Pro tip: Bring this list with you or save it on your phone. It's easy to forget questions in the moment, and these answers will help you compare facilities later.
Licensing & Safety
- □Are you licensed by the state? Can I see your current license?
- □When was your last state inspection? Can I see the results?
- □Do you have accreditation (NAEYC, NAC, or other)?
- □What are your emergency procedures (fire, lockdown, medical)?
- □Are all staff CPR and first aid certified?
- □Do you perform background checks on all employees?
- □What is your drop-off and pick-up security procedure?
Staff & Ratios
- □What is your child-to-staff ratio for my child's age group?
- □What qualifications and training do your teachers have?
- □What is your staff turnover rate?
- □How long have the lead teachers been here?
- □How do you handle staff absences?
- □Will my child have a primary caregiver?
Schedule & Policies
- □What are your hours of operation?
- □What holidays are you closed?
- □What is the daily schedule for my child's age group?
- □What is your sick child policy?
- □What is the late pickup policy and fee?
- □How much notice do I give if we need to withdraw?
- □Is part-time or flexible scheduling available?
Curriculum & Activities
- □What curriculum or educational approach do you use?
- □How much outdoor play time do children get daily?
- □How is screen time handled?
- □What learning activities are age-appropriate milestones addressed?
- □How do you accommodate different learning styles?
Food & Health
- □Are meals and snacks provided? What does a typical menu look like?
- □How do you handle food allergies?
- □Can you accommodate special diets (vegetarian, cultural, medical)?
- □How do you handle medication administration?
- □What symptoms require a child to stay home?
- □What is your diapering/potty training approach?
Communication & Behavior
- □How do you communicate with parents daily (app, notes, verbal)?
- □Are there regular parent-teacher conferences?
- □How do you handle behavioral issues and discipline?
- □How do you help new children adjust?
- □Can I call or stop by during the day?
- □Do you have cameras? Can parents access them?
Costs & Logistics
- □What is the weekly/monthly tuition?
- □Is there a registration or enrollment fee?
- □Do you offer sibling discounts?
- □Do I pay for days my child is absent?
- □Do you accept Dependent Care FSA?
- □What supplies do I need to provide?
- □Is there a waitlist? How long?
Trust What You See
Beyond the questions, observe during your tour:
- • Do children seem happy and engaged?
- • Are caregivers warm and attentive (not on phones)?
- • Is the space clean, organized, and child-proofed?
- • Do staff greet children by name?
- • What is the noise level like? (Joyful vs chaotic)
- • Do you feel welcome and comfortable?
How to Evaluate the Answers
Knowing what questions to ask is only half the battle. Here's how to interpret common answers:
Licensing & Safety Answers
Green flag: License is current and displayed. Inspection reports are readily available. Staff seems proud of their record.
Yellow flag: License exists but they seem evasive about inspection details. "We haven't been inspected recently."
Red flag: Not licensed, license expired, or unwilling to show documents. Defensive about inspection results.
Staff Ratio Answers
Green flag: Ratios meet or exceed state requirements. "We keep 1:4 for infants even though the state allows 1:6."
Yellow flag: "It depends on the day" or ratios are at the bare minimum.
Red flag: Vague answers, unwillingness to commit to specific numbers, or ratios that exceed state limits.
Staff Turnover Answers
Green flag: "Our lead teacher has been here 5 years. Most staff stay 2+ years." Pride in retention.
Yellow flag: High turnover but they acknowledge it and explain why (industry-wide issue, recent changes).
Red flag: "We've had some changes recently" with no explanation. Current teachers can't answer basic questions about routines.
Discipline Answers
Green flag: Clear philosophy: "We use redirection, positive reinforcement, and age-appropriate natural consequences." Staff training mentioned.
Yellow flag: Vague: "We handle it on a case-by-case basis."
Red flag: Any mention of time-outs for children under 2, physical discipline, or public shaming. "We don't really have behavior problems here."
Age-Specific Questions to Add
In addition to the standard questions, ask these based on your child's age:
For Infants (0-12 months)
- • How are bottles stored and prepared?
- • What is your safe sleep policy? (Back to sleep, bare crib?)
- • How often are diapers checked and changed?
- • How do you track my baby's feeds, naps, and diapers?
- • Do you follow parent-led or provider-led feeding schedules?
- • How do you introduce solid foods?
- • Can I bring breast milk? How is it handled?
- • What is your policy on babywearing or holding?
For Toddlers (1-2 years)
- • How do you handle biting? (Very common at this age)
- • What is your approach to potty training readiness?
- • How do you handle separation anxiety?
- • What transitions happen during the day?
- • How do you accommodate different nap needs?
- • Are comfort objects allowed?
- • How do you encourage language development?
- • What safety measures exist for climbers?
For Twos (2-3 years)
- • How do you handle potty training in progress?
- • What do you do about tantrums?
- • How do you encourage sharing and taking turns?
- • Do children this age have structured learning time?
- • How are naps handled for non-nappers?
- • What independence skills do you encourage?
- • How do you manage big emotions?
For Preschoolers (3-5 years)
- • What kindergarten readiness skills do you teach?
- • How much time is structured vs free play?
- • What academic concepts are introduced?
- • How do you handle bullying or exclusion?
- • Are there field trips? How are they supervised?
- • Do children have individual learning goals?
- • What happens as they outgrow naps?
Questions to Ask Current Parents
Ask the daycare for references from current families. Here's what to ask them:
- • How long has your child been enrolled? How was the adjustment?
- • What do you like best? What would you change?
- • How responsive is the staff when you have concerns?
- • Have there been any safety incidents? How were they handled?
- • How is communication? Do you feel informed about your child's day?
- • Has there been much staff turnover?
- • Does your child seem happy to go to daycare?
- • Would you recommend this daycare to a friend?
- • What surprised you (good or bad) after enrolling?
- • If you had to pick one thing to warn new parents about, what would it be?
Questions They Should Ask You
A quality daycare will want to learn about your child. Be wary if they don't ask questions like:
- • What is your child's personality like?
- • Does your child have any allergies, medical conditions, or special needs?
- • What are their sleep and eating habits?
- • How do they handle new situations? Separation?
- • What are your expectations and priorities for their care?
- • What comforts your child when they're upset?
- • Are there any family circumstances we should know about?
A daycare that doesn't ask about your child may not be providing individualized care.
Timing Your Visit
When you tour matters. Different times reveal different things:
| Time | What You'll See | Good For |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00-9:00 AM | Drop-off chaos, morning routines | Seeing how transitions are handled |
| 9:30-11:00 AM | Active learning time, engaged children | Seeing curriculum and activities in action |
| 11:30 AM-12:30 PM | Lunch, transition to nap | Seeing mealtime routines and nap setup |
| 3:00-4:00 PM | Post-nap, afternoon activities | Seeing tired staff and children (honest view) |
| 4:30-5:30 PM | Pickup time, end-of-day routine | Seeing parent communication, tired dynamics |
Pro tip: If possible, visit the same daycare twice—once for a scheduled tour and once "unannounced" (most licensed daycares must allow this). The difference in energy can be telling.
After the Tour: Comparing Facilities
After touring several daycares, use this simple scoring system to compare:
Quick Comparison Scorecard (Rate 1-5)
- • Safety: License, ratios, environment security ___
- • Staff Quality: Warmth, engagement, experience ___
- • Curriculum: Age-appropriateness, variety ___
- • Communication: Parent updates, accessibility ___
- • Cleanliness: Facility maintenance, hygiene ___
- • Gut Feeling: Would I be happy leaving my child here? ___
- • Logistics: Location, hours, cost fit ___
- • Total Score: ___ / 35
Frequently Asked Questions
How many daycares should I tour before deciding?
Aim for 3-5 tours. This gives you enough comparison points without overwhelming you. After 5 tours, the differences start blurring together. Take notes immediately after each visit while details are fresh. If you find "the one" after 2-3 tours, trust that feeling—you don't have to tour more just for the sake of it.
Should I bring my child to the tour?
It depends. For a first tour, going alone lets you focus on questions and observation without managing your child. However, a second visit with your child can be valuable—you can watch how staff interact with them and how your child responds to the environment. Some daycares require a child visit before enrollment. For infants, bringing them is fine since they're typically in a carrier.
What if I forget to ask something during the tour?
Call or email afterward—this is completely normal. Good daycares expect follow-up questions and respond promptly. In fact, how quickly and thoroughly they respond is itself informative. If they're dismissive of follow-up questions, that tells you something about their communication style.
The daycare seems great but I have a weird feeling. Should I trust it?
Yes. Your instincts evolved to protect your child. A weird feeling might be picking up on something your conscious mind hasn't processed—staff body language, facility details, or something said in passing. Don't dismiss it. You can do a second visit to see if the feeling persists, or trust it and move on. There are many good daycares; you don't have to settle for one that makes you uncomfortable.
What if the daycare seems hesitant to answer questions?
This is a significant red flag. Quality daycares are proud of their practices and welcome questions from engaged parents. Hesitancy might indicate they have something to hide, or that they're not used to involved parents (which raises its own concerns). The one exception: if you're asking during a chaotic moment, they may ask to schedule a call. That's reasonable. But outright evasion is not.
How do I verify what they tell me on the tour?
Several ways: (1) Ask to see documentation—license, inspection reports, curriculum materials. (2) Talk to current parents (ask for references or find them through local parent groups). (3) Check online reviews, but take them with a grain of salt. (4) Look up the daycare in your state's licensing database for inspection history. (5) Do an unannounced visit to see if reality matches the tour.
Is it rude to take notes during a tour?
Not at all—it's smart. Daycares expect parents to be thorough. Bring a printed list or use your phone. Taking notes shows you're serious and helps you remember details when comparing facilities later. You can also ask to take photos of the classroom, outdoor area, and posted materials (like menus or schedules). Most daycares allow this.
What if two daycares seem equally good?
Consider practical factors: location/commute, cost, hours, waitlist timing. If those are equal, go with your gut. Some parents find it helpful to imagine calling each daycare with a concern—which one feels more approachable? Others consider which environment better matches their child's personality. There's rarely a wrong choice between two genuinely good options.
Should I ask about COVID policies?
Yes, understanding their approach to illness prevention is important. Ask about: sick child policies (what symptoms require staying home), how they handle outbreaks, cleaning protocols, and how they communicate about illness exposure. Policies vary widely, and you want one that matches your family's comfort level and circumstances.
What questions are NOT appropriate to ask?
Most questions are fair game when it comes to your child's care. However, avoid questions about other families' personal information (the daycare shouldn't share this anyway). Questions about individual staff members' personal lives are also inappropriate. Stick to questions about qualifications, experience, and care practices. If you have concerns about a specific staff member, address it with management, not by interrogating others.
The Bottom Line
A daycare tour is a two-way interview. You're evaluating them, but quality daycares are also evaluating whether you're a good fit for their community. Come prepared with questions, but also be open to what you observe.
The questions matter, but so do the answers—and how they're delivered. A daycare that welcomes your questions, provides clear information, and seems genuinely interested in your child is a good sign. One that seems defensive, vague, or dismissive is not.
Trust your observations. Watch how staff interact with children. Notice the little things: Are children engaged? Do caregivers seem present? Is the environment calm or chaotic? These observations often tell you more than any answer to a question.
Take notes, ask follow-up questions, and don't be afraid to tour multiple times. The right daycare is out there, and thorough questioning is how you find it.