How to Find a Great Daycare in Georgia
- 1). Make a list of daycare facilities near home or work. Visit the official website of Quality Care for Children, a Georgia nonprofit agency that specializes in state daycare information for parents, to view a list of providers for a specific area.
- 2). Check each daycare on the list for a valid Georgia license. Visit the official website of the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) to verify license status. Remove any unlicensed daycare facilities from the list. Check the "License Revocations" section of the DECAL website to see if there are any pending actions against a daycare on the list. Remove any entry with a pending revocation.
- 3). View the licensing report for the remaining daycare centers from the list on DECAL's official website. Contact "Bright From the Start," a DECAL program, if unsure about any items in a daycare's history. Remove any daycare center with a licensing history that includes violations or other problem indicators, such as multiple suspensions.
- 4). Prepare a list of questions to ask the daycare operators. Include questions about staff training and hiring requirements, health and safety procedures, what the supervising adult-to-child ratio is and any other specific concerns held. Make sure the adult-to-child ratio conforms with Georgia guidelines. The maximum ratios are one adult to four infants or young toddlers, one adult to six older toddlers and one adult to nine preschool children.
- 5). Make an appointment with each daycare facility remaining on the list. Bring questions to ask and do not hesitate to voice any questions that pop up during the visit. Note how clean the facility is, how the caregivers interact with children and how happy children seem. Select the daycare that meets all expectations and has the staff producing an acceptable comfort level necessary for child care.
