There are few decisions more difficult or stressful for a parent than figuring out daycare. Even for parents who are excited to send their kiddo off to socialize, play, and have additional adults keeping an eye on them as they grow up, it’s tough to know where to start. Something as basic as knowing what to consider when choosing a daycare is hard because we don’t know what we don’t know. But TikTok user Amanda Talijan is here to help with a helpful list of daycare must-haves she used that “did not let [her] down.”
Teachers who have tenure or who have been there since the school opened.
This, Talijan explains, is a good sign that the school is someplace other people want to go, even as an employee.
“I feel like if a teacher stays for a long time with a school it shows that they appreciate the school, they like the school, they’re treated well by the school and that they enjoy working there,” she says.
Allow observation days/OK with slow transitions
Does the school allow parents and children an opportunity to see, first-hand, if the school is a good fit? Can parents peek in on a classroom? Can the prospective student go and see if they vibe with the other kids and teachers? Talijan understands not everyone has the luxury and privilege of being able to ease into childcare this slowly, but since she did she wanted to exercise it.
“This was a slow burn for us, we did not feel comfortable going full-on in,” she explains. Having observation days and then, later, transitioning from part time to full time helped everyone feel more comfortable and confident in their choice.
Director is available and experienced
This is pretty self-explanatory. Is the director on-site, hands on, and versed in childcare and/or child development? Talijan clicked with the director at her son’s daycare not only because she ticked off those boxes but because she founded the school as somewhere she would want to send her own children. “Mom to mom,” that made Talijan feel comfortable in sending her own child, rather than feel she was being sold a spot in the school and nothing more.
Returning families
As with the first point about teachers staying at the facility for a long time, if families return child after child it’s a good indication that this is a place that people feel good about going to.
Emphasis on play-based education
If Bluey has taught us one thing, it’s that children can develop emotional genius through play and Talijan believes that, especially at her toddler’s age, play is the most effective way for him to learn.
More broadly, however, this point speaks to the idea that if you have a preferred philosophy on early childhood education, then you should be seeking it out in your child’s daycare.
Encouraging family involvement and community
Talijan wanted to enroll her son in a school where there were opportunities beyond usual school hours.
“If your child is going to daycare full time, you know that the caretakers at the daycare end up becoming part of your child’s world,” she explains. “Having everybody be involved in a really nice way and … being able to have a personal relationship with the school and other parents who are going there was really important to me.”
Other items on Talijan’s list (that are all pretty self explanatory) include…
- Meets state licensing guidelines with no violations
- Small teacher to student ratios
- Clear health and safety protocols
- Open door policy for parents
- Consistently updates parents about child’s day via app
Of course, some people might not care about some of these items. Or they might have other requirements that Talijan doesn’t care about. But this is a helpful list — if only to give you ideas about the kind of thing that can be on yours — to get someone going who doesn’t know where to begin.
“I know that putting your kid in daycare is not always the most desirable situation,” Talijan concludes. “It can cause a lot of anxiety … but I just want you to know you don’t have to say yes to anything you don’t feel right about.”
