Choosing the right childcare centre can be difficult, which is why taking a tour is a great way to differentiate the stand outs from the rest.
To do this, however, you need to ask the right questions.
Going into a tour prepared is essential in choosing the right centre for your child, which is why you should have some questions up your sleeve to ask. To help you out, we’ve prepared a list of questions you can use on your next tour.
Questions About The Centre
The first thing you’ll want to know is about the centre itself and how it runs. The answers to these questions will help determine which centre will best meet your requirements.
Make sure you ask:
- What are your hours of operation?
- How much does it cost? Can I claim the Child Care Subsidy?
- How does pick up and drop off work?
- How do you communicate with families?
- Do you have sustainable practices in place?
- What hygiene measures are in place?
Questions About The Staff
When leaving your child in the care of others, it’s good to check in about the staff that will be looking after your child, and the processes they use.
Not only will this give you insight into the quality of care the centre provides, but will also give you peace of mind that your child is in safe hands.
Here are a couple you can ask:
- How qualified/experienced are your staff?
- What is your staff-to-child ratio?
- How long have your staff worked here? (This can indicate if they have a good workplace culture!)
- Are you staff trained in first aid?
- How are your staff screened?
Questions About Your Child And Their Development
The most important questions to ask are the ones that affect your child’s development. From food to sleep to educational opportunities, you want to know that the childcare you place your little one in is going to give them the best start in life.
Try asking:
- What food will be available to my child? Can I see a menu?
- How do you structure sleep times? How often will they be checked when they are napping?
- How much outdoor playtime will my child have?
- What is the process if my child gets sick?
- How do you go about sun safety?
- What about toileting?
- What educational programs do you have available?
- How is play structured? How much free play do they get?
- What sorts of toys do you have?
- Can you give me an example of a typical day’s routine?
Need To Find A Childcare For Your Little One?
Here at Haven, we know how important the right childcare is for your child. At our centres, we have a range of educational programmes, professional and caring staff and an inclusive community with policies to reflect this.
Book a tour at one of our centres and our wonderful staff members will let you know all the information about our centre so you can make the right choice of childcare!
