How to Choose the Best Childcare for Your Family in Atlanta

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Considering putting your little ones in daycare or preschool? Here’s what you need to know when it comes to choosing the best childcare for your family in Atlanta.

Choosing to put your child into daycare or preschool is a big decision for any family. Whether this is your first baby or your fourth, it can sometimes feel challenging to find the right daycare for your unique situation and needs! If you’re navigating the search for childcare right now, you’re not alone. According to estimates, more than 70 percent of all primary caregivers work outside the home!

But how do you know how to choose the best childcare options for your family? Here in Atlanta, Prek.com is here to help!

This post was created in partnership with PreK.com, but all thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own. Read my full partnership disclosure here.

children clapping

Types of Childcare Facilities

When it comes to types of daycare facilities in Atlanta, you have a couple of options.

Group day care: Run similarly to a school, these facilities have kids of varying ages cared for in groups. 

In-home day care: In-home daycares are run out of a provider’s home. While the state of Georgia requires in-home daycares to be licensed, not all states do. So, if you’re reading this and are located outside of Georgia, be sure you find out about the regulatory requirements for your state while researching your childcare options! 

Benefits of Day Care

A good daycare program offers some significant benefits for your children, including education that is geared to your little one’s development and growth, and opportunities for socialization with other children.

Most daycare centers also stay open about 12 hours (with some open even longer hours) to accommodate a variety of parent schedules. Plus, daycare centers tend to be less expensive than hiring a private nanny, making it one of the more affordable options for childcare.

kids reading together

How to Find the Right Daycare for Your Family

Depending on where you live, it’s a good idea to start looking for a daycare spot at least three months before you plan to go back to work. However, it can be hard to sort through the hundreds of daycare options here in Atlanta! 

I personally felt incredibly overwhelmed when it came to finding the right daycare for my oldest when I returned to work after maternity leave. Most recently, our family really struggled to find the right preschool for our children when so many options were still closed or had reduced class sizes!

That’s where PreK.com comes in! PreK.com has created an easier way to find child care, while helping you save money, too. On their easy-to-use website you can search for childcare providers in your area, book tours, enroll in the school of your choice AND pay for tuition, all in one place!

Safety is at the top of mind for the team at PreK.com. They vet and evaluate schools using a 5-step process, doing the legwork on safety and quality before any partner is ever listed on their website. 

Additionally, PreK.com employs a team of Family Advisers who can personally help you find a school that meets your family’s unique needs! From budget and location to language options and even meal preferences, their Family Advisers are committed to helping you find the perfect childcare option here in Atlanta. 

These real people personally review schools for parents, can arrange tours and are always just a call, text, or email away, at no cost to you! 

As an even more incredible bonus, PreK.com will actually cover your entire 13th month of tuition when you enroll and pay through PreK.com at any of their Member Schools! The best part? Using their services to find the right childcare for your little ones is completely free for families to use!

kids wearing mask at preschool

Tips for Evaluating Daycare Providers

PreK.com offers an incredible service for families, but there are still a few steps that you’ll need to do to help you make your final decision.

First, start by doing research on childcare providers near you. Ask your friends, parents you work with and even your pediatrician for potential locations to look into. Remember, if you need more help, PreK.com’s Family Advisers are also able to assist with this research.

Next, check out the center in person. You can quickly and easily schedule a tour through your PreK.com account. If you decide you like the location, a great tip is to stop by second time unannounced before you make your final decision. This gives you a more accurate picture of what the preschool or daycare is like when staff aren’t prepped for a tour!

See what kind of accreditations they have. For group daycare centers, those accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) meet even higher standards. These include a good ratio of adults to babies, low turnover in caregivers and a philosophy that promotes the health, safety and development of kids in its care. 

And finally, don’t forget to ask some questions! While the team at PreK.com will only connect you with childcare providers who have passed their rigorous standards, you still want to be sure you’re selecting the right location for your family and children’s unique needs.

Below are a few questions that can help you get a feel for the location and if it’s the right fit for your children:

What’s your cost (tuition and application fee) and schedule?

Is there a waiting list?

What’s your accreditation?

What is the ratio of adults to children in each room?

What’s your child care philosophy?

What qualifications and experience do your teachers have?

What are your policies regarding immunizations? 

What are health requirements for caregivers? 

How are sick kids handled? 

What do you serve kids to eat?

Are all of your staff CPR certified?

How is your staff screened prior to being hired? 

prek.com staff

PreK.com Makes Finding the Right Childcare a Breeze

Searching for the right childcare options that check all of your boxes while also fitting into your budget can be exhausting on your own. Atlanta families deserve a better way to find a great daycare or preschool that’s right for our children!

Early childhood education isn’t one-size-fits-all, and that’s why the service PreK.com offers family for free is such a valuable resource. Click here to learn more about their company and get started finding the right fit for your children today!

review of childcare website

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2 Comments

  1. It made sense to me when you said that you must ask a daycare service for their cost and fees in order to ensure that they are the right fit for you and your children. This is something that I will share with my sister since she wants to find a daycare facility for her daughter who will turn 4 next month. Your tips will surely help her find a facility that she can afford.

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