What Questions Should I Ask Before Enrolling My Child in Daycare?

The first visit to a daycare is your chance to discover what advertisements do not tell you. Take these questions with you:

About safety and licensing

• Is the daycare licensed? And may I view the license?
• Who is authorized to pick up my child? And how do you verify this?
• What is the emergency plan? And are caregivers trained in first aid?

About staff and care

• How many children are there per caregiver in my child's age group?
• Does the same caregiver stay with the child most of the time?
• How do you handle crying and tantrums?

About the day and learning

• What does a typical day look like? How much time is allocated to free play and physical activity? And what is the screen policy?
• How do you handle meals and food allergies? And when is a sick child required to stay home?
• Do you track the development of children's skills? And what do you do if you notice a delay?

About communication and fees

• How will I know what happened during my child's day? And will I receive a notification upon their arrival and departure?
• What do the fees cover? And how are payment and renewal handled?
• Is there a gradual adjustment period?

Pay attention to the answers and how they are given: A confident daycare welcomes your questions and answers clearly, while ambiguity around safety questions is a sign worth pausing for.

For daycare owners: Questions about communication and fees are among parents' greatest concerns. And when your answer is: an app from which you receive attendance notifications and the daily report with photos, and through which you pay fees with an official receipt, you win the family's trust before their child even begins their first day.

Originally published in Arabic. This English version was produced with AI-assisted translation; the Arabic original remains the reference.