The 27 questions to ask on a daycare tour

Too many options is the real problem. Nine centers within fifteen minutes, all with space, all describing themselves the same way — so nothing on a website narrows your list. These 27 questions do. Print this, ask the same ones everywhere you tour, and score them side by side at the back.

Four red flags — end the tour early

You weren’t allowed past the lobby.A center confident in its classrooms will let you stand in one during class time, not after hours when it’s empty.
Nobody could tell you their teacher turnover.Your child bonds with a person, not a building. A vague answer means the number is bad.
The ratio you saw wasn’t the ratio they quoted.Count heads yourself, in the room your child would be in, at the time of day they’d be there.
The all-in cost never came in writing.Registration, supplies, late fees, closures. One number, one month, on paper.

Safety & licensing Questions 1-6

Can I see your most recent licensing inspection report? Any citations in the last three years?California posts these publicly. A center that hesitates here is telling you something.
Who can walk through that door right now, and what stops them?Door codes, sign-in, and who is authorized for pickup.
What is the ratio in this room at this exact moment?Then count. Then ask what happens during breaks.
Who here is CPR and first-aid certified, and where is it posted?
What happens when my child spikes a fever at 11am and I’m in a meeting?You’re testing whether the policy is realistic, not whether it exists.
Are subs and floaters background-checked and fingerprinted too?

Teachers & turnover Questions 7-13

How long has the lead teacher in this room been here?The single most predictive question on this list.
How many teachers left in the last twelve months? Give me the number.
Who is in this room at 2pm – the same person I’m meeting now?
What training do your teachers get beyond the state minimum?
What do you pay your lead teachers?Uncomfortable, and it predicts turnover better than anything they’ll volunteer.
When someone calls in sick, who fills in – a known sub or an agency stranger?
How many of your teachers hold ECE degrees or credentials?

The actual day Questions 14-21

Walk me through a Tuesday, hour by hour, from drop-off to pickup.
How much time outside, and what happens when it rains?
What’s on the menu this week, and who cooks it?
What do you do with a child who has outgrown naps?“They rest quietly on a mat for two hours” is a real problem for a four-year-old.
Screens: any, when, and for how long?
How do you handle biting, hitting, and not sharing?Ask for the last real example, not the policy.
How will I hear about my child’s day – app, photos, or a note at pickup?
How do you handle potty training, and what am I expected to supply?

Money, honestly Questions 22-27

What is my all-in monthly cost, every fee included? Please write it down.
What’s the registration fee, and is any of it refundable?
How many days a year are you closed, and do I pay for those days?
Do you accept subsidy programs, and can you check whether I qualify today?
If I need to leave, how much notice, and what happens to my deposit?
When do tuition rates rise, and how much warning do I get?

Score them side by side One column per center

Compare on	Center A	Center B	Center C
Lead teacher’s years in the room
Teachers who left last year
Ratio you counted at 2pm
Children in the room that day
All-in monthly cost, in writing
Days closed per year
Red flags seen (0-4)
Would you leave your child there tomorrow?

Come make us answer all 27.

Twenty minutes, during real class time, in the room your child would actually be in. You leave with the answers, your all-in cost sheet and a readiness snapshot — in writing.

Book the 20-minute tour →