Choosing the Right Daycare: Your Essential Guide to a Happy, Thriving Child
Every parent wants their toddler to feel safe, loved, and excited about daycare. Choosing the right early-learning environment lays the foundation for social skills and emotional confidence.
Samantha’s Tip: One of the easiest and best ways to determine if an environment works for your child is to bring them on daycare tours and ask if they can visit the classroom while you are also visiting the class. Observe your child and see how comfortable they are.
Yes, most toddlers are shy at first, but their body language will reveal their true nature beyond this. Look to see if your child is smiling, if they are watching others with interest, and if they are playing with the toys.
1. Define Your Family’s Priorities
Decide on Location and Hours: You and your family should determine how close you need the daycare to be, which days of the week you require care, and whether early drop-off or late pickup is essential to you.
Decide on Care Model: Compare the different types of programs, such as center-based programs, which are usually structured and peer-rich, vs. home-based providers, which are smaller groups and have a family feel. Or even hiring an in-home nanny, which would give your child one-on-one attention.
Decide on an Educational Philosophy: There are many options, but the key is to find the one that best aligns with your child's temperament, values, and learning style. The primary approaches include play-based, Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and mixed methods.
Budget and Hidden Costs
Tuition vs. Fees: Clarify if meals, field trips, supplies, late-pickup penalties, or holiday care carry extra charges.
Sibling Discounts & Subsidies: Ask about sliding-scale rates, sibling tuition breaks, or government subsidies that can ease your financial planning.
Trial Period & Deposit Confirm whether there’s a refundable deposit or a short-term trial so you can test the fit before committing long-term.
Part-time and full-time: Some centers offer both, and the prices are different. Talk it over with your family and see what works best.
Weigh Cost vs. Value: Beyond the base tuition, compare what’s included, such as meals, enrichment programs, holiday care, and diapers or wipes, to hidden fees like late pick-up or special-project charges.
Communication and Parent Partnership
Daily Reports & Apps: If you are a parent who needs and likes regular updates, choose a center that updates you on naps, meals, mood, and milestones via an app, email, or a quick face-to-face chat.
Cameras: Increasingly, childcare centers offer a camera option for parents to monitor their child within the daycare setting. Usually, there is an extra cost for this service.
Parent Involvement: Find out whether there are open-house days, concerts, family events, graduation, volunteering opportunities, an activity calendar, a parent group chat, or monthly newsletters so you can stay connected.
Feedback Loop: Look for programs that welcome your input, whether it’s about meal preferences, events, quality questionnaires, sleep routines, or handling separation anxiety.
Assess Family & Community Engagement: Check if they host meet-the-educator nights, parent-child workshops, cultural celebrations, or informal coffee mornings to build trust and partnership.
2. Get Informed About The Choices
Several types of childcare are available today, but not all will suit your child or your family. The kind of daycare chosen should always be based on the type of child you have, taking into account your child’s personality, needs, temperament, learning style, and current abilities. Then, work off this to find a center that best fits them.
Do Daycare Research
Discover the discipline strategies that the daycare center employs and values.
Learn about the center’s overall philosophy.
Learn about the meal choices and substitutions available at the daycare center.
Discover the center’s philosophy on the importance of play.
Learn about the types of materials and toys used by the daycare center for educational purposes.
Learn a bit about the ministry's rules for daycares. Things such as staff qualifications, ratios, expectations, nutrition, and other safety requirements.
Additionally, Learn about drop-off and pickup times, days the center is open, holiday closures, vacations, and other essential information for your family.
Licensing and Inspections: Verify licensing, recent inspection reports, and whether the center exceeds minimum health and safety standards, including CPR certification.
Select an Educational Approach
A play-based daycare center
Children learn and discover through play.
These centers don’t use pre-cutouts or colouring pages; they usually have hands-on activities and open-ended toys.
Let children use materials in their own expressive and creative ways.
These centers believe in learning through playing and actively doing things.
Usually, they offer half and full days.
They hire only highly trained RECEs and ECAs.
Staff are all trained in CPR and first aid.
Class sizes are sometimes big.
A Montessori school
It is more structured.
Classrooms have fewer kids in each class and have more of a school setting.
It's more of an independent learning style, with much more one-on-one teaching.
Classroom sizes are much smaller.
The primary teacher is trained in Montessori training, and there is one ECE who is trained in child development.
This method of education is hands-on, utilizing natural materials, and incorporates activities that mimic real-life tasks.
The activities are self-directed and provide ample opportunities for building independence.
Drop-off centers
These work like babysitting programs where parents can drop off their children at any time for different hours.
There are usually a variety of ages of children placed together.
The staff do not always have childcare credentials, but they do sometimes have experience.
There is usually no planned program or activities; kids play with a variety of toys.
There is a variety of toys, usually not open-ended materials.
Parents can pick up or drop off their child at any time and for any duration.
The prices are generally lower.
Meals are not always nutritious.
In-home daycare
These daycares are often state-licensed, but some are not.
Most run similarly to a regular daycare center, with activities, meals, and rest time, but it's more flexible.
Conduct in-depth research on these home daycare services. Ensure that the home daycare meets and follows all the regulatory requirements.
When choosing a home daycare, look for one that follows established ratios, prioritizes safety, has qualified staff, provides ample home space, stable staff, serves healthy meals, maintains a clean environment, and offers rich play-based activities.
3. Observe the Team
The staff within your toddler’s classroom should be calm, smiling most of the time, gentle, and have a warm presence. This can help your child feel more comfortable, secure, and safe, and build trust faster. There should be some diversity among the staff, but I know this is not always possible.
Warmth and Engagement
Observe if the educators provide space for the children to gain independence. Staff should not be carrying or holding a child at all times.
Watch how caregivers greet each child: Do they call kids by name, make eye contact at child-height, and give genuine smiles?
Notice how educators respond to emotional cues, such as comforting a shy toddler or celebrating a milestone enthusiastically.
Listen to how the teachers talk with the children. This also includes looking at body language and non-verbal communication.
Observe to see if the educators are attentive to children's needs.
Try to meet at least one long-tenured educator (1+ year) to gauge consistent relationships and real insights into daily life.
Diversity and Cultural Competence
Observe whether there is some visible diversity among the staff working at the center. The Research says that young children sometimes connect faster with individuals who look like them or speak the same language. In addition, some children associate their sense of self, attachment, and feeling safe with individuals who resemble their parents.
Observe whether the daycare has any different languages, cultures, and ethnic groups posted in their classrooms. Please ask if multilingual songs, stories, or events are available for special holidays.
Ask the staff if they adapt any activities to honor different traditions and learning styles, ensuring every child feels seen and valued.
Parent Communication
Ask your child's classroom staff about how daily parent-teacher communication is conducted. For example, some daycare centers provide daily information slips or an app. These usually have photo updates, daily reports on meals, naps, and real-time messaging.
Look for open-door policies. Can you pop in unannounced? Do they welcome visitor observations?
Ask how they gather parent feedback, such as surveys, suggestion boxes, regular check-ins, and how that input shapes daily routines.
Observe whether staff proactively share policy updates or curriculum shifts via newsletters or parent portals.
Continuous Professional Development
Inquire about staff training and workshops.
Look for evidence of innovative practices, such as staff bringing fresh ideas.
Look to see if the staff seem to know about child development. This can be done by simply talking to them, asking open-ended questions, and observing their problem-solving skills.
Observe how the supervisor interacts with their staff when they interact with your child and the energy they convey.
Ask about the qualifications of the staff. Most centers hire educators with a registered Early Childhood certificate or a higher degree in education, and are trained in CPR and first aid. Plus, all educators should be certified by the College of Early Childhood Educators.
Personalized Attention
Notice whether teachers tailor activities to the children’s interests and learning pace.
Ask how they track individual goals and whether they maintain learning plans or portfolios.
Do the staff take the time to engage with each child privately?.
Emotional and Behavioral Support
Watch how staff de-escalate tantrums or big feelings, do they offer choices rather than just saying “stop”?.
See if educators teach self-regulation tools such as breathing exercises, emotion cards, and coach kids to use them.
Ask how they partner with parents on behavior plans.
Team Collaboration
Observe staff interactions, do they consult each other, share ideas, and hand off concerns smoothly?.
Natural Practices
Check if they integrate nature, gardening projects, loose-parts outdoor play, or regular nature walks.
Evaluate Safety and Hygiene Protocols
Verify secure entry systems, daily sanitization routines, emergency preparedness drills, and clear allergy/med management policies. These must be posted in the daycare center and each classroom.
4. Behind the Smiles
Daycares often put on their best face during tours, and that’s normal. But beyond the tidy rooms and warm greetings, pay attention to the body language of the staff and the overall energy of the space. Genuine care can’t be faked. If it feels right, it probably is. Let your gut guide you.
High Turnover Insights
Unfortunately, within the Early Learning daycare field, there is a high number of staff turnovers, so please don’t be surprised if a daycare experiences this. However, this does not necessarily mean that the daycare is terrible.
Burnout Prevention
Childcare work is very active and high demand, so yes, unfortunately, there is alot of burnout that happens.
Some of the Major reasons for high staff turnover
Many daycare roles offer low pay and limited benefits, making it challenging to retain experienced staff in the long term.
A large portion of staff are young or new to the field, and daycare is often a stepping stone before moving on to other opportunities.
Caring for young children is emotionally and physically demanding. Without proper support, staff can quickly feel overwhelmed.
The most passionate and skilled staff often seek growth beyond daycare settings into teaching, therapy, or leadership roles.
Many centers don’t offer enough sick days, vacation time, or wellness perks, which affects morale and retention.
Not all staff carry the same weight. When strong educators feel unsupported, they often choose to leave.
It’s not uncommon to see staff relying on coffee and sugar to push through the day, an indicator of deeper fatigue.
Without union support, staff often lack collective bargaining power for better conditions.
Many educators feel overworked and underpaid, which can lead to disengagement and high turnover.
Differences between newer and veteran staff, plus constant changes in regulations, can create friction and confusion.
5. Review The Daily Program Plan
A daycare’s daily program is the engine driving your toddler’s growth, comfort, and curiosity. These program plans are posted on a board near each class. Research found that the Emergent curriculum is the best for learning and development among most young children. The Emergent curriculum encourages learning and exploration by engaging in hands-on activities using open-ended materials. This type of curriculum is based on your child’s interests and needs ( Wien).
Developmental Activities: Language, sensory exploration, cognitive, art, science, gross-motor skills, dramatic, and social play skills are all integrated into proper daily lesson plans.
Emotion Coaching: High-quality programs teach toddlers to label their feelings, resolve simple conflicts, and self-regulate with the guidance of an adult.
Cultural and Linguistic Exposure: High-quality programs value multicultural experiences, stories, music, and celebrations that reflect diversity.
Community Involvement: The programs should have at least one community involvement event monthly, with parents participating.
Review the Curriculum and Daily Activities: Look for a balanced mix of art, STEM exploration, music, movement, drama, cognitive activities, outdoor play, and quiet time.
What to Look for in the Classroom Program Plan
Focus on Quality Over Quantity: Activities should be meaningful, not just numerous. Morning and afternoon activities vary to maintain interest.
Whole-Child Development: Look for activities that support sensory, language, cognitive, emotional, and physical growth. Children are encouraged to explore, make choices, and be independent.
Open-Ended Materials: Toys and tools should allow for creativity and multiple uses, not just one fixed outcome. Play materials allow for creativity and open-ended exploration.
Variety Throughout the Day: Morning and afternoon activities should differ to keep children engaged and stimulated.
Age-appropriate and safe: Activities must align with your child’s developmental stage and be both enjoyable and secure. They also support the development of sensory, cognitive, emotional, physical, and language skills.
Encourages Exploration and Independence: Children should be free to make choices, move around, and discover on their own.
Play-Based Learning Philosophy: The center should value play as a key method for learning, not just structured instruction. Learning through play is emphasized over rigid instruction.
Daily schedule: Includes play, learning, rest, and outdoor time.
Activities: Support the development of sensory, cognitive, emotional, physical, and language skills.
What to Look for in the Meal Calendar Plan
Daily Variety: Meals should rotate and offer different options each day.
Vegetables Every Day: Include a serving of vegetables in every lunch.
Fruit at Every Meal: Fresh fruit should be offered consistently, not just as a snack.
Balanced Carbohydrate: Meals should include healthy carbs to fuel energy and growth.
Lean, High-Quality Proteins: The menu should have chicken, fish, legumes, or eggs, rather than just processed meats.
Water & Milk Only Juice should be limited or avoided; water and milk are the best options.
Dietary Accommodations: The center should honor allergies, disabilities, and religious food restrictions. Allergy info is posted clearly near the meal calendar.
Visible Allergy Info: All food allergies should be clearly posted near the meal calendar.
Promotes Self-Feeding Children should be encouraged to feed themselves with age-appropriate utensils.
Portion Control: Serving sizes should be tailored to the age, developmental needs, and appetite of each child.
Safe Chewing Foods: Meals should avoid choking hazards and be easy to chew for toddlers.
Program Plan Transparency
Daily or weekly objectives: These should be posted at the bottom of the program plan. “Today we practice sharing during block play,” “We explore two new animal names,” to show purposeful teaching.
Sensory bins: Each classroom should have a sensory bin for sensory play. This could be for pinecones, shells, fabric scraps, water beads, kinetic sand, or dried pasta.
Different types of play: Program plans should include time for unstructured play, teacher-led activities, and free play.
Anchor blocks: The program plan should be broken down into different activity slots. For example, welcome circle → morning activity, → art→ snack → rest.
Rest Time: Programs should include a period for rest time. Usually, this is after lunchtime.
Outdoor Time: Should be clearly indicated for AM and PM on the program plan.There should also be a separate Outdoor program plan posted with all outside activities.
6. The Play Environment
Take a look at the arrangement of the environment setup. Classrooms should be welcoming, well-designed, and reflect the children's skill level and their age. Observe your child's comfort level to see if that environment fits your child well.
The Environment and Setup
There is a spacious layout with room for movement and play.
There are individual cubbies or storage for each child’s belongings.
There are clean, accessible changing tables and child-friendly bathrooms.
The rooms are tidy, organized classrooms with minimal clutter.
The furniture is sized appropriately for children’s age and height.
Toys and materials are clean, varied, and promote independence.
The classroom sinks are low and have soap and paper towels for hygiene.
The eating table supports self-feeding and social interaction.
There is a mix of toys, including sensory, imaginative, constructive, and physical ones.
Pictures of enrolled children show joy, engagement, and diversity.
Visuals and books reflect diverse cultures, families, and abilities.
Classroom doors are secure, and safety locks are used where necessary.
Cleanliness and Safety
Clear cleaning, sanitizing, and safety protocols are posted and followed.
Emergency plans and fire safety equipment are posted.
All the staff are trained in CPR, First Aid, and emergency response.
There are secure entry and exit points with restricted access.
Child-proofed areas, such as covered outlets, padded corners, and locked cabinets, are clearly visible.
Staff are qualified in their profession and hold certifications from the College of ECE.
Staff
Proper child-to-teacher ratios are kept.
Staff are warm, responsive, and actively engaged with children.
Staff model respectful behavior and emotional regulation.
Outdoor Space
It is a safe, enclosed outdoor area with shade and soft surfaces.
There is enough space for running, climbing, and riding toys.
There is a variety of equipment: sandbox, tricycles, and age-appropriate structures.
Outdoor time is included in the daily schedule, and the staff actively supervise during outdoor play.
Sensory and Atmosphere
There is a healthy mix of sounds: talking, music, laughter, and reading.
The noise levels are lively but not chaotic.
There is a calmness during transitions between activities, but kids are still having fun.
There are quiet reading spaces for quiet time and emotional regulation.
The classroom is welcoming and well-designed. This can be achieved with live plants, clean toys, colorful tables, children's artwork on the walls, images of diversity, various wooden blocks, and neutral palettes that reduce overstimulation and foster calm focus.
Kids art and other work should be posted on the walls.
Insightful Questions to Ask Daycare Providers
“What's your staff turnover rate?”.
“What kind of training or certifications does your staff have?”.
“Can you walk me through a typical day and your educational approach?”.
“How do you handle emergencies or medical situations?”.
“How do you keep parents updated on their child's progress and daily activities?”.
“What methods do you use for behavior guidance?”.
“How do you accommodate children with special needs or diverse backgrounds?”.
“What meals and snacks do you provide, and are they adaptable to dietary restrictions?”.
“How often do children play outside, and what's the setup like?”.
“Are parents allowed to visit or participate in activities?”.
“What’s your policy for handling minor illnesses beyond fever? Do you allow children with a runny nose or mild cough to attend?”.
“How do you support toilet learning and transition children out of diapers at their own pace?”.
“Can you share a recent example of how you resolved a conflict between two children?”.
“What procedures are in place for unexpected school closures or staff shortages?”.
“How is screen time managed, and what types of digital media (if any) do you incorporate?”.
“How do you structure outdoor play when the weather is extreme? Do you have indoor gross-motor options?”.
“What’s your approach to introducing new foods or accommodating picky eaters?”.
“How do you identify and support children who may need extra developmental or behavioral assistance?”.
“Can you describe a typical transition routine between activities to keep children calm and engaged?”.
“How do you involve children in setting classroom rules or choosing daily activities?”.
“What measures ensure that children nap or rest without overstimulation? Do you use soft music, dim lights, or white-noise machines?”.
“In what ways do you incorporate community resources (local libraries, farms, fire stations) into your program?”.
“How do you celebrate cultural or religious holidays, and can families contribute ideas or materials?”
“What process do you follow for updating parents if there’s a minor accident or behavioral incident during the day?”.
“How often do you assess children’s progress, and how is that information shared with families?”.
“What are the medical and food restriction procedures?”.
“What is the outdoor schedule on rainy days and hot days?”.
“Is there a drop-off, stroller areas, or parking spots?”.
“What is the tuition cost and application fee?”.
“What are the policies for walks or trips in the summer?”.
“Is there a long waiting list? If so, how long?”.
“What are the late policies and fees?”.
“What is the screening process to get into the daycare for parents and visitors?”
“What are the policies around immunizations?”.
“How many children are in the classroom?’.
“Does the center offer any subsidy, and what are the requirements?”.
“Is there a registration fee, and how much?”.
A tip: Read the Parental Welcome Handbook and the Classroom Welcome Booklet that daycare centers usually send out before your child starts.
Diversity: Why It Matters for Young Children
Broadens Thinking: Children get exposed to new ideas, languages, and ways of life.
Builds Empathy: Helps children understand and respect others’ feelings and experiences.
Celebrates Culture: Teaches children about different traditions, foods, holidays, and histories.
Encourages Curiosity: Prompts questions and sparks interest in the world around them.
Normalizes Differences: Reduces fear or discomfort around people who look, speak, or act differently.
A More Likable Child: Builds more likable children who won't be weird and rude when faced with people from different backgrounds.
Strengthens Identity: Helps children feel proud of their own background while appreciating others.
Improves Social Skills: Teaches cooperation, communication, and conflict resolution with diverse peers.
Prepares for Real Life: Builds readiness for school, friendships, and future workplaces in a multicultural world.
Boosts Brain Development: Exposure to varied languages and perspectives enhances creativity and problem-solving.
Fosters Inclusion: Creates a sense of belonging for all children, especially those from underrepresented groups.
Easy Ways to gain information about daycare centers
Talk to neighbours, family members, or friends who have children.
Get insight and recommendations from parents that you meet at parent programs.
Read childcare center ratings and comments online.
Create a list of your top 5 daycares, and then compile a pro and con list for each.
Call a daycare center and come up with a few questions to ask.
Visit your top 2 daycare centers in person. Observe and listen while there.
Schedule Multiple Visits. Drop in unannounced to see real-time interactions and mealtime rhythms.
Talk to Other Parents. Seek honest feedback in Facebook groups or local parent communities.
Revisit Your Top Picks. After narrowing your list, sit down with your partner to discuss gut feelings, logistical pros and cons, and your child’s unique needs.