You’ve spent months searching to find a quality daycare center for your child, but now she is at an age when she can benefit from attending preschool.  What do you do now?  Fortunately, many childcare centers also offer preschool services, although often there are age requirements in order for your child to “graduate” to the preschool.  Generally, your child will need to be potty trained before he can move on to preschool.  If you are happy with your current childcare center, and it offers preschool, your job is simple. 

However, not all childcare centers offer preschool services.  While you might not have had the need for daycare, now that you want your child to benefit from preschool, you will need to spend time carefully previewing preschools.  This is an important decision in your child’s life, and as with a daycare center, you will want to find a safe preschool with an excellent reputation. 

Talk to friends and family members you know who have had children enrolled in preschools. Ask for their advice on some of the best schools available.  You also can search for preschool options on your own.  Be sure to visit each preschool of interest.  If you seriously are considering any one particular school, you should make more than one visit. 

Visiting the preschool can provide you with the opportunity to learn a great deal about the preschool and the staff.  While there you can evaluate the safety of the preschool.  Also, ask what steps the staff takes to ensure that only authorized personnel and parents are able to enter the preschool.  Make certain, too, that the school has a detailed plan for exiting the building in the event of a fire or other emergency. 

Pay attention to the children during you visit to the preschool.   The children can give you a good idea of the quality of the daycare.  Do they appear to be clean and safe?  Are they enjoying their activities?  Is the staff attentive to their needs?  If the children seem happy, then chances are that this is a good preschool.  However, if there are children who seem unhappy or who appear to be left to activities on their own, this is most likely not the best choice in preschools. 

When visiting a preschool, make certain that the school has all the certifications and licenses as required by your state.  You should make sure that the teachers have all the proper credentials as well.  Don’t be afraid to ask about the experience of each teacher at the school.   

Ask what a typical day of activities involves.  Find out what the current lessons are for the children when you are visiting the preschool.  This should help to give you some idea about the quality of education that children receive at this preschool.  You want your child to attend a preschool that provides activities, which are both fun and educational.  There is no point in sending your child to preschool if she is not going to be cognitively stimulated.   

Make certain that any preschool or preschools of interest have an excellent reputation.  Ask for references so that you can solicit feedback about the school’s staff and curriculum.  If you personally know some parents who have had children attend a preschool in which you are interested, ask about their experiences.  This will help you to learn more about the school. 

It is important to take your time when selecting a preschool for your child.  You want to choose a preschool that provides quality educational experiences for your child.   Make certain that the preschool meets all regulations and guidelines for your state.  Search for a school with a respected reputation and is recommended by other parents.