Choosing the Best Waukesha Daycare Center for Your Child

Waukesha County has at least 168 day care centers in operation.  Waukesha Child Care centers come in different sizes, varying costs of fees, and programs to meet the family’s specific budgets and preferences.  Selecting the right day care for your child is important, as you will be entrusting the life of your child with them. Aside from the cost of fees, there are other factors to consider when choosing the best daycare center for your child/children.

Budget and Location – the Main Considerations

 If you are living in Waukesha, daycare centers will not be a problem to find. If you search through the internet, you will see a listing of at least 168 daycare centers in the vicinity. You will want to choose those that are closest to your home, or place of work, for convenience in bringing and picking up your children to and from school. Consider also the environment of the facility. Is it clean and quiet? Is it safe for children to play around? Is there a danger of the child getting out of school without being noticed? Is the facility in a location that poses no health hazards (i.e. nearby factory, beside a construction site, etc?)

Guidelines in Choosing a Daycare

After determining your budget and finding a convenient location, these guidelines will also help you in deciding on a daycare center for your child:

Ask to see proof of proper accreditation as a licensed daycare center in Waukesha. The Bureau of Early Care Regulation under the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families provides the licenses for these Waukesha daycare centers. If you are doubtful about a particular daycare, you may seek assistance from this department.    

Check the staff credentials. Have they done a CBC (caregiver background check) on their staff, as a requirement for employment? You want to be sure that your children are in good hands. Also, what is the staff-to-child ratio? This usually differs by child’s age and varies by state, but typically the ratio is one staff member for every 15 to 20 elementary age children, and one staff member for every 10-to-12 preschool and kindergarten age. Is the staff highly competent and well trained in age appropriate teaching and activities?

What activities do they have for the children, are they age appropriate and educational? Experts agree that children should engage in learning opportunities that develop skills in problem solving and critical analysis.

How about the safety and security protocols? Most daycare centers would have a policy for sign-in and sign-out procedures. In a nutshell, this is to ensure that only authorized persons are allowed to bring/pick up your children from daycare, with proper ID checking.

Are meals included in the fees, and are the children allowed to bring food? Most daycares include breakfast, snacks and lunch in their fees, while others would require the parents to bring their children’s food.

These are just a few of the factors that may assist you in choosing the daycare that will best meet your child’s needs. If you drive around Waukesha, daycare centers are not hard to find. But the one that you choose to send your child to should be well thought of and assessed.