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Infant daycare checklist: 10 things to check before you enroll

By Windy City Academy Team

The 10 checks for infant daycare: ratio, safe sleep practice, caregiver consistency, feeding flexibility, nap flexibility, daily communication, clean diapering routine, license status, how the room feels at mid-morning, and how the center handles your questions.

Printable checklist

10 checks before you enroll an infant

  1. RatioOne teacher per four infants is the Illinois floor
  2. Safe sleepBacks, bare cribs, AAP guidance, seen in person
  3. Consistent caregiversWho, and how long they've been in the room
  4. Feeding flexibilityBottles on your baby's schedule
  5. Nap flexibilityBaby-led, not clock-led
  6. Daily communicationSame-day feeds, diapers, naps, mood
  7. Diapering routineGloves, sanitized surface, logged changes
  8. License, then ratingsDCFS first; ExceleRate and NAEYC next
  9. The mid-morning feelBabies held and on the floor, not parked in swings
  10. How they treat questionsScrutiny welcomed, not deflected

Windy City Academy · South Holland, IL · (708) 843-3358

One by one, with what "good" looks like.

1. Ratio. Illinois licensing requires at least one teacher per four infants. Ask the center's actual number and how they cover breaks and call-outs.

2. Safe sleep. Backs, bare cribs, nothing loose, following American Academy of Pediatrics guidance. Ask to see the sleep space, not just hear the policy.

3. Consistent caregivers. Babies attach to specific people. Ask who your baby's primary caregivers would be and how long they've been in that room; churn hits infants hardest.

4. Feeding on your baby's schedule. Bottles when hungry, not when the clock says. Ask how they handle breast milk, formula prep, and introducing solids on your timeline.

5. Naps the same way. A baby-led room lets infants sleep when tired. A schedule-led room forces a rhythm your baby doesn't have yet. Ask which one you're touring.

6. Daily communication. At minimum, a same-day record of feedings, diapers, naps, and mood. Ask exactly how it reaches you.

7. Diapering routine. Gloves, sanitized surface, logged changes. The changing station's condition at 10 AM tells the truth.

8. License, then ratings. Run the five-minute DCFS check, then ask about ExceleRate and NAEYC.

9. The mid-morning feel. Calm matters more than quiet. Are babies held, talked to, on the floor playing, or parked in swings and bouncers? Containers are the tell.

10. How they treat your questions. A center that welcomes this whole checklist is a center that expects scrutiny daily. That's who you want.

Our infant program covers 6 weeks to 15 months, follows your feeding and nap schedule from home, and tells you how the day went, every day. Run every check on us, then decide when to start with our guide to timing. Tours weekdays 6:30 AM-6:00 PM, (708) 843-3358; infant care is also where CCAP saves families the most.

Frequently asked questions

What ratio should an infant room have?
Illinois licensing sets the floor of one teacher per four infants; ask every center for their actual number.
What is safe sleep practice in daycare?
Babies on their backs in bare cribs, no blankets or positioners, per AAP guidance; ask to see the crib room.
What ages count as infants in daycare?
Commonly 6 weeks to around 15 months; our infant program covers exactly that range.

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