A preschool tour lasts about twenty minutes. In that time, you're trying to decide where your child will spend some of the most important hours of their week. No pressure.
We give tours at Cowo & Crèche Kids every week, and the parents who leave feeling sure, whichever school they choose, came with good questions. Here are the ones worth asking anywhere you visit.
About the classroom
How many children are in each room, and how many teachers? Ask for the ratio and the group size. Ours are 1 teacher to 6 toddlers and 1 to 8 preschoolers.
How long have the teachers been here? Steady teachers matter more to a toddler than any curriculum.
What training do teachers have? Ask about early childhood training, CPR and first aid.
About the day
What does a normal day look like, hour by hour? You want to hear about play, meals, rest, learning time and time to move.
How do you handle naps and meals? Ask what's provided and what you send from home.
How do teachers handle a hard moment? Ask what happens when a child hits, bites or melts down. The answer tells you a lot about the culture of the room.
About communication
How will I know how my child's day went? Many programs use an app for photos and updates. Ask to see what a typical day's updates look like.
How do you share concerns? Ask how and when teachers bring up something they've noticed, and how you can reach them.
About safety and health
Who can pick up my child, and how is that checked?
How do people get into the building and the classroom?
What is your sick policy? Knowing when a child must stay home saves a lot of stress later.
Is the program licensed, registered or religiously exempt? Ask to see the certificate, and ask what that means for how the program is run.
About fit and cost
What is tuition, and what does it include? Ask about fees, holidays and closures.
Do you accept the Virginia Child Care Subsidy?
What schedules are available? Full-time, part-time and half-day options vary a lot from school to school.
What values shape the program? At a faith-based school like ours, ask how faith shows up in the day. For us, that's prayer, Bible stories and character built on kindness and patience.
Watch as well as listen
The best information on a tour often isn't spoken. Notice whether children seem at ease. Notice whether teachers get down to a child's eye level. Notice the sound of the room. Busy and happy sounds different from chaotic.
And pay attention to how you feel walking out. Your instincts about where your child belongs are worth trusting.
Come visit us
Cowo & Crèche Kids serves children 16 months to 5 years on Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria, with small classrooms and 2-, 3- and 5-day schedules. Bring this list. We'd love to answer every question on it.
Book a 20-minute tour or call (571) 495-9302.
