Expert Advice: 5 Questions to Ask When Looking for Child Care

Photo: Small Wonders School

by Ren Johns, PDX Waitlist

Huzzah! You have found that elusive unicorn, the daycare or preschool that has an opening for your child’s age in your area in your price range! WOOHOO! Now...what exactly are you supposed to ask to figure out if it’s any good?

I have helped over a hundred Portland families find child care through my classes and custom search packages, and one of the main things folks want to know is, “How do I know if this will be a safe, quality choice for my kid?” Here are a few of my favorite questions to ask with a few pointers about what to look for at any age! 

Photo courtesy of PDX Waitlist

ANY AGE:

Do you follow the school district calendar for holidays/snow days? Portland Public Schools close for almost 30 days between September and June. If your daycare or preschool follows their calendar, that is a LOT of time off that you have to find coverage for! Some jobs are flexible and that’s no big deal, but if that’s not the case for you, be sure you ask about this before you sign on the dotted line. 

I noticed XYZ issue when I checked your license and I was curious about it. Can you give me some context/share what has changed since? The number one thing every parent should do is check the provider’s license (using this site for OR or this one for WA) before you go on a tour. While it’s not the end all be all (licensors are there only 1-2 times a year if there are no complaints), it’s still the best chance you have of getting a trained set of eyes on the place. While anyone (including disgruntled employees) can make a complaint, often how providers respond is telling of how they handle challenging situations. Not sure how to check a license or what to look for? I wrote a whole blog post about it, which you can check out here! 

INFANTS:

Can you give me some examples of the ways in which you use language with infants throughout the day? The number one thing that makes a difference in terms of child care quality is adult-child interaction, and when it comes to babies that boils down to warmth and how much they talk to the children. If you get to visit during the school day, you will get an immediate vibe for how children are feeling about the place. It’s pretty normal in an infant class for someone to be crying, but how do the adults comfort and soothe the child? Overall do the kids seem happy? Listen for adults to be talking with babies all.the.time, whether that’s narrating the day (“Oh, I see you’re raising your left leg during your diaper change. Look at all these little toes!”) or singing and reading books. If you can’t observe the class, ask them specifically about what they talk to babies about. 

TODDLERS/PRESCHOOL: 

So out on the playground one kid hits/bites/takes the toy from another kid. How do you handle that? Ask any kindergarten teacher and they’ll tell you - the number one thing they want to see from kids coming into their classroom is an understanding of how to “do” school, which includes how to navigate the social realities of being in class with 20+ other kids. Social/emotional development is a MAJOR part of what’s going on at this age. You want to hear a program describe not only how they respond to aggressive behavior to ensure that all children are safe but also how they actually teach children what to do in a situation where their desires are in conflict. Your family may also have specific beliefs/values about the best words and language to use in helping children navigate big emotions, and if that’s the case I’d ask specifically about that so you can make sure you’ll be on the same page if you enroll.

Walk me through a recent unit/exploration/project/day in this classroom. I’d love to hear more about how or why you chose to work on that particular thing with your students. Young children learn and process information through play, so you are looking for a program that is play-based. That doesn’t mean each day is a free-for-all - while I don’t particularly care if a program is Montessori, Reggio, Waldorf, or something else (although you might and that’s fine, too!), I want to know that there is an intentional plan for the day and rationale behind it. I also want to hear how teachers are incorporating the topic/theme in multiple areas - books in the library, related props in the dramatic play area, a connected counting activity over at the math center, etc.  

At the end of the day, I typically find that your parental gut instinct will lead you in the right direction. If you want help thinking it through or can’t find those elusive child cares with openings to begin with, reach out and let me help you get squared away.

SPECIAL for the Bridgetown Baby community - receive a $25 discount off of a private Childcare Search Consult when you contact Ren and let her know you’re a BB family.

Ren Johns is a Northeast Portland mom of 2 and founder of PDX Waitlist. She started the company after struggling to find care for her own kids and thinking, “there has to be a better way!” Get help finding child care through our weekly free livestreams and tips shared in her Facebook Group and on Instagram.