If you are facing going back to work after having a baby, chances are you are looking for a daycare provider. You can either choose to have your child in a home daycare situation, or a structured daycare center. If you choose a center, there are a few things you should look for to ensure you are getting a great daycare center for your child.

Narrow down your search by making a list of the things you need in a center. For instance, is it important that there be small groups of children, or that the center is close to home, or do you need a center close to your work? These are the kinds of questions that will help you decide on a smaller group of centers to choose from.

Next, talk to anyone you can to research your different possibilities. Talk to your pediatrician, friends, co-workers and referral agencies in your area. While talking to these people and researching different centers, remember to keep in mind your list of what is important. Create a list of centers. Find out if they are accredited, or if they have ever received an award.

Create a list of centers that have a good reputation and will meet your needs. Then call them. Conduct a phone interview and write down your initial feeling about this call. Ask about policies, fees, activities, numbers, philosophies and hours. Find out how flexible they are. Find out if you can request special things, such as certain foods. Find out if they will have the same teacher and how many children per teacher they have. Find out what the qualifications of the teachers are.

If you do not have a good feeling about your phone interview, cross those centers off your list. For the centers you had a good feeling about, schedule an interview at the center. Have them give you a list of the schedule and activities. Look around the center carefully. Is it clean? Is the temperature appropriate? Is the environment safe? Verify that the teacher per child ratio is what you were quoted on your phone interview. Do the children look like they are having fun? Ask all your questions and make sure there are no places you cannot have access to. Record your feelings about the in person interview.

Once you have narrowed down your list again, ask for references of children who are at the center and call those parents. Find out if they recommend the center. This will be one of the most telling parts of your research.

Finally, take your child to visit the center. See how he or she acts around the teachers and children. Does your child look like he or she would be happy in the center? Keep in mind that a young child is not going to rush into a new group and start playing the first time, so he or she may stay close by you. But you are a parent and you will probably have the ability to discern if he or she would eventually be comfortable in the center.

Once you find the center you would like, you need to enroll your child, because quality centers usually have a waiting list. Don't let this discourage you. Get your name on the list and find a babysitter until a position becomes available. Getting a quality center is worth a short wait!