5 things your daycare isn't telling you

1. Pregnant? Get on our list. The second you find out you’re expecting and know you’ll need child care, get on as many daycare wait lists as you can, recommends Laura de Vries, an early childhood educator and a part-time professor at George Brown College in Toronto. It could take the whole nine months of pregnancy plus parental leave to snag a good spot. Also, de Vries suggests giving the centres a call closer to when you need care—just in case there’s an opening. 2. You can share spots. If you need care for a toddler on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, you can ask the daycare centre to find other parents willing to split the week with you, which can save you about $700 per month. Or, if you have two children, you might find part-time care for both for the price of one opening. 3. Ask to drop in. Always ask to come in to observe the centre. If a daycare is too busy for you, that’s a bad sign, says de Vries. You should drop in and watch for plenty of interaction between teachers and children and see if they actually follow their philosophy statements. 4. Time out is a red flag. Stand in the corner, time-out—either one is an outdated form of disciplining children, says de Vries. The best way to ensure a child’s behaviour improves is to point out logical consequences and to use positive reinforcement. A time-out ban is standard in many daycares, but still, be sure to verify what their stance is. Better yet, ask your child if they’ve ever encountered it. 5. Non-profit daycares are best. For-profit daycares may pay their workers less or skimp on supplies and quality food. While not always the case, if you’re worried about the quality of care, go for a non-profit daycare, which funnels the fees you pay straight to salaries and materials.

Read also:

This post is part of Spend It Better, a collaboration between Chatelaine and MoneySense about how to get the most for your money. You can find out more right here.

Comments Cancel reply

A car steering wheel and a bowl of pasta, as symbols of how to get the best auto loan interest rate.

loans

Car loan interest rates: What’s the best Canadians can get?

Car loan interest rates can be as confusing as a complicated recipe, and just as daunting to navigate. This...

Car loan interest rates: What’s the best Canadians can get?

Newcomer to Canada buying their first car at the dealership asking questions of the sales person about getting a car loan.

Newcomers to Canada

Auto loans for newcomers—questions to ask when buying your first car in Canada

Buying your first car in Canada is like any other major purchase. Ask a lot of questions, not just...

Auto loans for newcomers—questions to ask when buying your first car in Canada

Budgeting

What is the Canada Carbon Rebate? Plus, dates and amounts for 2025 rebates

The Canadian government is sending out the last carbon rebate of 2024. See who’s eligible and how much you...

What is the Canada Carbon Rebate? Plus, dates and amounts for 2025 rebates

Canadian woman buying a car, as she learns to manage her money.

loans

Personal Finance For Canadians For Dummies excerpt: How to manage money and stop overspending

Learn how to manage your money, understand your earnings, invest wisely and more, from this excerpt of Personal Finance...

Personal Finance For Canadians For Dummies excerpt: How to manage money and stop overspending

Save

How much money should I have saved by age 40?

Sponsored By

CIBC

How much money should I have saved by age 40?

Save

How much money should I have saved by age 25?

Sponsored By

CIBC

How much money should I have saved by age 25?

loans

Secured loans vs. unsecured personal loans: Which should Canadians get?

Before taking out a loan, learn the differences between these two types, which has better interest rates, and which...

Secured loans vs. unsecured personal loans: Which should Canadians get?

RDSPs

What is an RDSP?

Sponsored By

Concentra Trust

What is an RDSP?

Jacks on Tax

Year-end tax-saving tips for Canadians for 2024

Tax planning in Canada isn’t just for March and April. These smart tax moves need to be made before...

Year-end tax-saving tips for Canadians for 2024

RDSPs

RDSP myths, explained

Sponsored By

Concentra Trust

RDSP myths, explained

5 things your daycare isn’t telling you

Comments Cancel reply

Related Articles

Car loan interest rates: What’s the best Canadians can get?

Auto loans for newcomers—questions to ask when buying your first car in Canada

What is the Canada Carbon Rebate? Plus, dates and amounts for 2025 rebates

Personal Finance For Canadians For Dummies excerpt: How to manage money and stop overspending

How much money should I have saved by age 40?

How much money should I have saved by age 25?

Secured loans vs. unsecured personal loans: Which should Canadians get?

What is an RDSP?

Year-end tax-saving tips for Canadians for 2024

RDSP myths, explained

5 things your daycare isn’t telling you

Comments Cancel reply

Related Articles

Car loan interest rates: What’s the best Canadians can get?

Auto loans for newcomers—questions to ask when buying your first car in Canada​

What is the Canada Carbon Rebate? Plus, dates and amounts for 2025 rebates

Personal Finance For Canadians For Dummies excerpt: How to manage money and stop overspending

How much money should I have saved by age 40?

How much money should I have saved by age 25?

Secured loans vs. unsecured personal loans: Which should Canadians get?

What is an RDSP?

Year-end tax-saving tips for Canadians for 2024

RDSP myths, explained

Auto loans for newcomers—questions to ask when buying your first car in Canada