Tour checklist
Child care provider question checklist
Use the same questions across providers so tours, waitlists, fees, closures, and daily fit are easier to compare.
Use written answers where possible
A quick tour answer can be useful, but handbook, fee, closure, and waitlist details should be checked in writing before a commitment.
Waitlist and admissions
- Is there a waitlist for the age band we need, and how is priority decided?
- Can you explain the difference between joining the waitlist and accepting a confirmed space?
- How often should families expect updates, and who should we contact for status changes?
- Are sibling priority, full-time priority, or start-date windows part of the process?
Fees and policies
- What is the current monthly fee for our age band and schedule?
- Which deposits, registration fees, or other one-time fees are due before the start date?
- Which fees are refundable, and where is that written?
- Is the program enrolled in any fee-reduction or subsidy-related process, and what should we verify separately?
Daily fit
- What are the earliest drop-off and latest pickup times?
- How do you handle naps, meals, bottles, toilet learning, and transitions for our age band?
- How are illness exclusions, weather closures, vacation closures, and professional development days handled?
- What does communication with parents look like on an ordinary day and on a difficult day?
Tour and decision notes
- Who will be in the classroom or home setting most days?
- What should parents notice during pickup and drop-off?
- What is the process if our child struggles with the first two weeks?
- What would make this program a poor fit for a family?
Do not ask for health records
Keep questions focused on child care operations, policies, fit, and support process.
No public raw notes
Private decision notes should stay in the tracker, not in public review surfaces.
No guaranteed placement
A provider conversation or waitlist entry is not the same as a confirmed child care space.