Questions to Ask Preschool
Questions for touring and comparing preschools, covering ratios and staff turnover, the shape of the day, how biting and illness are handled, naps and toileting, licensing and inspection, fees and notice.
The questions
Open any question for the note
What is the adult-to-child ratio in the room my child would be in, and how many adults are in there at the busiest time?
Why ask it
The licensed ratio and the ratio at eight in the morning or during a staff lunch break are often different. Ask what the room looks like at its thinnest, because that is when incidents happen.
How long have the teachers in that room been here?
Why ask it
Turnover matters more than any facility or curriculum at this age, because settled children rely on familiar adults. If both teachers started this year, ask what happened to the previous ones.
What happens when a teacher is off sick?
Why ask it
Settings that use unfamiliar agency staff at short notice feel very different to a child than those with regular cover from within. Ask how often it happened last month rather than what the policy says.
Can you walk me through a typical day, hour by hour?
Why ask it
The schedule reveals how much of the day is waiting: lining up, sitting through attendance, transitions between rooms. A tour usually shows you the best twenty minutes, and this question fills in the rest.
How much of the day do children choose, and how much is directed by staff?
Why ask it
The balance is the clearest expression of a setting's approach, more so than any label it uses for its philosophy. Ask what a child does if they do not want to join the directed activity.
How much time do they spend outdoors, and in what weather?
Why ask it
Outdoor access varies enormously and is a good proxy for staffing, since taking a group outside takes more adults. Ask what happens on a rainy week, and whether children go out at all in winter.
What do you do when a child bites or hits?
Why ask it
Biting is normal at this age, so the question is really about the adults' response. Listen for whether they describe teaching the child words for what they wanted, or only describe removing them from the group.
How do you support a child who needs more help than the others?
Why ask it
Ask for a specific instance rather than a statement of inclusion. Some settings adapt willingly, others quietly ask families to reduce hours, and the difference only becomes visible once you need it.
What are your nap arrangements for a child who no longer sleeps?
Why ask it
Many three-year-olds have dropped a nap, and a room where they must lie still for ninety minutes produces difficult afternoons and late bedtimes. Ask what non-sleepers actually do during that period.
Would you take a child who is not fully toilet trained, and how do you handle accidents?
Why ask it
Policies range from full support to a requirement that a child is trained before starting, and some settings apply the rule inconsistently. Ask what staff say to a child who has had an accident.
How do you handle food, and how do allergies work in a shared room?
Why ask it
Whether food is provided or brought in changes the risk and the daily logistics. If you have an allergy to manage, ask who is trained, where medication is kept, and how a substitute teacher would know.
When do you send a child home ill, and when can they come back?
Why ask it
Exclusion thresholds and return rules decide how many workdays you will lose in a year. Ask for the specifics on temperature and stomach upsets, and whether a doctor's note is required to return.
How would I hear about an injury?
Why ask it
You want to know what triggers a phone call rather than a note at pickup, and how quickly. A setting that cannot describe the threshold probably decides case by case, which means it depends on who is on duty.
How do you use photographs of the children, and where do they go?
Why ask it
Parent apps, marketing material and social media are three different levels of exposure. Ask whether consent is separated by use, since a single blanket permission form usually means the broadest one.
What do parents hear about the day, and how?
Why ask it
Ask to see an actual example rather than a description. A photograph and a line about lunch is a different level of contact than a note on what your child worked at and struggled with.
Can I visit unannounced once my child is enrolled?
Why ask it
Reluctance here is worth taking seriously, though there are legitimate limits around nap time and security. A setting confident in its ordinary day tends to be relaxed about being seen on it.
Who licenses and inspects you, and can I see the most recent report?
Why ask it
Inspection reports are usually public and list any citations with dates. Reading one takes ten minutes and tells you things no tour will, particularly repeated findings on staffing or record-keeping.
What are the fees, what is not included, and what notice do you need if we leave?
Why ask it
Registration deposits, holiday charges, late pickup fees and annual increases add up well beyond the headline rate. Ask specifically about notice, since a month or a full semester of notice on withdrawal is common and rarely mentioned on a tour.
Which days are you closed, and what happens if you have to close at short notice?
Why ask it
Closure days, staff training days and severe weather policies determine how much backup childcare you will need. Ask whether fees are charged for unplanned closures.
Why did the last family who left decide to go?
Why ask it
Most directors will answer honestly with a move or a change of hours, and the question is worth asking for the ones who become uncomfortable. If it is a complaint, ask what changed as a result.
Choosing Between Preschools
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
What to Do on the Visit
Go mid-morning on a normal day
Open evenings and weekend tours show you an empty building. Mid-morning, with children present, is when you can see how adults speak to children who are upset or in the way.
Watch the adults rather than the equipment
Are staff at the children's level or standing over them? Does anyone greet a child by name while you walk through? Facilities are easy to photograph and tell you little about the daily experience.
Ask to see the room your child would be in
Tours often show the newest space. You want the specific room, the specific staff, and the bathroom your child would use.
Visit more than one
Standards on ratios, outdoor time and communication are hard to judge in isolation. Two or three visits give you a comparison, and the questions you carry from the first improve the second.
Signs Worth Weighing
- Long-serving staff in the room your child would join. This matters more than any single feature of the program.
- Children absorbed in something, including messy and loud something, rather than a room that is unusually quiet during free play.
- A director who names constraints candidly, including waiting lists, staffing gaps and what they are working to improve.
- Written policies produced on request rather than promised by email later.
- A tour that leaves room for your questions instead of running to a script.
Common Mistakes
Choosing on the building
New premises and displays of equipment are the easiest things to fund and the least predictive of how a child's day feels. Ratios, turnover and the manner of the staff matter more.
Skipping the inspection record
Licensing reports are public in most jurisdictions and take minutes to read. They occasionally contradict what you were told on the tour.
Not asking about notice and fee increases
These terms are in the contract rather than the brochure. Read them before paying a deposit, since deposits are usually non-refundable.
Ignoring your own reaction
If something felt wrong and you cannot name it, go back at a different time of day rather than talking yourself out of it. A second visit usually either resolves the feeling or explains it.