How To Choose the Best Daycare Center For Your Toddler

Choosing the best daycare center for your toddler isn’t easy—especially when you’re a first-time parent. It’s difficult to leave your little one in the hands of others, which is why you’ve got to find a daycare center that is qualified to look after your child and keep them safe.

Use these tips to find a daycare center that both you and your child love:

1. See How the Staff Interacts With Kids

Toddlers can be left alone with other kids, but caregivers still need to keep an eye out for what they’re doing.

The best daycare centers arrange activities that engage toddlers. Kids at this age can be left to play with toys, but getting them involved in activities will stimulate cognitive development.

Keep an eye out for how caregivers interact with them. Does it look like they enjoy being with kids? Or do they seem cold and distracted?

2. Review Their Policies

Just like everyone’s parenting style differs, so do every daycare center’s policies. You don’t want your daycare center’s philosophies on disciplining children to be different from yours.

For example, if you believe in positive reinforcement, then you shouldn’t send your kids to a daycare center that is known for scolding kids. The differences in treatment can end up confusing your child.

Ask the daycare center about how they discipline their kids, what TV time and nap time look like, what snacks they provide, etc. before you enroll your child.

3. Drop By

Referrals from other parents aren’t enough to decide whether or not a daycare center is right for your kid; you’ll need to check it out yourself.

Drop by at any hour of the day to see the caregivers in action. The daycare center should be properly cleaned, sanitized, and stocked with age-appropriate toys and books. Toddlers should always be kept in a separate room to protect babies.

Having bouncy castles and swings outside are great for playtime, but your toddler will need to be engaged with floor and indoor activities to develop cognitive and literacy skills.

The Whole Child Development Center in Lenexa, KC, understands how to optimize learning for kids of all age groups. We’ve developed detailed curriculums for toddlers that promote the development of essential skills and prepare them for primary school.

Contact us to learn more about our childcare center and the services we provide for younger and older toddlers.