Questions to Ask an In Home Daycare
These questions to ask an in home daycare are for a parent visiting a place where one person holds the license, cooks the lunch, plans the day and has no coworker down the hall. They run from the license and the people in the house through the rooms and yard, the daily routine, health and behavior and how you stay in touch, to fees and the contract. Each has a short note on what a good answer sounds like, what to look at for yourself, or when the question does not apply.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
License and people
Are you licensed or registered, and can I see the certificate?
Why ask it
Depending on where they live and how many children they take, a home provider may be licensed, registered or legally exempt, and each means a different level of oversight. The certificate also shows the capacity they are approved for and a number you can look up with the agency that issued it.
How many children do you care for at once, and what are their ages?
Why ask it
The legal limit for one adult depends on local rules and usually tightens when babies are in the group, so ask what theirs is. Then ask for the head count on the busiest day of the week, after-school arrivals included, since that is the day your child will actually have.
Who else lives in the house or is home during the day?
Why ask it
Partners, teenagers, adult children and roommates share the space with the children whether or not they help with the care. Whether household members have to be background checked depends on the license and the place, so ask who has been, and whether any of them is ever left in charge.
Do you have an assistant or a substitute, and who covers if you are sick?
Why ask it
With no other staff to draw on, a home daycare without a named substitute simply closes when its owner has the flu, and you will want your own backup for those days. If there is a helper, ask whether they were checked and trained the same way and whether your child would meet them beforehand.
Are you current on infant and child CPR and first aid?
Why ask it
A card from years ago is not the same as a current one, so ask for the renewal date and whether the course covered babies as well as older children. If an assistant or substitute is ever alone with the group, the same goes for them.
When were you last inspected, and what did the inspector ask you to change?
Why ask it
How often a home daycare is inspected differs widely, and some legally exempt providers are never visited at all, so ask how it works where you live. A provider who can name a past correction and what was done about it is more convincing than one who says every report was spotless.
What background checks have you had yourself, and when were they last run?
Why ask it
Licensing normally includes a check on the provider, but what it covers and how often it is repeated depends on the state or country. In an unlicensed arrangement there may have been none, and then it is fair to ask whether they would agree to one.
How long have you run a daycare from your home, and what made you start?
Why ask it
Some providers trained in early childhood and chose to work from home; others began when their own children were small and kept going. Both can be excellent, but the answer hints at whether this is a long-term business or one that may wind down when their youngest starts school.
What training in child development have you done, and what have you taken in the past year?
Why ask it
Required training hours for home providers range from substantial to almost none, depending on where you live. A recent course on safe sleep, behavior or early language points to someone still learning the job, however many years they have done it.
Are your own children part of the group, and do they count toward your limit?
Why ask it
Whether a provider's own children count in the legal number depends on local rules and often on the children's ages, so ask how it is counted here. It is also worth hearing how they handle it when their child and yours both want the same lap.
Do you carry liability insurance for the daycare?
Why ask it
An ordinary home insurance policy may not cover a business run from the house, so what you are asking about is a separate policy or an added rider. Whether it is required varies by place, and a provider who has it can usually show you the certificate.
How long do families usually stay with you, and why did the most recent one leave?
Why ask it
Children who stay until school age, and younger siblings who follow them, are about the best sign a home daycare can offer. Several short stays in a row deserve a calm follow-up about what happened each time.
House and safety
Which rooms do the children use, and which parts of the house are off limits?
Why ask it
Walk through every room on the first list, the bathroom and the nap space included. For the second list, usually a garage, basement stairs or a home office, look at what really keeps a two-year-old out: a latched door, or only a rule.
Where do the children sleep, and can I see the setup?
Why ask it
For babies, compare what you see with the safe sleep advice your own doctor gave you, which in most places means on the back, in a crib of their own, with nothing loose inside. If a baby naps in a swing, a car seat or on the sofa, ask why. Older children should each have a mat or cot that is theirs.
Can you see and hear the children who are napping while the others are awake?
Why ask it
In a house the nap room is often upstairs or down a hallway from the play space. Find out how often sleeping children are looked at in person and whether a monitor is the only link between the two rooms.
Do you have pets, and where are they while the children are here?
Why ask it
A dog that lies quietly through your visit may act differently in a room of toddlers pulling at its ears. Ask whether animals are kept apart during play and meals and where the food bowls and litter box are, and mention any allergy now.
Is there a pool, a hot tub, a trampoline, or a pond on the property?
Why ask it
These are easy to miss on a short visit because they sit behind the house or under a cover. Ask to see the fence, gate or lock for yourself, and whether the children ever use the pool or trampoline and who is watching when they do.
Is the yard fully fenced, and could a child open the gate or reach the street?
Why ask it
Check the latch height and whether the gate swings shut by itself. One adult cannot watch a baby on a blanket and a three-year-old at an open gate in the same moment, so the fence is doing part of the supervising.
How are medicines, cleaning products, and any firearms stored?
Why ask it
It can feel rude to ask about guns in someone's home, but it is an ordinary question for a parent leaving a child there, and a provider who has heard it before will answer without fuss. Ask to be shown the locked cabinet or safe, and remember that purses and bedside drawers hold medicine too.
Does anyone smoke or vape in the house, the yard, or the car?
Why ask it
Awkward to raise and seldom volunteered. A rule against smoking while the children are present is not the same thing as a smoke-free house and car, so ask which of the two they mean.
Who comes to the house during daycare hours: friends, relatives, repair people?
Why ask it
A home is also somebody's household, with visitors a center would never let past the desk. Ask whether repairs and social calls are kept outside daycare hours, and whether a visitor is ever alone with the children.
Where do you change diapers, and where do the children wash their hands?
Why ask it
In a family home the changing spot can be a few steps from where lunch is made. You are looking for one set place, a surface that is wiped between children, and a sink the provider actually goes to afterward.
How often do you clean the toys, the high chairs, and the nap mats?
Why ask it
The playroom is also somebody's living room, and nobody comes in to clean it after hours. A real routine sounds specific: mouthed toys dropped in a bin until they are washed, bedding laundered each week or sent home, the table wiped before every meal.
If one child had to go to the hospital, who would stay with the others?
Why ask it
This is the hard arithmetic of one adult: someone has to wait for the ambulance or ride along while the rest still need watching. A prepared provider can name the neighbor or relative who would come over, and keeps every family's emergency numbers where a stranger could find them.
Do you practice fire drills, and where are the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms?
Why ask it
Licensed homes are often required to hold drills and keep a log, which you can ask to see. Whatever the rules are locally, ask which door they would use from the nap room and how they would carry out two babies at once.
The day
Can you walk me through a typical day, from the first drop-off to the last pick-up?
Why ask it
You are listening for a rhythm of meals, outside time, rest and play, not a curriculum. If the outline is vague, ask what the children did yesterday morning, which is easier to answer truthfully than what usually happens.
What do the children eat, and who provides it?
Why ask it
This settles whether you pack a lunch, pay a food fee, or your child eats what the household is cooking. Ask to see a week's menu if there is one, and if your child has an allergy, ask how their plate is kept apart at a table where everyone sits elbow to elbow.
How much time do the children spend outside, and where do you take them?
Why ask it
A backyard, a walk to the park, and staying in all day are three different offers. If they walk anywhere, ask how several small children get across a road: a stroller, a walking rope, hands held.
Do you ever drive the children anywhere, or take them along on errands?
Why ask it
A yes brings its own list: whose car, whether the insurance covers daycare children, a properly fitted seat for each child, and your written permission. A no is worth confirming for school runs with the provider's own children, which are easy to forget to mention.
How much screen time is there on a typical day?
Why ask it
Ask about yesterday instead of the policy, and about the hard moments: a rainy afternoon, lunch being cooked, a phone call. In a living room the television is right there, so the honest answer is rarely zero, and a clear limit is more believable than a claim of none.
Besides free play, what do you plan for the children: books, songs, crafts, messy play?
Why ask it
A home daycare does not need a formal curriculum, but a story every day and something set out to make show an adult who plans the hours. Ask what they did this week, which is harder to dress up than a philosophy.
How do you keep babies safe and older children busy in the same room?
Why ask it
Mixed ages are the charm of a home daycare and its main juggling act. Listen for practical habits: small toys kept up high, a gated corner for crawlers, older children given real jobs instead of being told to wait.
How do naps work when the children are different ages?
Why ask it
A baby on three naps and a four-year-old who has stopped sleeping cannot share one schedule. Find out what the non-nappers do during quiet time, and whether your child's pattern from home would be followed or gradually moved to fit the group.
How do you handle breast milk, formula, and starting solid foods?
Why ask it
Skip this one if your child is past that stage. Otherwise ask where bottles are kept, how they are labeled so two babies' milk cannot be swapped, and whether new foods would wait for your say-so.
Will you help with potty training, and how do you fit it around the other children?
Why ask it
Most home providers have done this many times and are glad to, but one adult cannot sit beside a bathroom for twenty minutes. Agree who does what: spare clothes from you, the same words as at home, and a start date that suits you both.
What are the children doing while you cook lunch, clean up, or change another child?
Why ask it
One person running the whole operation has to turn away sometimes. A thought-out answer names a safe spot for the babies and a rule about the kitchen; a surprised one suggests those minutes are improvised.
What do I need to send each day, and what do you supply?
Why ask it
Diapers, wipes, sunscreen, bedding and spare clothes fall to parents in some homes and are included in others. A small question, but it changes the real weekly cost and how your mornings go.
Until what age do children stay with you, and what do the oldest ones do all day?
Why ask it
Some home daycares keep children until kindergarten and others lose them to preschool at three. If your child could end up the oldest by two years, ask what would keep them stretched: longer stories, scissors and letters, a friend their own size.
Health and behavior
When do you send a child home sick, and when do you ask them to stay away?
Why ask it
You need the exact thresholds, such as a temperature reading or a number of hours after vomiting, because these decide how many days of work you will lose. A vague policy tends to become a call at eleven in the morning.
Can you give my child medication, and what do you need from me in writing?
Why ask it
What a home provider may give, and on whose signature, is set by local licensing rules, so ask what theirs allow: prescription only, a doctor's note, the original labeled container. Sort it out now if your child uses an inhaler or carries an epinephrine pen, not on the morning it is needed.
What happens if a child gets hurt? Can you tell me about the last time?
Why ask it
The policy tells you little. The story tells you whether they phoned the parents right away, wrote it down, and can describe it without getting defensive. Small bumps come with toddlers, so an answer of 'never' is a reason to ask again more gently.
What would you do if a child had an allergic reaction or an asthma attack here?
Why ask it
Listen for where the inhaler or auto-injector is kept, who else in the house knows how to use it, and at what point they would call an ambulance. Offer to put your child's steps on a single page and ask where it would be posted.
Do you ask families for immunization records?
Why ask it
What a home daycare must collect differs by state and country, and so do the exemptions, so ask what applies here. It matters most while your baby has not yet had every dose, and then the adults in the household are a fair thing to ask about too.
How do you handle biting, hitting, or a child who will not do what you ask?
Why ask it
Biting and hitting are ordinary among one- to three-year-olds, so an experienced provider has a routine, something like comforting the hurt child first, moving the other one away, and telling both sets of parents. Ask about the last time it happened and what they did, which says more than their views on discipline.
Do you use time-outs, and what is off limits for you when a child misbehaves?
Why ask it
You are checking for a flat no to spanking, shouting, shaming and withholding food, with no hedging. There is no coworker in the room to see what happens, so the provider's own line is the only one there is.
What do you do when a baby cries and will not settle?
Why ask it
Good answers start with working out why (hungry, tired, wet, wanting to be held) and include carrying the baby while the others are kept busy. If you hear 'I let them self-soothe', ask how many minutes that means. The way a provider talks about crying also shows how stretched one pair of arms already is.
How do you settle a new child during the first couple of weeks?
Why ask it
Many home providers suggest a short visit with you there, then a few half days before a full one. Ask what they do with a child who sobs at the door, and how long they would give it before talking with you about whether it is working.
If you were worried about my child's speech, hearing, or development, how would you tell me?
Why ask it
Someone who sees your child beside others of a similar age every day sometimes notices things before a parent does. You want a provider who would say so early and kindly, and who understands that what happens next is your decision.
Parents
How will I hear about my child's day, and how would you reach me if something went wrong?
Why ask it
Find out whether it is a chat at the door, a written note, a text with a photo, or an app, and whether feeds, naps and diapers are logged for babies. Then check who they would phone next, and in what order, if you did not pick up.
Who is allowed to pick my child up, and how do you check?
Why ask it
A house has no front desk, so the check is whatever the provider does at the door. Ask whether someone they have not met would be asked for photo ID, how you add a grandparent at short notice, and what they would do if a person not on your list turned up.
Can parents drop in at any time without calling first?
Why ask it
An open door is about the best check on a setting with no other adults in it, and some licensing rules require it, so ask what applies locally. A request to avoid nap time is reasonable; a rule that you always phone ahead needs a reason you can accept.
Can I talk to a family who uses you now and one who has left?
Why ask it
Current parents can tell you what last month was really like: closures, messages, how their child seems at pick-up. A family that moved on can say why, and how the provider takes the request for one is informative too.
Do you take photos of the children, and where do they end up?
Why ask it
A picture texted to you at lunchtime is a kindness; your child on a public page advertising the daycare is something you should be asked about first. Say plainly what you are comfortable with and have it added to the agreement.
Are there cameras in the house, and who can watch or keep the recordings?
Why ask it
Some home providers have a doorbell camera or a monitor in the nap room, and a few give parents a live view. If there is one, ask where the footage is stored and who else can see it, since other families' children are on it too. Having none is not a mark against anyone.
If I disagree with how something was handled, how would you like me to raise it?
Why ask it
There is no director to take a complaint to, so the two of you have to be able to sort things out face to face. 'Tell me the same day' is a good answer. Bristling at the question is not.
Fees and contract
Do you have an opening for the date I need, and would you hold it for me?
Why ask it
With so few places, a home daycare can be full for a year and then have a space the week a child leaves for school. Ask what a holding fee buys you and whether it comes off the first month.
What are your rates, and do you charge for holidays and the days my child is absent?
Why ask it
Many home providers charge for the place and not the attendance, because a spot left empty for a sick day cannot be sold to anyone else. Ask what happens to the fee on the provider's own sick days too, and get the answers into the written agreement instead of leaving them as something said at the door.
What time can I drop off and pick up, and what do you charge when a parent runs late?
Why ask it
Home daycares often keep shorter days than centers, because the provider's own evening starts when the last child leaves. Measure the closing time against your slowest commute home, and find out whether the late fee is charged by the minute or as a flat amount.
When do you take vacation, and how much warning do families get?
Why ask it
With no staff to cover, a home daycare closes when its owner travels, so some weeks each year without care come with the arrangement. What matters is whether the dates are announced months ahead and whether you pay for those weeks.
Do you have a written contract or parent handbook I can take home?
Why ask it
Read it at home before signing, not at the kitchen table with a toddler on your lap. If nothing is written down, offer to put the main points in an email you both reply to, so there is at least a record.
Is there a trial period before either of us commits?
Why ask it
A few weeks with an easy exit on both sides is a reasonable thing to ask for when it is not offered. Settle what you would owe if it ends early and whether any deposit comes back.
Is there a deposit or registration fee, and how much notice do I give to leave?
Why ask it
Check whether the deposit is applied to your final weeks or simply kept. Notice runs both ways, so ask how much warning you would get if they decided to close, move, or retire.
When did you last raise your rates, and how do you tell parents about an increase?
Why ask it
A yearly rise announced a couple of months ahead is easy to budget for. A provider who has held the same rate for years may be due a large jump, and it helps to know where you would be joining that cycle.
Do you take part-time children, and could my days change later?
Why ask it
Each place in a small home daycare is a big share of the provider's income, so part-time spots are sometimes priced higher per day or tied to fixed days. Ask what happens if your work schedule shifts and whether swapping a day is ever possible.
Can you accept childcare subsidy or employer vouchers, and will you give me receipts for my taxes?
Why ask it
Many subsidy and tax relief schemes only cover registered providers and need the provider's details on the form, though the rules differ by country and state. An arrangement that is cash with no paperwork may leave you unable to claim anything, so ask before you budget on it.
Have you ever had to stop caring for a child, and what led to it?
Why ask it
Unpaid fees, repeated late pick-ups, and behavior one adult could not manage alone are the usual reasons. The way the story is told shows whether that family got warnings and time to find somewhere else.
Visiting and Checking a Home Daycare
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
How to Assess the Place
Spread the Questions Over a Call, a Visit, and an Email
Nobody gets through a list this long in one visit with children underfoot. Use a first phone call for the deal-breakers: an opening, the hours, the rate, the license. Save the visit for whatever you can see with your own eyes, and follow up by email on fees and policies you want in writing.
Visit in the Middle of the Morning
Ask to come when all the children are present and awake, not during nap time. You want to see how one adult manages the actual group, including a diaper change, a disagreement, and getting everyone into coats.
Check the License Yourself
Take the license or registration number and look it up with the state or local agency that issued it. In many places inspection reports and upheld complaints can be read online or requested, and they cover things no visit will show you. If nothing is published where you live, ask the agency what it can tell you.
Watch a Crying Child
If a child gets upset while you are there, watch what the provider does: how quickly they notice, whether they stay calm, and what happens to the other children in the meantime. A minute of that is worth more than a polished answer about philosophy.
Look at the Rooms the Children Actually Use
Ask to see the nap space, the bathroom, the kitchen and the yard, not only the play area. Look for gates that are shut, outlet covers, blind cords, a purse with medicine in it left at toddler height, and smoke alarms that are still on the ceiling.
Get the Agreement in Writing
Rates, deposit, notice period, hours, late fees, closure days and payment for absences should all be in a document you keep. This matters most when the provider is a neighbor or a friend of a friend, because a misunderstanding about money is harder to raise with someone you see every day.
What to Notice While You Are There
- Whether the children look at ease with the provider or keep their distance.
- Whether the number of children you can see and hear matches the number you were told.
- How the provider talks about the child they find hardest.
- Whether the television is on when you arrive, and whether anyone is watching it.
- Where the babies sleep, and whether each one has a crib or mat of their own.
- Whether outside doors and stair gates are closed, not just fitted.
- Whether the provider breaks off talking to you to see to a child. That is a good sign, not rudeness.
Common Pitfalls
Choosing on Warmth Alone
A provider can be kind and good with children and still be over capacity, uninsured, or without a plan for the day they are sick. Warmth is the first thing to look for, and it answers none of the questions about licensing, safety or money.
Skipping the References
References offered by the daycare are chosen, so ask for one family using it now and one who has left, and call them yourself. Ask each what they would change if they could.
Not Planning for the Provider's Days Off
Home daycares close for illness, vacations and family emergencies, sometimes with a text early that morning. Line up a second option before you need it, whether a relative, a sitter or an arrangement with work, so a closure is an inconvenience and not a scramble.
Ignoring How Concerns Are Received
Raise something small early, such as a nap time or a snack, and watch the response. How a minor request is handled is a fair preview of how a serious one would be, so take defensiveness now seriously.