how early is too early?

I want to start checking out daycare facilities now, just because there are about 50 I have to choose from - and some of them have quite a long wait so if I were to get on a list then only maybe my kid would get in when he/she is 12 weeks old. Its crazy I know, but is looking around week 20-25 too early?

Also, what are some things you would recomend looking for, besides the standard is it clean and do the people seem safe?

I would wait until a little closer to your due date. While it's not too early to look around, most facilities now wouldn't be able to tell you if they would have an opening so far away. You can do some calling around for prices and maybe get your list narrowed down a little bit, but it's hard to say who will have openings next March-April.

Its never too early to get a feel of what you are looking for. There are many types of daycares: centers, family-home daycares, montessoris. I went and looked at close to 80 different daycares (Im not exaggerating). I was very disappointed with amny of the centers and Montessoris because all the infants seemed like they were left in highchairs or swings all day long. It did not look like they got much attention or stimulation. Honestly, just keep looking till you feel comfortable. Make sure the place is secure. Look and see how the other kids act. Do they behave? How are they disciplined? What are the sleeping arrangements like? Who else has access to come in to the place? Regardless of what type of childcare you are looking at, these are some pretty good things to check out. I actually have my own daycare and I always welcome the parents to come interview me and see my place first.

yeah i would read online reviews if there are any and see if theres any parents you can talk to. i worked at a daycare once and there was a camera in every room. this is a must for a daycare i believe. not only does it ensure the office manager or director can check on a room in a second to find a misplaced child or spot a safety hazard it also makes the workers there do their jobs correctly! check out the menu too. they added a ton of sugar to all the veggies to make sure the kids would eat them. i hated it. look at the playground to make sure it's safe. find out how often the toys and equipment in the rooms are disenfected. look at the curriculum and makes sure it;s not just color sheets and movies everyday. also, find out what happens with the potty training. are they given incentives for using the potty? if they mess on themselves do their clothes get washed at the daycare or do they just get sent home in a bag?

dont just get info pertaining to your childs age at the time. if you want them to stay in a program for awhile you need to check out what goes on with the other age groups. also find out how many care takers are cpr certified. another thing that is good to know is what extra charges there are. most daycares will charge a fee if you are late to pick them up. and remember the fewer kids there are, the better the odds are that your child wont be getting as sick as he would if he were in a more crowded daycare. and he'll get more attention. good luck!

Quoting rebeccaleighd:“ yeah i would read online reviews if there are any and see if theres any parents you can talk to. i worked ... [snip!] ... your child wont be getting as sick as he would if he were in a more crowded daycare. and he'll get more attention. good luck!”

That is pretty good info. You use to work in a center, right? Wow, sugar in the veggies, that is crazy. Here, you dont have to have a camera in every room, but it is nice. The daycare where my son went did.