Start by Asking Questions
A great way to start your task of finding the right daycare is by asking your friends, family, and co-workers if they have any recommendations. After that, the best place to start is Google and Facebook. Just type in your search and you’ll see a list of daycares in Palmdale or any city you’re in.
Questions to Ask
As parents, your main concern is your children, and it is never wrong to ask too many questions. As providers, we encourage you to ask as many questions as you would like. By asking questions, you are making sure which environment is right for your children. You might be asking yourselves which daycares in Palmdale, or daycare in general, are right for you and your family.
Some questions you might ask may be:
- Is the center or in-home daycare licensed by the state?
- How many children is each caregiver responsible for?
- How do they discipline the children?
- What is their emergency plan?
- Is the staff trained in CPR and first aid?
- How experienced is the staff with children?
- Can you visit your children at any time?
- How does the staff communicate with the parents?
- What do they feed the children?
- Are they sponsored by USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) food programs?
Trial Period
This is a good thing for children starting daycare. After searching for daycares in Palmdale or any other city and selecting one, you, as a parent, should let them know that you’re interested in a trial period when signing up. Daycares use trial periods to observe if a child is adapting well to their new environment. Sometimes, just because you think it’s a good daycare doesn’t mean your child will feel the same. I’m not saying the daycare is bad, but maybe there are certain factors that are not sitting well with your child. One common issue is the size of the daycare; some kids thrive better in smaller daycares and vice versa.
Do not feel bad if your childcare provider tells you that perhaps it’s better if you search for another daycare within the trial period. Ask why and if they can give you any recommendations. Don’t see this as an insult or anything negative; instead, be happy that the daycare was open with you and cared more about your child than a paycheck.
“A child’s happiness and ability to adapt in a new environment is more important than anything.”
What to Look for in a Daycare
What should you look for in a daycare? Parents always want the best for their children. There are many daycares in Palmdale, but in order to find the best daycare for your children and be able to feel comfortable with your new provider, you have to look for certain details.
Things to Look For:
- Is your child drawn towards the daycare provider? Does your child express positive feelings about the daycare provider?
- How does the staff interact with the children? Are they kind and considerate towards them?
- Is there plenty of playtime or activities for your child/children to participate in?
- Is the facility clean and safe?
- Does the center have an outside area where the children could play?
- Are foods and beverages provided throughout the day?
- Do the children look happy and engaged in activities?
- Do the children look dirty and not taken care of?
Personally, I love the children in my daycare in Palmdale. I started Kids ‘N Colors Daycare because I volunteered at other local daycares in Palmdale when I was a teenager and noticed that children had a special connection with me.
It amazed me to see kids at daycares I would volunteer for follow me around and gravitate towards me when looking to be reassured.
This became important to me when I started my daycare, and later as I realized having great relationships with my children not only made my job more exciting but was a huge benefit for my kids’ development. The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning conducted a research project focusing on teacher-child relationships and concluded that children who have a good relationship with their teachers or childcare providers are influenced positively in their social and emotional development and good peer interaction. More here.
This is why it is important to notice the relationship your child has with your daycare provider, as it can have a future developmental impact on your child.
Meet Your Needs
When you’re trying to find the right daycare in Palmdale, you have to know what you want. Where do you want the daycare to be located? Do you want an in-home daycare or a large center? Do you want it to be closer to your home or work? These are all things to consider, and there is really no right or wrong answer. It all depends on what works for you as far as convenience and comfort level with the selected daycare.
We’d Love to Help!
We’d love to help! If you’re looking for a daycare in Palmdale, please give us a call at 661-266-1220, or fill out the contact form here. We would love to have you join our small yet amazing daycare family. We have had the pleasure of providing care for dozens of families since 2005, and can proudly say that most of our kids stay with us until they are able to care for themselves or move—yet they always visit!
Please follow us on Facebook and read more reviews here.
