facility's changing policies in the event of an accident.

Always have a heart to heart chat with the teachers to figure out whether you can trust them with your child. On the other hand, technology can reassure those flailing nerves and that building sense of insecurity. Several daycare facilities now present parents with Internet-based video monitoring systems that can be accessed from any online computer. As a result, peace of mind is only a few clicks away, as we can view the classroom at any point of time while managing our work.

A daycare centre also prepares your child for the upcoming school years. A good centre balances playtime, social interaction and a well-structure educational program into the daily routine. The staff should provide you with the sample papers or worksheets solved by the children. In this way we can determine the center's adopted approach towards structuring the child's mind through its curriculum.

At dispersal time, we should make sure that the attendants are quick to ask for some sort of photo identification. Then again, in a smaller facility the photo ID card is not required as the teacher will be familiar with each child's parent. This verification system must hold true, nonetheless, for anyone other than the child's mother or father wanting to pick up the child.

Once you have performed all these impromptu checks you can bask in an unadulterated sense of security and peace of mind. Your child will blossom in a happy, playful and most importantly a safe environment under the attentive and caring eye of his daycare teacher.