If you’re a parent finding it hard to find the right day nursery for your child, you’re not alone. When you go to a day nursery, there are a lot of things to look out for and questions to ask. How can a parent be confident that their child will be happy? Will they meet the needs of your child? Do they tell you what's going on with your child? What if it doesn't appeal to my child?

Below is a step-by-step list of things you should do before choosing a day nursery provider and questions you might want to ask when you visit settings.

Make a list

Use information from your local Family Information Service to make a short list of day nurseries providers. Don't forget to:

●       The hours that people who care for children can do so

●       The price per hour, day, or week

●       If there's room for your child, they'll tell you.

Visit the places you've chosen

It is recommended that you attend several places to learn more about the services they provide. It might help to go on the visits with a friend and/or your child to help you decide.

Where to start:

●       How many people work with the kids? How many kids are there in your care?

●       What are your qualifications and/or experience?

●       What are the daily routines, and how can my child's and other children's routines be incorporated?

●       Do you have a key worker program in which one member of staff is in charge of your child most of the time?

●       What are your rules about discipline, and how do you deal with the way kids act?

●       Do you give meals, snacks, diapers, and other things, or do I need to bring them?

What to look for:

●       Staff who are trained and experienced and ready to learn about your child's needs and meet them

●       Children who are busy but seem happy and on task.

●       A safe and friendly place to stay with a play area outside.

●       Taking into account children's home lives and cultures

●       A staff team and a group of kids who are representative of the ethnic and cultural groups in the area

●       Every day, fun activities are planned. Childminders, nurseries, and after-school clubs all need to plan their days with the interests and passions of the children in mind.

What will your child have fun doing?

When a Family went to nurseries and asked children what they thought was most important, these are the things they said:

●       Check that a stable group of kids will be there so your kids can have fun with their friends.

●       Food: Make sure meals are fun and laid-back and ask if kids can get their own drinks and snacks.

●       Fun outside: Make sure the outside area is well thought out, big enough, and safe. Kids love to play outside.

●       Finding out: Give kids a lot of chances to learn new things by giving them a lot of different, well-thought-out things to do.

●       Feeling safe and loved: Make sure the staff can meet the needs of each child, comfort and encourage them, and keep them safe.

These are a few things you can think about. Remember to also think about the things that are important to you and your child, and make sure you ask about them.

Look up the sources

Most places that care for children under the age of eight, like nurseries, childminders, children's centers, and extended school services, have to be registered with Ofsted. This includes nurseries, childminders, children's centers, and extended school services. Ofsted checks on all registered day nursery centers to make sure standards are met and children are safe. At Ofsted, you can look up the grade and report for the day nurseries providers you are thinking about. Another trusted source to compare day nurseries is The Caring Company.

The experiences of other parents with a day nursery provider can also be helpful.

At least two references should be used. The people who care for children should be happy to give you the names of other parents you can talk to about the service they offer. Do keep in mind that what works for one family might not work for you.

Reserve a spot

Book a spot for your child and work out details like hours, start date, and who can pick them up. You need to pay a fee to hold the spot until your child starts.

If this is your child's first time in day nurseries, give them time to get used to their new surroundings. Most day nursery providers, like childminders, will give you and your child a "settling in period." During this time, you can see if the setting is right for your child and if your child is happy there.

Don't forget that some two-year-olds and all three- and four-year-olds in England can get 570 hours of free day nurseries, which is 15 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year.