More often than not, when you need to find a daycare provider, you need to find one right now!. In the heat of the moment, you may forget to ask a question or cover an area that becomes a problem later on. Here are some common sense steps that you can take to find a daycare provider that is right for you and your child.

Before you start looking for a provider, take a few minutes to consider your needs, wants and preferences. Once you've taken stock of what you need and want, you'll be better prepared to ask the right questions and get the information you need to make the right choice. The following are some areas that you may want to consider. Others may occur to you as you read this list.

1. Days and Hours that You will Need Care. If your job or other activities require long or irregular hours (even if it's only once in a while) this will be an important factor in the selection process. Daycare providers vary greatly in their policies about overtime and hours of operation. Some won't mind if you're a few hours late, others will mind (or charge you) if you're a few minutes late. Ask about this early on if it will be an issue.

2. What You Pay, and When You Pay It. There is more to this area than just the hourly, daily, weekly or monthly rate that the provider charges. Consider:

Payment Schedule. Some providers are very rigid about being paid at a specific interval, and will only accept payment in advance. Others will allow you to pay on a schedule that works with the way that you get paid.

Pro-Ration. Some providers will pro-rate if your child is absent from care for part of a day, week, month, etc. Some will not.

Overtime. If your hours vary or if you know that you will sometimes drop off early or pick up late, it's a good idea to ask about the provider's overtime policy. Overtime fees can range from none at all to very high fees charged for every few minutes that you are late, given how the provider feels about overtime.

Sibling Discounts. It is not unheard of to get a discount for siblings. If you will have more than one child in care, be sure to ask potential providers about their policy in this area.

Subsidy Payments. Various government agencies in your area, (or your employer) may have programs to help you pay for daycare. If you need financial assistance, you'll want to research this before you begin contacting providers. Some providers may be reluctant to accept subsidy payments, usually because the way that the agency or employer pays does not correlate with the provider's policy on payment schedule (see above). Ask a potential provider about this early on if it will be an issue.

Missed Time, Vacation Time, Etc. If you take regular vacations, or if grandma and grandpa sometimes come to visit and are willing to look after your child, you'll want to know about your provider's policy on missed time and vacations. Some providers will require that you pay all or part of the fee for the time that your child is not in care, or they will not hold a spot open. Remember also that the provider may want to take vacations and have certain holidays off. Find out about this beforehand to avoid misunderstandings.

3.Transportation. If you will have a school age child in daycare before and/or after school, you'll need to consider how your child will get to and from the daycare provider. Some daycare providers offer transportation, or you may be able to find a provider that is located near a bus stop for your child's school. A few providers, (usually larger centers) have shuttle buses that will take children to and from after school activities as well.

4.Sick Child. Young children do get sick more often than adults. If you can and want to stay home with your child when they are ill, this is a non-issue. If you are in the type of job where its not acceptable for you to miss days because of a sick child, or if you simply can't afford to miss work, you'll want to look for a provider who has a fairly liberal policy about caring for sick children.

5.Potty Training. If you have a little one that is or soon will be potty training, you'll need to find a provider that will work with you in this area. Potty training will be difficult or impossible if it is not consistent between home and daycare.

6.Baby-sitting. If you like the occasional evening out without the children, it's a plus to have a daycare provider who will also babysit when needed. Your child will be more comfortable in familiar surroundings, and you won't need to make separate arrangements.

7.Special Needs. Be sure to fully cover any special needs that your child may have with a potential provider. The first day that you drop your child off is not the time to cover medications, allergies, or other special requirements.

Early on, you'll want to decide whether you want your child in a daycare home, a daycare center, or a pre-school. Each type of daycare setting has its advantages, depending on your needs and preferences.

The Daycare Home

Depending on your needs, a home based daycare provider can be an excellent choice. Depending on your location, you may find that there are two types of daycare homes. The first type is typically licensed to care for 4-6 children and is run by a single person. The second type, often called "group homes" are licensed for up to 12 or so and are usually run by two or more people working together. Here are a few of the advantages that they offer:

1.Flexibility. Because they work from home and are generally smaller than daycare centers or pre-schools, home based daycare providers are generally in a better position to accommodate your individual needs. Things like overtime, special diets or routines can generally be handled more easily by a home based provider.

2.Affordability. As a rule, but not always, home based providers charge less than centers or pre-schools and are usually more flexible when it comes to payment arrangements.

3.Environment. Especially when your child is very small, a home environment may be preferable to the large group setting found in centers and pre-schools. Many children come to accept the daycare provider as part of their extended family. As a result, they become comfortable enough in their surroundings to develop through unstructured play much as they would in your care if you stayed at home.

As a group, daycare homes are evolving and becoming more of a profession than a cottage industry. More and more, you'll find home based providers with credentials, facilities and programs that rival their center and pre-school counterparts.

The Daycare Center

Daycare centers come in a variety of types and sizes. Many are specialized to offer services that appeal to specific groups. With a little homework, You'll probably be able to find a daycare center the offers just what you're looking for. Here are a few of the advantages that they offer:

1.Reliability. There tends to be less turn over in daycare centers than with home based providers. Because they are usually staffed by several people, there is less chance that they will be suddenly unable to care for your child on a given day because of vacations or illness.

2.Consistency. Many daycare centers are part of larger chains. They have detailed procedures in place and their staffs are trained to run a daycare in a specific way. As a result, most centers offer a consistently high level of quality in the care that they provide.

3.Transportation. Many centers now provide shuttle bus service to and from school and, sometimes, after school activities. If you have a school age child that will need transportation, you're more likely to find it at a daycare center.

4.Special Programs. If you are looking for some type of specialized program, like computer classes or religious teaching, centers will be more likely to offer them than home based providers.

5.Special Needs. If your child is physically or mentally challenged in some way that requires special training, facilities, or medical attention, centers will be more likely to be properly staffed and/or equipped.

To sum up, a daycare center is an excellent choice if your schedule and your child's needs will fit into a pre-defined program, either general or specialized. The high reliability factor of a center may make it the best choice for you if you have the type of job where unexpected time off is a big problem.

Pre-Schools

Pre-Schools typically accept children 2.5 years of age or older, and provide programs that teach basic social and academic skills that help to prepare your child for a school setting. You'll want to familiarize yourself with the types of programs that are available before selecting a pre-school for your child.

Other than preparing your child for school, the advantages of a pre-school are basically the same as for daycare centers. Often, but not always, pre-schools employ staff that have more education than do daycare center staffs. If you feel that your child is mature enough, and would benefit more from a structured environment that from unstructured play, a pre-school is a good choice.

Choosing a daycare provider

After you have made the home/center/pre-school decision you'll want to narrow the list. Have the list of questions that you made during that step handy when you start calling potential daycare providers, so that you don't forget to ask about something that is important to you. If so, you'll be able to focus on a specific type of daycare provider.

During the telephone interview, you'll want to explain enough about your needs, and find out enough about the provider, to determine whether the provider is a candidate that is worth an on-site visit. Here are a few tips that you can use to make your calls effective.

Explain What You Need Up-Front. After introductions, start with a brief explanation about what you're looking for. This avoids the game of 20 questions about basic things. At a minimum, cover:

1. The days and hours that you will need care
2. The ages of your children
3. Any special needs that your children have
4. The part of town where you live and work

If there is a basic reason why the provider cannot provide what you need, you can find out right away and move on.

Prioritize Your Questions. Start with the things that you consider most important, and work your way down. For example, if your child is allergic to pet hair or cigarette smoke, a provider who has a cat or who smokes won't work, no matter how great they are otherwise. Take your list of questions and number them by how important they are to you. This way, you won't waste time talking with a provider that fails on one of your "must have" or "must not have" points.

Be As Specific As You Can. You're most likely to be satisfied with your daycare provider if you understand what you expect from each other from the beginning. If you or your child have some sort of special need, describe it as fully as you can. For example, if your work schedule varies, describe a typical work week instead of saying "I may be a little late picking up my child once in a while".

Ask "open-ended" questions. Questions that start with "Could you tell me about..." or "How do you handle..." give you some insight into how provider handles real world situations, and they give the provider a chance to open up and talk a little. This will give you a chance to listen not only to what they say, but how they say it. Do they sound proud and enthusiastic about what they are doing? Do they sound like a person that you and your child will get along with. Often, these "intangibles" are at least as important as the type of facilities or programs the provider offers.

By the end of the telephone interview, you'll have enough information to know whether a provider has the potential to meet your needs. You should also have a sense of whether the provider is someone who you would feel comfortable having care for your children. Trust your instincts here. If something seems wrong to you, even if you don't know exactly what it is, look elsewhere. If you feel comfortable, take the next step and set a time for an onsite interview.

The On-site Interview

What you are looking for in an in home interview is the type of atmosphere you would like your child to be in while you are away. When you are looking over the facilities, ask yourself:

1. How do the children at the facility interact with the provider, are they at ease with him/her?
2. Do they appear to like the provider?
3. Are the children well taken care of?
4. Is the setting clean? Is there a fresh smell when you enter the facility?
5. Is there a clean, comfortable area set aside to change diapers?
6. Are the linens and blankets that the children are using clean.
7. Is there some place for your child to play and "age appropriate" toys for him or her to play with?
8. Is there someplace quiet and comfortable for him or her to take their nap?
9. Is the environment safe for your child?
10. Are there gates in place on the stairs at the top and bottom?
11. Are there child safety plugs in all of the outlets?
12. re there latches on any cabinets where cleaning chemicals or medicine would be stored?
13. Are there any poisonous houseplants within reach of little hands?
14. Are there emergency numbers posted close to the phone?
15. Is there an emergency evacuation plan posted where you can see it? It is important to know where your child will be if there is an emergency and the facility has to be evacuated."