The Questions You Should Really Ask When Choosing a Childcare or Preschool Program

You're choosing where your child will spend a significant portion of their day, who will care for them, who will teach them, and what kind of environment they'll experience during some of the most important years of their development. So, we asked our Enrollment Director to give us a little insight into the questions she typically gets from families, what information she shares during tours, and perhaps most importantly, what she thinks families should really be asking. Her tours start with something we absolutely love:

“Ask anything. I promise you won't insult me. If you feel it's pertinent to the care and education of your child, PLEASE ASK.”

And we couldn't agree more. You're not simply choosing a place for your child to spend a few hours each day. You're choosing the people who will care for them, the environment they'll learn in, the experiences they'll have and the adults who will help guide them through some of their most important developmental years.

So naturally, families come prepared with questions. Here are the most common we hear.

What is your teacher-to-child ratio?

What is your staff turnover rate?

What curriculum do you use?

What are your hours?

What is your tuition?

What ages are in this classroom?

These are all important questions, but there are other questions we think families should be asking that give you a much better picture of what your child's actual day will look like. Because sometimes the answer you receive sounds great on the surface, but there's another question you need to ask.

Don't just ask how many children are in the room. Ask how many can be in the room.

This is one we hear all the time.A family tours a classroom and is told:"There are only three children in this room!" That's great information. But here's the question you should immediately follow up with:

"What is the maximum number of children you can enroll in this classroom?"

Because three children today doesn't necessarily mean your child will be in a three-child classroom. If there are currently three children but the room has a maximum capacity of seven, that's a very different picture.

So ask:

How many children are currently enrolled?

What is the maximum enrollment for this classroom?

How many children do you anticipate enrolling?

What is the teacher-to-child ratio at maximum enrollment?

And don't forget to ask about staffing, too.

If you're told, "There are two teachers and three children in this classroom," that's wonderful—but will there still be two teachers when the classroom has seven children?

You're not enrolling your child into a snapshot of the classroom on the day you tour.

You're enrolling them into a classroom that will change and grow.

Don't just ask about staff turnover. Ask what they're doing to prevent it.

Turnover happens in every industry, and childcare has a uniquely high turnover rate. So if a program tells you they've had teachers leave, that doesn't automatically mean the program is doing something wrong.

People leave jobs. People move. Careers change. Life happens. The more important question is:

"What do you do to retain your employees?"

Ask about paid time off. Ask about health insurance benefits. Ask about professional development. Ask about opportunities for growth. Ask how long the current teachers have been there. Ask about compensation (do they pay above the standard rate for your area). Ask how staffing concerns are handled.

These questions can help you understand whether a program is simply trying to keep positions filled or whether they're actively investing in the people who care for your children. Because staff satisfaction matters. The people who spend their days caring for your child should feel valued, supported and respected.

Ask about the hiring process.

This is one we don't think families ask nearly enough. Imagine your child's teacher leaves on Friday, and by the next week there is a brand-new educator in the classroom. It's fair to wonder: How much consideration went into hiring that person? Childcare programs are under tremendous pressure to remain staffed. We understand that. We've felt that pressure ourselves. But we've always believed there is a difference between filling a position and finding the right person. Our hiring process typically takes two to four months from start to finish. And we don't settle.We just don't. Have we been pressed to get a teacher into a classroom? Of course. But our philosophy has always been quality over quantity. If we can't find the right person, our owners step in. All three of our owners are teacher-certified, and we intentionally do not keep ourselves permanently assigned to a specific classroom. We would rather have our owners step into a classroom temporarily than rush through a hiring process simply because we need another person. So ask:"What criteria are non-negotiable when you hire an educator?" The answer can tell you a lot.

Ask what happens when a teacher is out.

Here's another question that can reveal a lot about how a program operates:"What is your backup plan when a teacher calls out?"Do they have substitute teachers? Floating staff? Administrators who can willingly step into classrooms? What happens if someone is unexpectedly out for several days? This is something families may not think to ask until they're the ones receiving a phone call that morning because the program doesn't have enough staff to safely operate the classroom. Find this out before it happens. At our program, keeping our three owners out of permanent classroom assignments is intentional. It gives us reliable backup when our teachers are sick, need additional support, or when unexpected staffing situations arise. Every program handles this differently. That's exactly why you should ask.

Ask about screen time.

Yes. You should really ask this. And honestly, the first time a family asked us whether we allowed screen time, we were surprised. It prompted us to look more closely at what was happening in childcare programs and how commonly television and other screens can be incorporated into the day. So ask:"Do children watch television or use screens during the day?"If the answer is yes, ask:

"How often?"

"For how long?"

"What are they watching?"

"Is there criteria on what they can and can't watch"

"Is it part of the regular daily schedule?"

Don't assume the answer. We believe early childhood should be a time for connection, imagination, movement, exploration, creativity and play - LOTS OF PLAY. That doesn't mean there is never a place for technology in a child's life. But families deserve to know exactly what they're signing up for.

Ask how much time children spend outdoors.

This is another question we think families should ask and don't just accept "We go outside every day" as the answer. Ask: "How much time do children spend outdoors each day (at minimum)?"And then ask: "What circumstances would cause outdoor time to be shortened or canceled?" There's a big difference between a program that goes outside for 15 minutes at the end of the day and a program that intentionally builds substantial outdoor time into the daily schedule.Outdoor play isn't simply a break from learning. It is learning. Children are moving their bodies, developing gross-motor skills, practicing social skills, exploring nature, solving problems, using their imaginations, and experiencing things they simply can't replicate inside. So ask:

"How many times a day do children go outside?"

"Approximately how long are they outside each time?"

"Is outdoor time part of the regular schedule?"

And perhaps most importantly:

"What are your criteria for keeping children inside?"

You may be surprised by the answer. Is outdoor time canceled because it's cold? Because it's raining? Because it's too hot? Because the playground is wet? Because the schedule is busy? Because staffing is short? Of course, there are circumstances when children should not be outside. Extreme weather, unsafe conditions, or other legitimate safety concerns may require outdoor time to be modified. But it's worth understanding what a program considers a reason to stay inside versus what they consider a normal part of childhood.

Ask how access to the building is controlled.

This is a question we think families should be asking more often.

“Are your exterior doors locked during operating hours?”

“Who has access to the building?”

“How do you handle visitors and tours?”

“Do families have a code to enter?”

And most importantly:

“How do you know someone entering the building is supposed to be there?”

At our program, our exterior doors remain locked at all times. We have exterior camera surrounding the entire premises so we are alerted if there is movement. We also intentionally do not conduct tours during operating hours. Tours are scheduled after hours so prospective families aren't walking through classrooms while children are present. We can receive up to 10 tour requests in a week. If we allowed tours throughout the day, that's potentially 10 unfamiliar adults entering the building in a single week. We don't want our classrooms to become revolving doors of people our teachers and administrators don't know. And please don't assume every program handles this the same way.

Also ask what happens when someone arrives claiming to be from the state or another authorized agency. How is their identity verified? Who confirms they are supposed to be there? And if families have a door code, ask how it's managed. Is it unique? What happens when a family leaves? Can it easily be shared with someone else? These aren't questions meant to scare you. They're questions meant to help you understand the systems a program has in place to protect the children in its care.

We genuinely believe our community is filled with many wonderful childcare programs and we aren't writing this to speak negatively about any particular program or group of programs. There is no one perfect childcare program for every family. What matters is finding the environment that aligns with what your family values. So ask questions. Ask the obvious ones. But then ask the questions that go a little deeper. Because the standard questions can tell you what a program offers. The deeper questions can help you understand how that program actually operates. And ultimately, that's what you want to know:

What will my child's day really look like?

Because you're not just choosing a building. You're choosing the people who will care for your child, the environment they'll spend their days in and the experiences that will make up a meaningful part of their childhood and set the stage for their entire education journey. That should not be taken lightly.