You did the research and visited the facility, and now you’re finally ready to send your little one to preschool. The child care journey has just begun, and it’s now time to make sure your preschooler is receiving the best possible care. Diligence and persistence are key to ensuring your child is treated well and receives the early childhood education they need for future school success.

Here’s how to determine if your current child care program is best for your young one:

• Surprise Visits: Stop by the daycare occasionally without letting the staff know. Surprise visits do not allow the staff to prepare for your arrival and give you a glimpse into what goes on when you are not there. They provide insight into how your child is doing in school, and how the staff and the other children interact with your child.

• Observe & Ask: Observe your child’s behavior in the days and weeks after his or her first preschool session. Do they appear happy and excited to attend daycare, or have you noticed increased levels of anxiety? Mood changes and withdrawal are also signs of a child care issue. Ask if he or she likes preschool—asking what they like about it is a good opening question.

• Communicate: Maintain an open line of communication with the child care staff. Volunteer whenever you can, inquire about the latest activities and how your child is behaving, and ask any other relevant questions. Discuss any concerns you have while remaining calm and professional.

• Trust Yourself: Don’t ignore negative feelings about the child care service, especially if you’ve made several surprise visits and didn’t like what you saw. Trust your intuition and remove your child from the preschool if they are consistently unhappy. Contact the local authorities if you consider the preschool unsafe for children.

• Research Alternatives: Research alternative child care options. Ask family and friends for recommendations, read as many reviews as possible, and visit each facility. Do as much research as you can before committing your child to another preschool.

Work with the caring staff at A Brighter Rainbow Learning Center to provide your little one with top-quality child care. The Billerica, MA, early childhood education center provides infant/toddler, daycare, and preschool programs in the Boston area. Children learn math, science, language arts, history, art, health, fine and gross motor skills, and so much more. Each program is tailored to their age group and skill level. Learn more about child care services at A Brighter Rainbow Learning Center by calling (978) 670-9222 or by visiting the website today. Like the learning center on Facebook for more tips and information.