Infant Daycare Tour: What to Look For in the Baby Room

When you tour a daycare for your baby, spend most of your time in the infant room. Watch how teachers hold, feed and talk to babies, look closely at the sleep area, and count the adults. Those three things tell you more about daily care than the lobby, the website or the price sheet.

Use this checklist on your tour. It takes about 20 minutes in the room, and it is worth asking to come back at a different time of day.

1. Count babies and adults

Illinois requires at least one adult for every four infants, with no more than 12 babies in a group. Count when you walk in. Then ask:

• How many babies are enrolled in this room, and how many teachers work here each day?
• Who covers breaks, lunch and the first and last hours of the day?
• Does my baby have a primary teacher?

A primary teacher who knows your baby's cues, schedule and sounds makes a big difference in the first months. See Illinois daycare ratios by age.

2. Look at the sleep area

Safe sleep is the most important thing to check in an infant room.

• Each baby has their own crib with a firm, flat mattress and a fitted sheet.
• Cribs are bare: no blankets, bumpers, pillows or stuffed animals.
• Babies are placed on their backs to sleep, every time.
• Babies who fall asleep in a swing, car seat or bouncer are moved to a crib.
• Teachers can see and hear sleeping babies at all times, and check on them regularly.
• Sleep sacks may be allowed. Weighted sleep sacks should not be.

Ask how they handle a baby who rolls over on their own. The usual answer: babies are placed on their backs, and once they can roll both ways on their own, they can stay in the position they choose.

3. Watch a feeding

• Babies are held for bottles. Bottles are never propped.
• Teachers follow each baby's hunger cues and the schedule you give them, not one schedule for the whole room.
• Breast milk is labeled with the baby's name and date and stored in a fridge or freezer.
• Bottles are not warmed in a microwave.
• There is a plan for starting solids that matches what you do at home.

If you are pumping or your baby is new to bottles, read baby won't take a bottle before daycare.

4. Check the diaper area

• The changing table is separate from where food is prepared.
• There is a sink right there, and teachers wash hands after every change.
• The surface is cleaned and sanitized after each baby.
• Each baby has labeled supplies, such as diapers, wipes and cream.
• Diaper changes are logged, so you can see them in a daily report.

5. Notice how teachers talk to babies

This is the part you cannot learn from a checklist. Stand back and watch for a few minutes:

• Do teachers talk and sing to babies during changes and feedings?
• Do they respond quickly to crying, and do they seem calm about it?
• Do babies get time on the floor to roll, crawl and reach, along with time in seats?
• Is the room calm, or noisy and rushed?

Babies learn language and trust from these small moments. A teacher who narrates a diaper change is doing real work.

6. Ask about the daily routine and reports

• Will teachers follow my baby's nap and feeding schedule from home?
• How do you share what happened during the day: feedings, diapers, naps, mood?
• How do you reach me if something comes up?

See what an infant daycare schedule looks like and daycare daily reports.

7. Ask the health and safety questions

1. What is your sick policy and fever cutoff?
2. Are staff trained in infant CPR and first aid?
3. How do you handle allergies and medicine?
4. Who can pick up my baby, and how do you check ID?
5. Are there cameras, and can parents watch?

Questions to ask yourself after the tour

• Did the teachers look at the babies more than at you?
• Would I be comfortable if I walked in unannounced at 3:00 PM?
• Did my questions get clear, specific answers?

For red flags across the whole center, see our list of daycare red flags.

Frequently asked questions

What is the ratio for infants in Illinois daycare?

One adult for every four infants, with a maximum group of 12.

Should babies sleep with a blanket at daycare?

No. Safe sleep guidance calls for a bare crib. A wearable sleep sack can keep a baby warm without loose bedding.

When should I tour infant daycares?

Start during pregnancy if you can. Many infant rooms have waitlists. See our guide to daycare waitlists.

Can I visit the infant room unannounced?

Ask about the policy. Many centers welcome parents at any time during open hours.

The infant room at Children's Land

Our New Beginnings infant program cares for babies from 6 weeks to 15 months. Each baby has a primary teacher, and naps and feedings follow your home routine. We provide formula and baby food, every classroom has cameras, and parents can watch classrooms on monitors at the entrance. Find a location or contact us to tour an infant room.

Related reading: What Is the Best Age to Start Daycare?