38 Questions to Ask on a Daycare Tour (2026 Checklist)

By First Cubby Editorial · Updated 2026-09-14

Most daycare tours are a sales pitch with a stroller. These are the questions that actually distinguish a strong program from a weak one — and the one free public record almost no parent checks before signing.

Take this list on your phone. You will not get through all 38; the point is to have the uncomfortable ones ready.

1. Ratios and group size (ask these first)

• What is the staff-to-child ratio in my child's room, today?
• How many children are in that room in total?
• Does the ratio change at opening, closing, nap, or during staff breaks?
• Who covers when a teacher calls in sick?
• What is your state's legal minimum for this age, and where do you sit against it?

Why it matters: ratio is the single strongest structural predictor of quality, and it is the number schools are least likely to publish. A director who knows their ratio instantly and volunteers that they beat the minimum is telling you a great deal.

2. The teachers

• How long has my child's lead teacher been here?
• What is your annual staff turnover?
• What qualifications and training do lead teachers hold?
• Are all staff background-checked, and how often is that refreshed?
• Is anyone trained in paediatric first aid and CPR, and is one of them always on site?
• How do you support staff — pay, breaks, planning time?

Turnover is the question to press. A warm room with a new teacher every four months is not a stable attachment environment, and high turnover usually traces back to pay and staffing levels.

3. A typical day

• Walk me through a full day for my child's age.
• How much time is outdoors, and what happens in bad weather?
• How much screen time, if any?
• How do you handle nap for a child who doesn't nap?
• What is your approach to potty training, and do you require it?
• How do children with different energy levels or temperaments get supported?

4. Discipline and behaviour

• What do you do when a child hits or bites?
• Do you have a written discipline policy I can read?
• What would cause you to call me at work?
• Has a child ever been asked to leave, and why?
• How do you talk to children about big feelings?

Ask for the concrete scenario, not the philosophy. "We use positive redirection" means little; "here is exactly what happened last week when a child bit" tells you how the room really runs.

5. Health, sickness and safety

• When do you send a child home, and when may they return?
• Do you administer medication, and who is authorised to?
• How do you handle allergies, and is the building nut-free?
• Are meals and snacks provided, and may I see a menu?
• Who can pick my child up, and how is that verified?
• How is the entrance secured during the day?
• What are your emergency and lockdown procedures?
• How are infants placed for sleep, and what is in the crib?

6. Communication

• How will I hear about my child's day — app, note, conversation?
• How quickly are parents told about an injury or incident?
• Are there parent-teacher conferences?
• May I drop in unannounced during the day?

7. Money, in writing

• What is the total monthly cost for my child's age and schedule?
• What is not included — registration, supplies, meals, extended care, summer?
• Do I pay for days my child is sick, or when you're closed?
• How much notice must I give to withdraw, and is the deposit refundable?
• How often does tuition rise, and by how much recently?
• Do you offer sibling discounts, sliding scale, or accept subsidies?

The check almost nobody does

Every one of the answers above comes from the school itself. There is one independent source, it is free, and it takes two minutes: your state's child-care licensing record. It shows whether the licence is current, when the facility was last inspected, what violations were cited, and whether any complaint against it was substantiated.

Review sites tell you how a school feels to families who already chose it. The licensing record tells you what the state found when it walked in unannounced. They are different questions, and a five-star average is entirely compatible with an open citation.

Look up a provider's licensing record →

If you find something, don't panic — minor citations are common and most good schools have some. Bring it up: "I saw a citation from [date]. What happened, and what changed?" The quality of that answer is worth more than the citation itself. How to read a violation record →

Trust the room

Finally, put the list down and watch. Are the children engaged or drifting? Do staff sit at the children's level? Does anyone greet a child by name as they walk past? Would you want to spend eight hours here? That instinct is data too — it just isn't a question.

Frequently asked questions

What should I ask on a daycare tour?

Cover six areas: actual staff-to-child ratios in your child’s room today, staff turnover and how long teachers have stayed, the discipline policy in concrete terms, the sick-child and medication policy, security and nap-time safety practices, and the all-in monthly cost including every fee. Then check the school’s state licensing record separately — it is public and free.

What are red flags at a daycare?

Being discouraged from touring unannounced or from seeing your child’s actual room; vague or defensive answers about ratios and turnover; no written discipline or sickness policy; staff who don’t greet or make eye contact with children; a director who won’t discuss a citation on their licensing record. Any one of these is worth slowing down for.

Should I do an unannounced daycare visit?

A scheduled tour shows you the school at its best, which is useful but partial. Most quality centres will happily let you drop in during operating hours — and a reluctance to allow it is itself information. Ask on the first tour whether you can come back unannounced.

What is a good staff-to-child ratio for daycare?

Every state sets a legal minimum by age — commonly around 1:4 for infants and 1:10 to 1:12 for preschoolers, though it varies by state. The legal minimum is a floor, not a target: many good programs staff better than it. Ask what the ratio actually is in your child’s room on a normal day, and what happens at opening, closing and during breaks.

Related: how to choose a daycare · licence lookup by state · what daycare costs by state.

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