What is the most important thing to look for when choosing a daycare?

Licensing and staff-to-child ratios are the two most critical factors. A licensed center has passed state health and safety inspections. Ratios — like 1:4 for infants and 1:10 for preschoolers — directly affect how much attention your child receives each day. Never enroll in an unlicensed facility.

How many daycares should I tour before deciding?

Plan to tour at least three centers. First tours are overwhelming, and comparing two or three options gives you a practical baseline. Keep notes after each visit — your memory of details fades quickly when you're evaluating multiple places in a short window.

Is NAEYC accreditation necessary for a good daycare?

It's a strong positive signal, not a requirement. Only about 8% of childcare programs nationwide hold NAEYC accreditation, so many excellent daycares don't have it. However, accredited programs have voluntarily met standards that exceed most state licensing minimums, which is worth significant weight.

What questions should I ask about teacher turnover?

Ask directly: 'What is your annual teacher turnover rate?' The national average in childcare is around 30% annually. Centers below 15% have meaningfully more stable caregiving relationships. High turnover — above 40% — signals low pay, poor management, or working conditions that affect your child's care quality.

What should my child's daily schedule look like at a quality daycare?

A quality schedule includes a mix of structured learning (circle time, literacy, early math), free play, outdoor time (minimum 30–60 minutes daily), meals, rest, and transition activities. Watch for centers where children are passively watching screens for large portions of the day — that's a red flag regardless of how good the facility looks.

How to Choose a Daycare: The Complete Checklist for 2026

April 25, 2026

Start with Licensing — Before Anything Else

Every state requires childcare centers to be licensed, but licensing standards vary enormously. Before you visit a single facility, look up the center's license status on your state's childcare licensing database. These are public records. Look for any substantiated violations in the past two years. One clerical lapse is different from repeated health or safety citations.

Home-based daycares have separate licensing categories in most states. Some smaller family daycare homes are legally exempt from licensing if they care for fewer than a certain number of children — in Texas, that's four or fewer unrelated children. Unlicensed doesn't always mean unsafe, but it removes the inspection layer entirely. Proceed with extra due diligence.

Staff-to-Child Ratios by Age Group

Ratios are the single most concrete predictor of care quality. Lower ratios mean more individual attention, faster response to distress, and better developmental support. Here are the ratios recommended by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) — most state minimums are looser:

Infants (0–12 months): 1 adult per 3–4 infants
Toddlers (12–24 months): 1 adult per 3–6 toddlers
Two-year-olds: 1 adult per 4–6 children
Preschoolers (3–5 years): 1 adult per 7–10 children

When you tour, count the children and count the adults actually supervising — not staff in the hallway or in an office. The ratio that matters is what's happening in the room.

The On-Site Tour: What to Observe

Schedule your tour during the facility's active hours — typically 9 AM to noon — not during nap time. You want to see the center operating at its normal pace. During the tour, observe:

How staff interact with children: Are teachers at child level? Are they engaged, narrating activities, or mostly managing logistics?
Cleanliness and safety: Are surfaces sanitized between diaper changes? Is outdoor equipment in good repair? Are cleaning supplies locked away?
Child engagement: Are kids occupied and generally content, or are there multiple children crying with no response?
Security: Can you walk into the building unchallenged? Quality centers have a buzzer entry system or front desk check-in that requires ID.

Questions to Ask the Director

You should leave a tour with answers to all of these:

What is your annual teacher turnover rate?
What are your emergency procedures — lockdown, fire, medical emergency?
What is your sick-child policy? (See our guide on daycare sick policies)
How do you communicate daily activities to parents — app, paper log, verbal pickup summary?
What is your discipline policy for hitting or biting?
What are your background check requirements for all staff?
Is your director credentialed? What is the minimum education requirement for lead teachers?

Evaluating the Curriculum

For infants and toddlers, "curriculum" means a thoughtful daily structure that supports development — tummy time, sensory play, language exposure — not academic drills. For preschoolers (ages 3–5), look for play-based learning aligned with kindergarten readiness: phonemic awareness, counting, fine motor skills, and social-emotional development.

Ask what curriculum framework they use. Common reputable frameworks include Creative Curriculum, HighScope, and Reggio Emilia-inspired approaches. "We make it up as we go" is not an acceptable answer. A center without a written curriculum plan has no way to ensure consistent developmental outcomes.

Cost and What's Included

Childcare costs vary widely by location. The national average for full-time daycare in a center ranges from $800/month in rural areas to over $3,500/month in metro markets like San Francisco or New York City. Before you're impressed by a low price, clarify exactly what's included:

Are meals and snacks provided, or do you pack lunch daily?
Are diapers and wipes included for infants?
Are there registration fees, supply fees, or activity fees billed separately?
What is the late pickup fee? (Common: $1–$5 per minute after closing)

Trust Your Instincts — But Verify Them

After your tour, ask yourself: did the director seem evasive about any question? Were staff warm and responsive when they didn't know you were watching? Did the children look engaged? Your gut response matters, but always verify it against objective criteria. A beautiful facility with a glossy brochure and evasive answers about ratios is a worse choice than a modest-looking center with transparent documentation and stable, experienced staff.

Search your city's licensed centers on our directory to compare options: browse daycares by city and filter by rating, accreditation status, and age group served.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most important thing to look for when choosing a daycare?: Licensing and staff-to-child ratios are the two most critical factors. A licensed center has passed state health and safety inspections. Ratios — like 1:4 for infants and 1:10 for preschoolers — directly affect how much attention your child receives each day. Never enroll in an unlicensed facility.
How many daycares should I tour before deciding?: Plan to tour at least three centers. First tours are overwhelming, and comparing two or three options gives you a practical baseline. Keep notes after each visit — your memory of details fades quickly when you're evaluating multiple places in a short window.
Is NAEYC accreditation necessary for a good daycare?: It's a strong positive signal, not a requirement. Only about 8% of childcare programs nationwide hold NAEYC accreditation, so many excellent daycares don't have it. However, accredited programs have voluntarily met standards that exceed most state licensing minimums, which is worth significant weight.
What questions should I ask about teacher turnover?: Ask directly: 'What is your annual teacher turnover rate?' The national average in childcare is around 30% annually. Centers below 15% have meaningfully more stable caregiving relationships. High turnover — above 40% — signals low pay, poor management, or working conditions that affect your child's care quality.
What should my child's daily schedule look like at a quality daycare?: A quality schedule includes a mix of structured learning (circle time, literacy, early math), free play, outdoor time (minimum 30–60 minutes daily), meals, rest, and transition activities. Watch for centers where children are passively watching screens for large portions of the day — that's a red flag regardless of how good the facility looks.