Child-Care Facility Checklist
Bring the following checklist along when you tour child-care
facilities. Look for these common child-care dangers:
1 Cribs that don’t meet safety standards
1 Improper bedding
1 Lack of child safety gates
1 Blind cords that may present a strangulation hazard
1 Recalled products
1 Unsafe playground surfacing
1 Inadequate playground maintenance
Check to make sure:
1 The home or facility is routinely cleaned
1 Handwashing procedures are in place
1 The environment is free of smoke and pollutants
Are the Providers:
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Educated and skilled in early childhood development?
Attentive and positive with the children?
Friendly and good at communicating with parents?
Planning to stay long?
Does the adult-to-child ratio meet American
Academy of Pediatric recommendations
for high-quality care? These
recommendations include:
1 Children aged 6 weeks to 1.5 years: three children per staff
member, up to six in a group
1 Children aged 1.5 years to 2 years: four children per staff
member, up to eight in a group
1 Children aged 2 to 3: seven children per staff member, up
to 14 in a group
1 Children aged 4 to 5: eight children per staff member,
up to 16 in a group
Questions to Ask Potential Providers:
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1 Are you licensed by the state?
Are you accredited by any organizations?
What is the parent visitation policy?
What’s the illness policy?
What is the parenting style and approach to discipline?
Are meals provided?
What’s the daily schedule?
Do the children have time and space for unstructured play?
What is the educational curriculum?
When and where do children nap?
What are the potty-training procedures?
How do caregivers communicate with parents?
Transition to Child Care ■
Strategies for Separation Anxiety
Once you’ve found the right child care, the hard part is over, right? Not so
fast. You still have to say goodbye to your child. The transition to child care
can be emotional for parents and children, but these strategies can help.

Soothe your own anxiety by:
2 Taking time to find the right child care
2 Preparing the night before to avoid morning rushing
2 Exercising, doing relaxation exercises, drinking calming tea or using
another relaxation method
Sooth your child’s anxiety by:
2 Planning to stay with your child the first little while to help him or her get familiar with new people and
surroundings, then gradually increasing the amount of time your child spends without you
2 Telling your child when you’ll be leaving and when you’ll be back
2 Establishing a simple goodbye ritual such as a song, phrase, hug, kiss or high-five
2 Expecting and preparing for some tears and talking with the caregivers about additional
strategies to sooth your child
Enlisting someone to care for your young child is one of the most challenging parts of the early
parenting years. Taking the time to find the right care makes the separation process easier for
parent and child. ■
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