Enrolling your child in childcare is a great way to give them a head start before they formally start their education. It’s not compulsory, but it’s a great way to give your child a structured learning programme where they can harness skills that they can carry with them for life.
That being said, not all childcare institutions offer the same experience. Some operate under different learning philosophies, whereas others may have different standards of care or tuition fees.
As a parent, choosing a childcare facility to enrol your child in can be quite a dizzying affair. But selecting the right one is essential to giving your child the best possible education for their age, which can propel their education to new heights.
So, this begs the question: how can a parent go about vetting childcare facilities and picking the best one? If you’re in that dilemma, then we’ve got you covered. Here are some questions you can ask teachers and administrators in childcare institutions before you choose which childcare facility to enrol your child in.
Let’s jump right into it!
Questions to Ask Every Childcare Facility
- What is the Caregiver to Child Ratio?
When choosing a childcare centre, it’s important to pick one that has enough caregivers to supervise the children in class.
There are ideal ratios for this, and they change depending on the age of the class, but typically, ideal ratios go like this:
- 1 trained caregiver for every four infants aged 12 months to 15 months old
- 1 trained caregiver for every ten toddlers aged 2-3 years old
- 1 trained caregiver for every 18 preschool children aged 4 to 6 years old
Depending on your child’s age, ensure that the childcare facility has enough caregivers to provide responsive care to the entire class.
If the ratio is disproportionate, with more students than caregivers or trained adults, then this could signal that teachers are teaching beyond their threshold, which can lead to less attention for your child.
An overcrowded classroom could lead to heightened stress and less concentration for your child, which can potentially lead to more harm than good in terms of shaping your child’s development.
- What’s the Core Teaching Methodology?
Another question parents should ask childcare institutions is the style of teaching they tend to employ within their facility. The teaching style that caregivers follow shapes how your child will learn and develop new skills within the facility.
Different centres follow different approaches. Some may follow a play-based learning module, where the child has nearly free rein over how they want to play and interact with their environment.
Others may follow more structured or academic-focused programs, with planned lessons and clear learning outcomes. Some centres blend two approaches, like the Australian Early Years Learning Framework with Montessori, to extract the best possible learning outcome for their students within regulatory conditions.
In any case, understanding how the childcare facility teaches its students can be a great determining factor in helping you make your decision on which school to enrol your child in. This is because it will shape their broader education trajectory as their first formal stepping stone to learning.
- What Does the Daily Routine Look Like?
Getting an idea of what your child does inside the childcare facility should be a priority for every parent. And this can be done before you sign any enrolment papers or pay tuition fees.
You could ask teachers what a normal day looks like for their students, particularly those of a similar age to your own child. Typically, childcare activities would include a mix of learning activities, fun free play, meal time, rest time, and outdoor play.
That said, some institutions may scrap activities or weigh certain activities more favourably, so knowing what the childcare centre prioritises can give you a good idea of whether their programme is fitting for your child and their specific needs.
Ideally, you should also have an idea of what you want your child to achieve in childcare before scouting for them. You wouldn’t want your child to enrol in an institution that has inadequate hours for meal time or nap time, for instance.
Knowing the school’s routine beforehand helps give you peace of mind knowing that your kid can handle the schedule without overstraining themselves, allowing them to engage with their learning environment more intentionally.
- How Does the Centre Handle Safety and Emergencies?
Another important question parents should ask is how the childcare facility ensures the safety of every child under their care.
Beyond having adequate classroom space and the right programme, it’s crucial to know if there are systems in place that assure everyone’s safety during tense moments.
Ask the institution’s representative if there are safety protocols in place and how strict supervision is in public areas. Get a feel of how entries and exits are managed. Ask about the safety features in the classrooms and the procedures in place to keep children out of harm’s way.
Some centres may follow safety protocols and guidelines more strictly than others, so it’s a good idea to know how your options handle security. It’s also important to note their communication channel and how quickly they can contact you in case an emergency has taken place and affected your child in some capacity.
By getting a deeper understanding of this matter, you can have peace of mind knowing that there are robust and detailed systems in place to assure your child’s safety within the facility.
- What Are the Staff Qualifications and Experience?
Lastly, you should also get an idea of how qualified the staff and teachers are within the childcare facility. These qualifications play a huge role in affecting the quality of the education that your child will receive.
You can ask about the caregivers’ educational background, certifications, and any specialised training in early childhood education. It’s also helpful to know how long they’ve been working in childcare and whether the centre provides ongoing training or development for their staff.
Some centres invest heavily in training and retention programmes. If the bulk of the teachers have been around for a long time and show a high level of expertise, then this is a sign that the facility treats them well and that your child will be in safe hands in this childcare environment.
We hope that we’ve given you some insights on the best questions to ask when vetting a potential childcare facility for your little one. All the best in making that choice yourself!
