Leaving your child at a daycare centre: even a slight thought like that can bring shivers through any parent. Nothing is scarier than letting your child enter places they aren’t familiar with.

However, child care programs actually strive to make your child feel safe and supported. They promote learning and positive development by providing an engaging and caring environment that helps children grow into positive human beings. By the looks of it, the blame shouldn’t be put on the daycare centres or the nurseries out there; all they want is the best for your child through play, learning and fun interactions.

So how can you control that unnecessary anxiety inside of you? The answer is simple: ask the right questions.

Here are some golden questions you should ask any daycare centre before you pick the one for your child:

Q1) Is the institution licensed?

A license is a good measure of how credible an institution is. Therefore, a daycare centre having no license means that it is not legally registered, ultimately meaning that the centre does not undergo state-mandated inspections. Now the duty falls on the shoulders of parents, who have to do the inspecting themselves – and that’s not an ideal condition for a busy parent.

Q2) What is their menu like?

Yes – we really mean it. Children especially need a good diet to grow healthy. This means they should be fed only the healthiest food like fruits, vegetables and proteins. Moreover, mealtimes should be fixed and enough so that the child does not end up eating too little or too much. For nurseries in JLT like Oakfield, the deal is done with a menu organized by SCAFA (School of Culinary and Finishing Arts), which idolizes health, nutrition and child-friendly food.

Q3) What is the age range at the centre?

A great way to pick a good environment for your child is to see what level the children around them will be. If your three-year-old is surrounded by five newborns, then your child is not going to get any proper attention. Always be on a lookout for daycare centres that have children of the same age as your child, so that they can develop together with mutually achieved attention.

Q4) What is the child-to-teacher ratio?

Child-to-teacher ratio is not just a vague number: too high a number, and you’ll find your child not getting the attention they deserve due to a severe lack of teachers, and an influx of students. On the contrary, if this number is too low, then you’ll find your child getting bored with the daycare within the month because of too many teachers and not enough friends. Although this ratio will vary because of your child’s age, it needs to be an adequate number.

Q5) How does the centre deal with health risks?

An ideal daycare nursery or centre would be one that limits the exposure of an illness to other children. They should have an anaphylaxis plan for children with severe allergies. Extra precautions include licensed teachers skilled in infant CPR, and handy first aid kits readily available for use anywhere, any time.

Q6) What safety precautions do they have?

This can be as high-standard as child-safety locks on every door and rigorous fire and/or evacuation plans, or as simple as padded floors so that children don’t trip over. Make sure that the daycare centre provides a safe environment for your child to learn, grow and have fun in.

With all these questions now out of the way, the one nursery that comes to mind is Oakfield Early Learning Center: the best nursery in JLT, Dubai. They offer a multitude of services: a safe environment, a grouping of children done in the most efficient way possible, and the best educational experience, one that incorporates healthy learning and positive growth.

Now you know that it’s never too hard to pick the best nursery for your child. Asking never hurt anybody!