If you're among the 80 percent of new mothers who return to their jobs when their maternity benefits expire, then finding good child care is a top priority for you and your partner. The majority of new moms re-enter the workforce when their baby is less than four months old, making infant care the most sought-after child care in Canada. Unfortunately, it’s also the most difficult to come by.

Licensed and unlicensed care
Child-care services licensed by provincial governments are offered at centres and in private homes. Some centres may be located in a school or a church. Others are privately owned and operate in a rented space, perhaps in a shopping plaza. Licensed caregivers must follow a set of government regulations covering everything from the number of children permitted in the centre or home to the type and frequency of foods served during the day. In licensed daycares, a copy of the licence and inspection reports, as well as menus and activity programs, will be posted on a bulletin board, or you can ask to see them.
Long waiting lists are common for licensed care of infants up to 18 months. In many small towns and farm communities, licensed care may not even be available.

Not-for-profit and for-profit centres
In your search for daycare you will also come across two types of centres: not-for-profit and for-profit. Within the child-care field there is great debate over which is better. Most child-care experts prefer not-for-profit centres because parents have a say in the centre’s day-to-day operations. Parents often sit as members of the centre’s board of directors. Not-for-profit centres may also be subsidized by government, trade unions or employers. The subsidy, whether it’s rent-free space or cash donations, gives the centre more leeway in discretionary spending on toys and educational equipment. Staff members tend to be paid higher salaries, leading some experts to speculate that these centres attract the best child-care workers.
But don’t cross a daycare off your list just because it’s for-profit, because many are every bit as good as their not-for-profit competition. A good centre, regardless of status, will attract good employees. One indication of how good a centre is will be staff turnover. When turnover is frequent, there’s usually a problem. Unhappy staff members are not going to make great caregivers.
Regardless of whether the centre is privately or publicly owned and operated, the first thing you must do is book an appointment for a visit. Just dropping in is not a good idea. Without an appointment, the manager of the centre may not be able to do anything more than hand you a pamphlet and an application. Although some daycares have full-time supervisors, most require the supervisor to spend part of the day with the children, pitching in when a staff member takes a break or a child needs extra care.

What to look for
Spend a little time at the centre. Watch how staff members pick up the babies. How long do they allow a baby to cry before he is cuddled? Are there rocking chairs for caregivers to sit in and cuddle each baby? Are the rockers placed somewhere safe, far from crawling infants? It’s unlikely all babies fall asleep at the same time (babies have their own inner clock) so ask why, if you notice all the babies are sleeping – if your baby doesn’t need as much sleep as others, you may find him ready to play at 2 a.m. because he slept all day at daycare.
Watch staff change and diaper the babies. Staff should be safety-conscious and keep one hand on the baby at all times while changing him. All the necessary equipment – diapers, wipes – should be close at hand. A separate washcloth or disposable wipes should be used each time. The change table itself should have a protective cloth or covering on it that is changed replaced for each baby. Staff must also wash their hands with soap and water after each diaper change.
In the infant room or on a bulletin board located near the entrance to the centre, look for the daily or weekly activity sheet that provides a rundown of how the infants spend their days. Look for age-appropriate toys, which should be washed daily to prevent the spread of germs. There should also be a safe place for infants to lie down and learn to roll, crawl and eventually walk. The floor may be carpeted, but carpets are great sources of hidden dirt. Cushioned mats that can be easily cleaned are best.
It goes without saying that the infant room, like all others in the daycare, should be childproof. Check for gates on doorways, safety latches on child-size cupboards, and shelves that are attached to the wall to prevent a curious climber from pulling a pile of toys down on top of him.
Finally, when your tour is over, ask about the centre’s child-care philosophy. For example, how is misbehaviour in older children handled? A time-out, separating the child from his peers for a short period, is one method of dealing with behavioural problems, but you should ensure there is no physical punishment. Ask about staff qualifications. It’s important that most staff have an early childhood education certificate issued by a college and that they are appropriately trained. The training they receive can mean the difference between adequate care and great care.
And, of course, the ratio of children to staff must be acceptable. The minimum ratio for infants is 3 to 1; for preschoolers, 6 or 8 to 1; for five-year-olds, 10 to 1. There should also be enough staff to maintain the minimum ratios during lunch and breaks all day long.
Home care
A homey setting where the values and food reflect your culture may be just what you’re looking for. Some private homes are licensed, most are not. Some caregivers issue a tax receipt, others do not. A licensed home will be inspected, but the frequency and thoroughness of these inspections vary from province to province and community to community. Don’t rely on a licence or certificate as a guarantee of good care. Unlike a daycare centre, which employs a variety of staff, home daycare usually has only one caregiver, and that person will have complete control of your baby.

Ask questions
Think about what you want to know before you conduct the interview for a private caregiver. Take along a paper and pen and jot down notes as the two of you talk.
When you’re interviewing a caregiver, be sure to meet the rest of the family. Even though you aren’t hiring her teenage daughter or husband to care for your baby, there’s a good chance they’ll be in the home while your baby is there.

Here are some questions to ask:

• How long have you been looking after children?
• What do you like about this job?
• How will the children spend their day? Tell me what a typical day is like.
• Will the children spend time playing outside? Will you take a walk outside with the baby carriage?
• Where will the baby be when you’re preparing meals or bottles?
• When the baby cries, what do you do?
• What do you consider misbehaviour?
• What is your policy on misbehaviour?
• What do the children eat for lunch and snacks?
• Will the television be on during the day? If so, for how long and what type of programs will be watched?
• When do you do your housework?
• Will there be anyone else, older children and their friends or a spouse, home during the day?
• Will you or anyone else in the house be smoking? If you smoke outside, who will be watching the baby?
• Do you have any first-aid training?
• Should a child become ill in your care, what is your procedure?

Excerpted and updated from Growing with Your Child, A Canadian Living Family Book (Ballantine, 1998), edited by Christine Langlois.