There are many childcare facilities in Washington State that provide excellent childcare to children and follow the rules set by the DCYF & the Local Health Department, but it is a good idea to run your own background check on every facility you visit and ask important questions prior to enrolling your children.
We also highly encourage parents to tour/visit as many daycare centers as possible prior to enrolling your child/ren in a daycare center to make sure you're choosing the right center for your child/ren.
The following are just some of the very important questions to ask each prospective childcare provider when choosing the right daycare center for your child/ren:
1.) Ask if the Center is fully state-licensed by the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families or DCYF.
Childcare centers that are fully state-licensed have met/or exceeded all the requirements by the Washington State DCYF to operate a safe daycare center in WA.
** It is very important to choose only a "Fully State Licensed Facility" due to the unlicensed facilities have not been inspected for safety, health, and educational requirements set by the State of Washington & are not regulated by the DEL, and and do not have to abide by the rules and regulations set by both the DEL and the County Health Department.
2.) Ask each daycare provider for at least 3 references from parents who either have child/ren currently enrolled at the daycare or had a child/ren attend the daycare center in the past.
3.) Ask if the provider and all teachers have passed a Washington State Patrol and/or FBI criminal background check & have completed all the necessary ECE Early Childhood Education requirements and training, such as the STARS Certificate, First Aid/CPR, HIV/AIDS & Blood-borne Pathogen Training Certificates, negative results on TB skin tests, etc.
4.) Ask to read a copy of their Parent Handbook to review their Sick Policy, Discipline Policy, Holiday Closures, Disaster plan, etc. prior to enrolling your child/ren.
** Most daycare centers will not give visitors a copy of the Parent Handbook until after registering your child/ren, but you can ask to review their Parent Handbook while at the site.
5.) Ask how often the toys in classrooms are sanitized and how often the carpeted area of their daycare center is shampooed.
To keep their daycare facility clean and children healthy, toys should be sanitized every day & carpet should be shampooed at least every 3 months or sooner if needed.
Look around the facility for any unsafe or dirty areas of classrooms, outdoor play areas, bathrooms, kitchen areas, etc.
6.) Ask if the daycare center has a structured classroom curriculum. Ask to see a copy of the curriculum, which should be posted inside the classroom.
7.) Ask to see a copy of the daycare meal menu, the meal menu should also be posted in every classroom.
8.) Ask if the facility has a Heat Pump or air conditioning system installed. This is very important, especially during those very hot summer days & also during cold winter weather. The Heat Pump System helps control the temperature inside classrooms all year round.
**Also, it would be a plus if the facility is also equipped with an Electronic Air Purifier & Cleaner System.
*Daycare centers are not required to have an Electronic Air Purifier & Cleaner System installed in the facility, but it does provide cleaner air inside classrooms, and it's great for all children and staff, especially those with allergies.
9.) Ask if the daycare center has security cameras installed in every classroom - Again, although security cameras are not required in daycare centers, we believe they should be mandatory in all daycare centers for many good reasons.
The following are just some of the many benefits of having security cameras installed in daycare centers.
1.) Security cameras keep children & staff safe.
2.) Security cameras are a very effective deterrent to any crime.
3.) People tend to behave/perform better when there are security cameras around.
4.) Owners/Executive Directors can better monitor the entire facility and supervise/observe staff's interactions with children and with other staff members effectively.
5.) They provide peace of mind to our parents & all staff members.
Because we respect the privacy of all children, parents, and staff in our daycare center, our 24-hour video surveillance system/ security cameras are for internal purposes only.
ONLY the Executive Directors and/or the owners are allowed to view our security cameras/ video footage either at the Center's office at the site OR live video footage may be viewed remotely from the owner's other office at a different location.
