Childcare In Your Hometown And Beyond

Although you may not necessarily be searching for daycare services in a big city area, this article will still have good value for you. If you have children and are in need of securing the best childcare options available for your little one, regardless of where you might be located, then by all means do continue.

After school programs, whether in a big city or a small town, may be an esoteric subject to many but one extraordinarily important to folks everywhere. I happen to reside in a heavily populated northern suburb of New York City, I know personally that there is an immediate and urgent need for parents to be well educated on day care options regardless of location.

As all parents will agree, we want only the absolute best for our little ones. Especially adequate daycare. The criteria to be used in locating a suitable day care facility should go beyond the obvious; such as proximity or tuition.

As the father of a 4 year old, what I suggest in the remainder of this article is useful to you no matter where you are.


During the week, your child will be spending more of their waking hours with others than with you. Yes this sounds a bit harsh but it's factual. With this being the case, it is extremely important that you make your selection wisely. OK, let's get to it.

The first step is to be very clear about why you're looking for a daycare service to begin with. Some people are looking for these services to free up time to work. While others will need specialized daycare because their child has special needs of some kind. And others still may only be searching for part-time services to give themselves some free time to run personal errands.

Whatever the case, knowing exactly why you seek daycare services will give you an understanding on what you should be looking for in a provider.

Something also important but often overlooked is the instructor to child ratio. But bear in mind, it's hard to say what the ratio should be. For example, let's say your little one has special needs you will want to look for a facility with a high instructor to child ratio.

It's also very important that the facility be properly licensed. Licensing requirements can vary from one state to the next but generally if somebody is looking after more than 3 children at a time they would require a state issued license. Different licensing might be required depending upon the size of the facility and total number of children who attend.

Certain daycare facilities may allow you to provide your own food. If that is the case then the fees should be lower.

And of course, for any care provider you'll be considering you should take a firsthand look. Doing so seems obvious but consider doing a drop-in visit. You'll want to see what the place is actually like when the staff is not prepared for your visit.