A tour is the one chance to see a program as your child will: the room, the noise level, how teachers talk to children. Go during the morning, when classrooms are in full swing, and take this list. Before you go, open the program's profile here and read its state record, so you can ask about anything on it.
Safety and licensing
- Can I see your current licence and your most recent inspection report? Licensed programs must make these available.
- I read your state record. Can you tell me about the violations on it and what changed afterwards?
- How many children and how many teachers are in my child's room right now? Count for yourself and compare with the state maximum.
- Who can enter the building, and how do you check who is collecting a child?
- Are all staff background-checked before they start, and trained in infant and child CPR and first aid?
- Where do babies sleep, and how do you follow safe-sleep rules?
The people
- How long have the lead teachers in this room worked here?
- How many staff left in the last year?
- What qualifications do lead teachers hold?
- Who covers when a teacher is sick or on a break?
- Will my child have the same main caregiver every day?
The day
- What does a normal day look like in this room, hour by hour?
- How much time do children spend outside?
- How do you handle biting, hitting and tantrums?
- What is your approach to screens?
- How do you handle naps for a child who will not sleep?
- What do children eat, who provides it, and how do you manage allergies?
- How do you support potty training?
Health and communication
- What is your sick-child policy, and when can a child come back?
- How will I hear about my child during the day, and how do you tell me about an injury?
- Can I drop in without notice?
Money and the calendar
- What is the full-time tuition for my child's age, and what other fees are there: registration, supplies, meals, late pick-up?
- When did tuition last go up, and by how much?
- Which days are you closed each year, and do I pay for them?
- How long is the waitlist for this room, and does a deposit hold a place?
After the tour
Write down what you saw before you talk yourself into or out of it. Were children busy and comfortable? Did teachers get down to the children's level? Did the director answer the hard questions plainly? Then compare your notes with the state record on the program's profile.