The decision to place your child in a daycare center is not always an easy one, but if you do your homework and visit the potential daycare centers, you will be able to find a safe and secure place for your child to spend the day. You want to find a center that you feel with love and nurture your child and give you and your child emotional support.

Find out what the turnover rate is for the teachers a each daycare center. A high turnover rate not only will send up a red flag as to employee unhappiness, but will also be a warning flag to you that your child may get a new teacher every month. Your child needs continuity in their life, and a high teacher turnover rate means that they will never know who is going to be teaching them.

Make sure that the daycare center is licensed with your state. Most states are very good about making sure that all daycare centers are licensed, but there are those that fall through the cracks; you don't want your child at one of those centers. You will want to check that the center complies with teacher-child ratios and diaper changes. Dropping in at random times will show you exactly how things are run when they don't expect someone to be stopping by. You can and should check and see what if any complains have been lodged against the school or any of the teachers.

Are the teachers required to or are reimbursed for taking teaching classes to advance their learning? Everyone needs a refresher course in whatever their job is, and teachers are no exception. You shouldn't feel any embarrassment to ask to see certificates of completion for classes the director of the center claims that their teachers have taken.

Not only should you pay attention to the teachers and how they interact with the children in their care, but look around you while you visit. Is the school clean? Is there peeling paint or other obvious signs of neglect? Is the playground well cared for? Check with local regulations that mandate conditions of playgrounds and the equipment that is there for each age group.

Finally, do you get the sense that the management and employees support working parents? Your child not only needs to feel the support of their teachers, but so do you. An environment where working parents are looked down upon is not a good environment for you to be around.

Making the decision to put your child in daycare is never an easy one, but if you start researching before your child is born and visit multiple centers, you will find the right one for you and your child.