Most daycare tours include the same basic walk-through: classrooms, playground, kitchen, paperwork, parking lot. The difference between a tour that helps you decide and a tour that does not is the questions you ask. Good tour questions surface specifics, not slogans, and they reveal more about a program than a brochure ever will.
This guide gives you thirty questions, grouped by what each one is actually trying to reveal. For each, we name what you are listening for. Use it alongside our free comparison checklist.
Bring a notebook, a phone with a camera (ask permission before any photos), and a comfortable mindset. Tours typically last 45 minutes to an hour. Try to schedule them mid-morning, between 9:00 and 11:00, when classrooms are most active. Avoid Mondays (the program is recovering from the weekend) and Friday afternoons (everyone is winding down).
If possible, take the tour without your child the first time. You will be more attentive and ask better questions. Bring your child to a second visit if the program advances on your shortlist.
1. What is your staff-to-child ratio in this room, and how does it compare to state minimum?
Listen for: a specific number for each room you would use, and how it compares to your state's licensing minimum. For state-by-state ratios, see our ratios by state guide.
2. How do you handle staff absences?
Listen for: a real coverage plan (a pool of trained substitutes, ratio adjustments, the director stepping in). "We just make it work" is not an answer.
3. What is your safe sleep practice for infants?
Listen for: alignment with American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep guidance: back to sleep, no soft bedding, sleep sacks instead of blankets, separate sleep surface, infant face visible.
4. How are exterior doors secured during the day?
Listen for: keypad or buzz-in entry, supervised access, a clear sign-in and sign-out process. No propped doors. No unsupervised access from the parking lot.
5. Walk me through your emergency plan: fire, lockdown, and weather.
Listen for: regular drills, posted procedures, a parent communication plan, accountability for who is in the building.
6. What does a typical day look like in this room?
Listen for: long blocks of choice play, real outdoor time, predictable rhythm, age-appropriate transitions. Avoid programs that chop the day into 15-minute teacher-led activities.
7. How long is the longest uninterrupted block of play?
Listen for: at least 45 to 60 minutes for toddlers and preschoolers. Children need time to develop sustained pretend play and projects.
8. How much time do children spend outside?
Listen for: at least an hour daily in most weather, more in good seasons. Strong programs treat outdoor time as part of the curriculum, not a perk.
9. How do you handle a child who is having a hard moment?
Listen for: coregulation language, helping children name feelings, redirection, natural consequences. Avoid programs that talk about "naughty corners" or extended time-outs.
10. Tell me about something the children in this room have been working on for more than a week.
Listen for: a specific story. A teacher who can describe sustained play, a project, or a developmental focus over time is paying attention.
11. How long has the lead teacher in this room been with the program?
Listen for: ideally more than a year. Ask about the assistant teacher too. High turnover undermines the attachment that makes daycare work.
12. What credentials and training do your teachers have?
Listen for: CDA credentials, associate or bachelor's degrees in early childhood, ongoing professional development. Specific is better than vague.
13. What is your overall annual staff turnover?
Listen for: a number, even an approximate one. National averages run above 25 percent annually. Programs significantly above that have a culture problem worth understanding.
14. How do teachers communicate with each other about a child during the day?
Listen for: handoff routines, daily notes, primary caregiver assignment. Strong programs do not lose information during shift changes.
15. How are teachers paid and what benefits do they receive?
Listen for: a wage above local minimum, paid time off, paid planning time, and ideally health benefits. The early childhood field is structurally underpaid, but programs that pay better keep staff longer.
16. How will I know what happened during my child's day?
Listen for: a daily report (paper or app) covering meals, naps, mood, milestones; in-person updates at pickup; periodic developmental check-ins.
17. How do you communicate when something goes wrong?
Listen for: incident report forms, a clear protocol for when families are notified (immediately for injury, end of day for minor scrapes), a head injury policy.
18. Can I drop in unannounced once my child is enrolled?
Listen for: yes, with reasonable security. Programs that limit family visits to scheduled appointments are signaling something.
19. How are conferences or developmental check-ins handled?
Listen for: at least twice yearly conferences, written developmental updates, and a process for raising concerns from either side.
20. What is your illness policy and exclusion criteria?
Listen for: alignment with AAP and Caring for Our Children guidance, fever cutoff, vomiting and diarrhea timing, return-to-care criteria. Clear, written, and consistent.
21. What is your immunization requirement?
Listen for: compliance with state law and ideally adherence to the full CDC recommended schedule. Ask about exemption policy.
22. How do you handle medication administration?
Listen for: written authorization, original labeled containers, two-staff verification, documented dosing. This matters more if your child has any chronic condition.
23. What is your menu, and how is food prepared?
Listen for: a posted weekly menu, accommodations for allergies, family-style serving when possible, fresh foods over heat-and-serve.
24. What are your hours, and what is your late-pickup policy?
Listen for: hours that match your real work schedule, with a buffer for unexpected delays. A late fee is normal; a punitive policy is a culture signal.
25. How many days is the program closed each year?
Listen for: a specific calendar. Most programs close 8 to 15 weekdays per year for federal holidays, staff training, and inclement weather. You will need backup care for those days.
26. What happens if my child is sick and I cannot stay home?
Listen for: honesty about exclusion (they cannot keep a sick child) and any backup-care or sick-care recommendations. See emergency drop-in daycare.
27. What is the waitlist situation, and how does enrollment work?
Listen for: a clear process, written waitlist position, deposit policy, and a refund policy in writing. See when to start a daycare waitlist.
28. What is the all-in monthly cost, including any extras?
Listen for: tuition plus registration fee, supply fee, food fee, late fee, and any add-on programs (foreign language, music). Get the total in writing.
29. How and when do tuition increases happen?
Listen for: annual increases of 3 to 6 percent, communicated 60 to 90 days in advance, with a clear policy. Mid-year jumps are unusual and worth questioning.
30. Do you accept subsidies, employer benefits, or sliding-scale tuition?
Listen for: a clear answer about state child care assistance, dependent care FSA acceptance, sliding-scale need-based aid, or sibling discounts.
The single best question, if you only get one. "Tell me about a time something hard happened with a child in this room and how the team handled it." How a director answers a question they could not pre-script tells you more than any policy document. You are looking for honesty, specificity, and a learning posture.
In the parking lot or that night, write down three things while they are fresh.
If you tour multiple programs, notes from this short reflection will help you compare honestly. Memory blurs the differences within a week.
A good tour is not about asking every question on a list. It is about asking enough specific, well-targeted questions that you can tell whether the program is well-run, well-staffed, and aligned with what you want for your child. Thirty questions is too many for one visit. Pick ten to fifteen that map to what matters most to you, and bring our free comparison checklist for the rest.
For more, see how to choose a daycare, daycare red flags to take seriously, and our daycare quality and safety pillar.
The full framework for tours, comparisons, and final decision-making.
Read the guide → ArticleTwelve warning signs to take seriously, plus what is actually fine.
Read the article → Free downloadA printable scoring sheet aligned to the questions in this guide.
Get the checklist →