By Amy S.
Two things, among many, that a parent can't predict: when they'll hear an ear-splitting scream from their child's bed, followed by the sound of throwing up and when they'll be looking for childcare again.
We've experienced both pleasantries in the past week. I still don't know which is worse. The throwing up is agonizing, but over in 24-48 hours. The picking of childcare is gut-wrenching and has lasting effects for who-knows-how-long.
Less than 24 hours before leaving on a week-long trip with my 2-year-old daughter, our beloved daycare provider shocked us by deciding to permanently close and go back to school. I had four weeks –- minus the week I'd be away –- to find another provider. That night, when I should have been frantically washing clothes and packing (and yes, I did some of that, too), I spent half the night researching daycare providers and preschools online.
Thanks to the Virginia Department of Social Services, Virginia residents can now review the licensing reports of all licensed in-home daycare providers and preschools. (Don't get me wrong, there are fabulous unlicensed providers out there, too, but unless I get info on them via word-of-mouth, I tend to avoid going down that road.)
The licensing reports provide a reality-check, once again, of how hard it is to find a quality provider. Notes from licensing inspectors range from, "There was a used condom sitting in your backyard where the children were playing today," to "There were twice as many children in your care today as you are licensed for." And I've been down this road before. My daughter's first provider seemed amazing at first, but we soon realized it was a money-making operation first and foremost, and a very impersonal environment all-around.
Thankfully, my past efforts to find our current provider have taught me some valuable lessons that I immediately put into place this time:
- Review licensing reports carefully. Look for red-letter violations like too many children in their care. Also look for repeat violations. (You can usually do this through your state's Health and Human Services department. Start by looking for your state here: http://www.naccrra.net/data/)
- Pay attention to how many children providers are licensed to care for. This is one way to tell whether they're in it mostly for the money.
- Make many, many phone calls. Talking to providers is a great way to narrow down options.
- Use Mapquest to narrow down providers. We try to find a provider in-between our home and offices and not too far off the beaten path.
- Visit potential providers with a list of questions in-hand. Plan on following up with a phone call to cover things you forget during the visit.
- Here's is an additional resource for finding quality care and evaluating it.
This time around, my daughter is almost three, making our options a lot easier than when she was an infant. We'd already been considering a preschool two days a week for the fall. Luckily, the preschool has an opening in their five-days-a-week program.
So for now, that's where she'll go. I'm happy that she has a spot in a great preschool, but sad that she may have to go to preschool five days a week at such a young age. We're working on getting her in an in-home environment at least two days a week to give her a break from the more formal aspects of preschool.
I know that no matter what we choose, the odds are she'll adapt just fine. She's easy like that, thank goodness. Especially since her parents aren't good with change. We could learn a thing or two from her.
What tips do you have for finding a great childcare provider?
Amy S. is a 32-year-old married, working mom to Olivia, almost three. She lives in Virginia.
