4 Warning Signs That You Should Find A New Daycare For Your Child

Sending your child to daycare is a wonderful way to continue working, but still feel like your child is safe and being cared for. However, if you picked a daycare center too quickly without looking at its benefits, you may want to reassess your choice. When you trust your child with a daycare provider, you want to make sure you have the right fit. Here are 4 warning signs to look out for that mean it's time to find better daycare services:

There Are Not Enough Adults In The Room

Many day cares will combine kids of different age groups in the same room, sometimes as young as 6 weeks to as old as 24 months. There are legal requirements that state how many adults must be in a room for each child based on age range, and if you feel that your daycare is not meeting those requirements, it is time to look for a new one.

For example, Illinois requires a ratio of 1 adult to every 4 infants, but 1 adult for every 5 toddlers. If your daycare provider has a mix of infants and toddlers in the same room, make sure they are following the requirements for each age range.

The Doors Are Not On Lockdown

Good security is key to keeping your child safe. You should never be able to just walk into your daycare facility without being buzzed into the building or using your own key. Having open access for people to walk in is a huge red flag. Doors do not need to be unlocked for potential new customers to visit, since it poses a big security risk to your child.

You Are Not Asked To Refill Your Child's Wipes

You may be more relaxed about using wipes at home, but there are laws in place for how children are wiped after their diaper is changed. Since daycare providers are handling the dirty diapers of so many children, there is a procedure that they must follow that involves wiping. If you are not being requested to bring in more wipes, they might not be following the health guidelines for clean diaper changes.

Your Child Comes Home With An Injury That Is Not Documented

Cuts and scrapes happen to kids all the time, but when they happen at daycare, there are procedures about how the injury should be documented. This includes where the injury occurred and how it happened. If you do not receive an incident report from your daycare provider, it is a warning sign that injuries are not being taken seriously.

Thankfully, there are many daycare services in your area that can provide great care for your child. Knowing these 4 warning signs will help you know when it's time to find a new provider that can provide the safety and peace of mind you need.