In the happy event that you find two very good daycare centres in your locale, you will have a tough decision to make: which one should you entrust with your son or daughter’s well-being on a daily basis? For those who find themselves in such a position, we have compiled this short guide. Consider each point in the next section carefully before making your decision and you should be able to pick the best option for both you and your child.

Evaluating Daycare in Ontario: Which Centre Is Best for Your Family?

The following factors are those we believe to be most important when trying to choose between two equally good childcare centres.

• Location – The importance of location cannot be overstressed. A centre that is perfect in every other way will quickly become a real problem in the event that it is difficult for you to drive to every morning of the week. If you have found two equally good centres and one is closer than the other, you should have a very simple choice to make.

• Reputation – When you are not sure which centre to choose, consider talking to other parents who already send their children to the facilities in question. The reputation that a daycare facility establishes with existing and past customers is a very good indication of the way in which it operates.

• Staff – To make your choice easier, ask about the qualifications and experience of the educators on the staff of the centres offering daycare in Ontario that you are considering. The centre that employs the best qualified and most experienced educators should be your first choice, all other factors being equal.

• Physical Environment – Take the time to tour each facility properly and if one seems to offer a better environment for young children than the other, give it an extra point in your evaluation calculations. When considering the suitability of the environments that each centre has to offer, don’t forget to take your child’s personality and preferences into account.

In the event that even after considering all of the above factors, you still cannot decide where to send your child, you may like to ask about the possibility of a trial at each centre. If one of the centres is unwilling to offer you a trial period and the other is, your choice will be much easier to make. If both of the centres are happy to offer a trial, you can find out which one provides the best daycare in your area by sending your child to each one for a week or two.