Mother and daughter with building blocks

Click on the categories below to learn about what you should expect for and ask when yous visit a Family unit Child Care Home.Want to take a checklist with you on the bout? Click below to download a copy that you can print or make full out on your telephone!

We besides encourage you to use our Pandemic Safety Checklist every bit you decide whether a programme will be a safe identify for your child and family.

Family Child Care Home Checklist ›


  • Full general Questions
    • Is the program licensed?
    • Does the program provide safe and reliable transportation? If so, are drivers licensed and insured? Are children properly restrained in the appropriate machine condom seat that is advisable for their weight and age?
    • Are in that location clear check-in and bank check-out procedures?
  • Health and Nutrition Questions
      • Does the provider accept records proving that the other children enrolled are up to engagement on all of the required immunizations?
      • Is handwashing a regular role of the programme's practices for both the providers and children, specially before eating and after using the bathroom?
      • Does the food run into nutritional standards?
      • How does the program handle if a kid has nutrient allergies or dietary restrictions?

    *Eco-salubrious tip: If the child care program is housed in an older building, information technology may still have lead pipes or solder. Warm water is more likely to leach lead out of onetime pipes and puts children at college adventure for pb poisoning. Ask if the program uses simply cold water for drinking, cooking, and mixing baby formula.

    Questions for Infants and Toddlers

    • Is the place where diapers are inverse clean?
    • Exercise caregivers always keep a hand on the child while diapering?
    • Practice caregivers remove the soiled diaper without dirtying whatever surface not already in contact with stool or urine?
    • Practise caregivers clean and sanitize the surface after finishing the changing process? Easily should exist scrubbed with soap and warm running water for at least xx seconds and then rinsed and dried. The water faucet should be turned off with a newspaper towel.
    • Are infants fed on demand?
    • Is breastmilk stored appropriately?
    • Is in that location a place where mothers can comfortably breastfeed their kid?
    • How are new foods introduced to toddlers?
  • Supervision and Safety Questions

    Adult to Child Ratio and Group Size

    • How many children are cared for by the family child care provider?
    • How many caregivers are present?
    • Does the family child care provider follow all-time practices regarding ratio and group size? Or, does the provider follow the land licensing standards for ratio and group size?
      • Best practice recommendations for a minor family unit kid care home (ane caregiver present):
        • The family child care abode has no more than than two children under the age of 2 present at 1 time.
        • If there are 2 children nether 2 years old present, there are no more children enrolled.
        • If there is 1 kid nether the historic period of 2 nowadays, there may exist i-3 children ages 2 and older enrolled.
        • If there are 0 children under the age of two present, there may be 1-6 children ages 2 and older enrolled.

    Supervision of Children

    • Are children supervised at all times, both indoors and outdoors, and even when they are sleeping?
    • Have all providers undergone comprehensive background checks?
    • Have the providers been trained on how to foreclose, recognize, and report signs of child abuse?

    Questions for Infants and Toddlers: Safe Sleep Practices

    • Are all infants put to sleep on their backs?
    • Practise the infant sleep spaces consist of a house sleep surface, such every bit a mattress in a crib, covered by a fitted sheet with no other bedding?
    • Are the baby sleep spaces kept costless of soft objects, toys, crib bumpers, and loose bedding?
    • Are all kid intendance staff, volunteers, and substitutes trained on safe sleep practices to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)?
    • Do all infants have their own designated slumber space that is the same every day?
    • During residue time, tin staff meet and hear infants and toddlers at all times?
    • Does staff regularly check on infants and toddlers when they are sleeping?
    • Are prophylactic slumber infant practices posted in the infant sleeping surface area as a reminder to all staff, volunteers, and substitutes?
    • If infants tin can gyre over, is there a sign posted past their bed indicating that the child tin roll?
    • What measures are taken to prevent babies' 2nd- and third-hand fume exposure? Any smoke exposure can increase the hazard of SIDS.

    Prophylactic

    • Are indoor and outdoor environments articulate of broken equipment, chipped or peeling pigment and tripping hazards?
    • Have the building and holding been inspected for radon, lead and asbestos? If these hazards are nowadays, how does the program minimize children'south adventure of exposure?
    • Are cleaning supplies and other chemicals locked abroad and out of reach of children?
    • Are toys clean, rubber, and within achieve of children?
    • Is smoking prohibited indoors and outdoors, including vaping, during work hours? If the programme allows providers to accept fume breaks during the day, what measures do they take to prevent second- and third-paw smoke exposure?

    Questions for Infants and Toddlers

    • Are caregivers trained in baby CPR and is their certification current?
    • Are infants and toddlers within sight and sound at all times?
    • Are outlets covered/protected?

    Emergency Plans and Drills

    • Does the plan have a plan in place in case of a disaster, similar a burn down, tornado, overflowing, blizzard, earthquake or agile shooter?
    • Does the provider practice drills one time every month?
    • Does the provider have an emergency plan in instance a kid is injured, ill, or lost?
    • Does the provider take data about who to contact in an emergency?

    First Aid and Medication

    • Has the provider been trained on CPR and Commencement Assistance and are those certifications current?
    • Does the provider have first assist kits?
    • Are medications kept out of the achieve of children?
    • Are the providers trained and the medications labeled to make certain the right child receives the correct corporeality of medication?
  • Indoor Environment Questions
      • Is there plenty room in the environment for children and providers to move around?
      • Are there different areas for resting, quiet play, and active play?
      • Is the temper pleasant?
      • Is the environment make clean? What measures have been taken to keep outside contaminants from coming into the child care areas?
      • Are there enough toys and learning materials for the number of children?
      • Do the classroom materials change based on what children are interested in?
      • Does the program apply TV, computers, or other types of technology with the children? If so, how oft are these materials used?

    *Eco-salubrious tip: Does the program use fragrance-free, not-aerosol cleaning products? Droplets sprays tin trigger allergies and asthma attacks. Some fragrances that are added to detergents and all-purpose cleaners can exist harmful.

  • Outdoor Surroundings Questions
      • Is there a space for outdoor play?
      • Is the outdoor play area fenced in?
      • Is the outdoor play area regularly inspected?
      • Is the outdoor surface area clean?
      • Is the equipment the right size and type for the age of children who employ it?
      • Are children taken outside on a regular basis?
      • Do providers actively supervise (play with) children outdoors?

    *Eco-good for you tip: Does the program encourage families to turn off their vehicles in the driveway? Exhaust from idling vehicles tin can crusade poor outdoor and indoor air quality that makes breathing difficult for kids and adults with asthma or other chronic breathing problems.

    *Eco-healthy tip: Is the abode located near whatsoever busy roads, gas stations or factories? If so, what is the program doing to minimize children'due south exposure to air and water pollution? Chemicals from farms, roads and other businesses tin pollute the air and water of nearby backdrop.

  • Caregiver-Child Interaction Questions
    • Are children comforted when needed?
    • Do providers and children bask being together?
    • Are children warmly greeted when they go far?
    • Do providers talk to children and seem genuinely interested in what the children are doing?
    • Practise providers get down on children's level and speak with them?
    • How exercise providers assistance children solve their ain bug?
    • How do providers react to children'south behavior?
    • How do providers encourage peer interactions?
  • Program Construction Questions
    • Is there a daily residue of play time, story time, activity time, and nap time?
    • Practise children play for a significant function of their day?
    • Do children get to choose who they want to play with?
    • Do providers play with children to help facilitate their learning?
  • Parent Partnership Questions
    • Do caregivers share and talk to parents about their child's daily activities, either at driblet-off or pick-upward?
    • Does the programme comprise technology as a communication tool? If so, is information shared with parents on how to access it and how the information is kept secured?
    • Are parents encouraged to visit at any fourth dimension?
    • Are at that place ways for parents to be involved in the plan? How are parent ideas incorporated into the program?
    • Are at that place regular opportunities (at least twice per year) where parents can meet with the staff and share their child's strengths and hear how their child is developing skills?
    • How ofttimes practise providers share observations and ongoing assessment information with parents?
    • How do providers work with parents to comprise the family'south civilization and values into the classroom?
  • Staff Qualifications Questions
    • Does the providers have a available's caste in a child-related field?
    • Have the providers worked in child care for at least ane year?
    • Practice the providers program lessons and experiences for the children that assist them larn and abound?
    • Do the providers understand what children need to learn and grow?
    • Do the providers accept additional staff that will exist working with your child?
    • Do the boosted staff have a bachelor's degree or credentials in a child-related field?
    • Do the providers participate in ongoing grooming or continuing educational activity programs?
  • Child Intendance Policies and Procedures
    • Does the program provide a written contract before you enroll your kid?
    • Does the program provide a re-create of the parent handbook prior to enrollment?
    • Does the programme clearly outline the cost of care, field trip or special program fees, and whatever other fees?
    • Does the programme have a policy regarding drib-off and option-upwardly times, including who can pick up your child? Are there fees for late pick-up?
    • Does the programme have a policy for times when information technology may close, such as for certain holidays, choppy atmospheric condition, or in case of emergencies?
    • Does the plan have a policy regarding when your child and other children should stay dwelling house because of illness?
    • Does the program take a policy regarding termination of your kid care agreement?
    • Does the program have a written policy for when the provider is allowed to give medications?
    • Does the program have a written supervision policy or plan that ensures children are supervised at all times?
    • Does the program provide a written guidance and discipline policy?