It be a difficult task to find the right childcare provider for your child. If you decide on using an in-home childcare provider, you may be wondering how to find the right one for your child. It is important to find an in-home childcare provider that will provide a loving, nurturing, and safe environment for your child. For all parents this is our top priority, but sometimes we are also having to find someone that will help us stick with our financial budget, have certain hours, and live nearby. These are all important factors to consider when choosing any childcare provider, but especially one that provides care within their home.
You may be wondering how to go about in looking for the right in-home childcare provider for your child. Listed below are some tips in how to go about this.
Tips for Finding the Right In-Home Childcare Provider
- Contact Department of Human Services to find out what the requirements are for nonregistered and registered in-home daycare providers in your state
- Develop a list of questions that you would like to ask potential in-home childcare providers
- Interview many in-home childcare providers
- Contact references given (and those that are not, i.e. if they worked at a daycare center/school/church/etc. contact their employer/co-workers)
- If the potential in-home childcare provider is state registered, contact Department of Human Resources to see if any complaints or charges have been placed against him/her
- Ask for a contract and informational folder (most state registered in-home childcare providers should have a packet with multiple forms for you to fill out)
- If the potential in-home childcare provider is state registered, ask to see his/her certificate that indicates this (it should be seen when you first step into his/her home)
- Ask for a tour of the in-home childcare provider's home
- Contact other parents that currently have children in that provider's home as well as those that are no longer there (you may need to ask for this information)
- If your child has special needs or has special health requirements, share this information with potential in-home childcare provider (if your child receives speech, occupational, physical therapy services, ask if it's okay for that person to come to their home to provide services; if they say no, don't consider that provider)
