How do I pick the right daycare for my child?

*This article has been amended to clarify the ratios Cat Morgan comments on are her recommendations.

Picking the right childcare facility for your kid can be a daunting task, especially if you're doing it for the first time.

Is it safe? Will my child’s needs be met? What is provided? Of course, there's the cost and location - do I go for something close to home or work? Who's work? Can I just rock up to a centre?

Early Childhood Education (ECE) in New Zealand is care and learning for kids from birth to when they begin school at five years old. It's typically focused on play-based development guided by the national Te Whāriki curriculum.

It depends on when you are wanting your child to begin, says Cat Morgan, the administrator of Auckland-based early childhood centre, Bridge Kids.

If you need childcare support from when your little one is a baby, Morgan reckons you can start the legwork while still pregnant.

“Some daycares have massive waitlists. We often get them into our centre when they’re hapū because the waitlist is quite large for the babies.”

If you find a place you like, get your name down on more than one list, Morgan suggests.

Ministry of Education hautū (leader) Sean Teddy says the next step is to arrange a visit to those you're interested in – with or without your child.

Booking a visit is a good idea but so is just turning up, he says. It could be considered a red flag if a parent was denied a “show around".

“I think that’s a bit of a 'what are they hiding?’ type thing. I would say booking an appointment is always good but then you could always show up later… and see what the differences [are]… if there is a difference.”

Parent coach at The Parenting Place, Sheridan Eketone, agrees: “I think where possible, just popping in is a good thing to do, absolutely".

“We’ll often see children interacting with the caregivers, we’ll know what play area there is… so I think visiting a centre is really important.”

Eketone suggests talking to other families and getting recommendations in the areas you are looking for to get started. Reading up on Education Review Office (ERO) reports could also be worthwhile.

Morgan suggests creating a priority list to see what each centre ticked off.

Teddy says parents should ask for the centre’s induction pack and go through its philosophy, policies and procedures. Ask about health and safety requirements, food safety, safe sleep, hygiene, child protection, hazard management, emergency preparedness and complaints processes.

Both Morgan and Eketone say staff-to-child ratios and staff turnover are important.

Eketone says a high staff turnover can be an indicator it isn’t a great place to be “so you might want to think about somewhere else”.

Morgan says ratios depended on the age of the child. For under 2s, she recommended 1 to 4, for 2–3-year-olds, 1 to 6, and for over 3s, 1 to 10.

Looking to see what was incorporated culturally was also something to consider.

“For me personally, my husband is Māori so when we were looking for daycares, we were looking to see how much the centre was incorporating tikanga Māori," Morgan says.

Consider what other things the centre includes. For instance, some provide nappies, meals, or both, whilst others require parents to supply these for their children.

Eketone says observing teachers and children will help pick up on any issues.

“If you go in there and you get a sense that the teachers are tired, the kids look a bit frustrated and upset and you observe things that you’re not happy with, then I think we need to listen to our gut there.”

The “vibe” of a centre usually indicates if there are any red flags, Morgan says.

A possible red flag can be how a teacher deals with a child’s tantrum, she says.

Catering to a child’s needs is important, Morgan says.

If a child has allergies, these should be noted down at time of enrolment, and at Morgan's Mangere Bridge centre, the in-house cook follows allergy charts. It is also a nut-free centre.

For children with disabilities, Morgan says extra support should be given.

“We did have a couple of kids on the [autism] spectrum, and we did our best in terms of the ratios to cater to their needs in the room.”

For non-English speaking children, Morgan says centres should help them pick up the language but also utilise their own language as well.

There should never be a reason why a centre does not accept a child and it should work around them and their family, she says.

Gut feeling is a biggie, Morgan says.

“Making sure they gel well with how you are bringing up your own child and you are happy with the ratios and the staff turnover. But… I would go with a gut feeling, to be honest.”

Children’s Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad says incidents at centres reported in the media can make parents unsure about having their children in care.

“Our country does have multiple layers of oversight within the education system, and there are ways for parents to check individual early learning spaces, including looking at recent ERO reports and checking that the service you’re considering is meeting its legal requirements to operate.”