Questions to Ask on Preschool Tour
Questions for a preschool tour, both while you are walking around and in the conversation with the director afterward: ratios, staffing, the shape of the day, illness and drop-off policies, and the full cost.
The questions
Open any question for the note
Can you walk me through a typical day, from drop-off to pickup?
Why ask it
Ask for it in order and by the clock, so you can hear where the day is loose. Long unstructured stretches are not a problem in themselves, but a director who cannot describe the afternoon in any detail is describing a room they do not spend time in.
Who would be in my child's room, and how long have they been here?
Why ask it
Names and tenure matter more than the philosophy on the wall, because these are the two people who will actually hold your child. If both are new this term, ask what happened to the previous pair before you draw a conclusion.
What's the adult-to-child ratio in that room, and does it change first thing or at the end of the day?
Why ask it
The advertised ratio usually describes the middle of the day. Early drop-off and late pickup are often covered by combined rooms with fewer staff, which is exactly when a tired child is least able to cope.
What happens when a teacher calls in sick?
Why ask it
The answer tells you whether there is real cover or whether rooms get merged and the ratio quietly slips. 'We all pull together' means the manager leaves the office and the paperwork waits, which is fine occasionally and a problem weekly.
How much of the day do children spend outside, and what happens when the weather is bad?
Why ask it
Ask to see the outdoor space rather than hear about it. A specific answer names a time and a plan for rain; a vague one usually means outdoor time is the first thing dropped when staffing is short.
What do the children eat, and who provides it?
Why ask it
Check who cooks, where, and what happens to a child who refuses the meal. Places that require packed lunches are not worse, but it is a daily job you should know about before you enroll rather than in week one.
What are the nap arrangements, and what do you do with a child who has stopped napping?
Why ask it
This is the detail most likely to affect your evenings. If children who no longer sleep are expected to lie still for two hours, you will hear about it at bedtime, so ask what the alternative activity actually is.
Do children need to be toilet trained before they start, and do you help with it?
Why ask it
Policies vary more than parents expect, and some places apply a deadline that arrives before your child is ready. A school that treats training as shared work will describe how they handle accidents without any suggestion of embarrassment.
What's your policy on sending a child home sick, and when can they come back?
Why ask it
You are asking for the threshold and the exclusion period, in numbers. Vague answers here turn into arguments later, and a strict policy plus no paid sick leave for you is a problem worth solving in advance.
How do you handle allergies and medication during the day?
Why ask it
Listen for who is trained, where medication is kept, and how food is separated at the table. If your child has a serious allergy, ask what happened the last time it came up rather than what the policy says.
Who is allowed to collect my child, and how do you check?
Why ask it
A calm, specific answer about named adults, photographs, and a password suggests a system that works when the usual person is late. This is also the moment to raise any custody arrangement, and to see how they respond to it.
What do you do when a child hits or bites another child?
Why ask it
Both of these happen at this age, so an answer implying they do not is either inexperience or salesmanship. What you want is the sequence: what happens with each child, and what each family is told.
How do you handle a child who cries at drop-off for weeks rather than days?
Why ask it
Settling badly for a long stretch is common and it is the hardest part for parents. Good answers describe a plan they adjust and contact with you during the morning; poor ones tell you to leave quickly and trust them.
How will I hear about my child's day: an app, a note, or a conversation at pickup?
Why ask it
An app with photographs is not the same as a member of staff who tells you something specific. Ask what a Friday pickup usually sounds like, since that is what you will get four days out of five.
When would you call me during the day, and when would you wait until pickup?
Why ask it
You are establishing the threshold now, so you are not guessing later when the phone rings. It also reveals whether staff are trusted to contact parents directly or have to go through the office first.
What has staff turnover looked like over the last year?
Why ask it
The single most useful question on a tour, because young children attach to people rather than programs. Hesitation, or a long explanation about a difficult year, tells you as much as any figure.
Can I see your most recent inspection or licensing report?
Why ask it
Reports are usually public, so asking is normal and easy to comply with. The interesting part is not the rating but what was flagged and whether they can describe what changed afterward.
What does a full year cost, including deposits, closure weeks, and late pickup charges?
Why ask it
The advertised monthly fee frequently excludes registration, supplies, holiday weeks you still pay for, and per-minute late charges. Ask for the annual total in writing, then compare places on that figure rather than the headline.
If my child were struggling, how and when would you tell me?
Why ask it
You are asking whether concerns get raised early and privately, or saved for a formal review. A school that has done this well can describe the conversation without naming anyone, including what they suggested to the family next.
What kind of child does this place not suit?
Why ask it
The best closing question, because the only wrong answer is that it suits everyone. A director who says the day is too busy for some children, or too loose for others, is being straight with you and telling you which one yours is.
Getting a real look during the tour
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
When to visit
- Ask to come mid-morning while the rooms are running, not during nap. A quiet building tells you nothing except that the children are asleep.
- If you can, arrange a second short visit at pickup time. The end of the day is when staffing is thinnest and tempers are shortest, and it is the most honest view you will get.
- Bring your child if the school allows it, but decide in advance that their reaction on one afternoon is data rather than a verdict.
- Do not schedule three tours in one day. They blur together and you end up choosing on the strength of the building rather than the people.
What to watch while you walk around
- Watch the staff, not the equipment. Are they down at the children's level, using names, describing what they are doing? A room of expensive toys and adults talking to each other over the top of it is the thing to notice.
- Listen to how a child who is upset is handled while you are standing there. That single interaction is worth more than the whole discipline policy.
- Look at the bathrooms and the changing area. They are the part of a building nobody stages for a tour.
- Count the adults yourself in the room your child would join, and compare it to the ratio you were quoted.
- Look at what is on the walls: identical crafts made from the same template, or things children clearly made themselves. Both are choices, and the second is harder work.
Asking about cost and terms
Get the fee structure in writing before you decide, including the deposit, whether it is refundable, the notice period for leaving, weeks the school closes but still charges, and the late pickup rate. Ask how much notice you get of a fee increase and how much the last one was, since a place that raised fees twice in a year will probably do it again. If you are using any subsidy, funded hours, or employer scheme, ask exactly which hours it covers, because the gap between funded hours and the hours you need is where unexpected costs usually appear.
Before you commit
- Ask to speak to a current parent, ideally one the school does not choose for you. Waiting near the gate at pickup and asking one question is not rude and gets you a plainer answer.
- Look up the licensing or inspection record yourself as well as asking for it. Two versions of the same story is useful.
- Write down your three non-negotiables before the first tour, whether that is outdoor time, staff tenure, or hours that match your commute. Tours are persuasive and it is easy to forget what you came for.
- Notice how they answer the questions they cannot answer well. Anyone can present a good day; how a director handles a difficult question is a fair preview of how they will handle a difficult conversation about your child.