Choosing a daycare is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your child’s first years, and a website or brochure only tells you part of the story. The tour is where you see how teachers talk to children, how the rooms are set up and how the center handles safety. Walking in with a list of questions to ask when touring a daycare helps you compare centers side by side instead of relying on a gut feeling.

Many Orlando families start touring in late fall and winter so they can line up a spot for a new baby, a return to work or the next school year. Below is the checklist we’d want every parent to bring, organized by topic, plus what to look for while you’re there and a few red flags to watch out for.

Before the Tour: Check the Center’s State Record

Do a little homework before you visit. Every licensed child care center in Florida is listed in the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) Child Care Provider Search. A provider’s profile shows its license number, licensed capacity, hours and services, along with three years of inspection history. Inspections that found a violation are marked with a red dot, and you can open each report to see what was cited.

Write down anything you want to ask about. A single minor paperwork citation is common; a pattern of ratio or supervision violations is worth a direct conversation. You can also see whether a center holds Florida’s Gold Seal Quality Care designation, which recognizes accredited programs.

Questions to Ask When Touring a Daycare: Safety and Licensing

1. Is your center licensed by the state, and can I see your most recent inspection report?
2. How do families and visitors get into the building? Is there a single, locked point of entry?
3. Who is allowed to pick up my child, and how do you verify their identity?
4. Are classrooms monitored by cameras, and can parents view them?
5. What is your plan for fires, severe weather and medical emergencies? How often do you practice drills?
6. Is someone trained in infant and child CPR and first aid on site at all times?
7. How do you report injuries or incidents to parents, and how quickly?

At The Jupiter School, families enter through a secure, single-point entry, and classrooms are camera-equipped and monitored by our administration. You can see how we approach safety on our Downtown Orlando campus page.

Questions About Teachers and Staff-to-Child Ratios

Teachers shape your child’s day more than any toy or room design, so spend time on this part of the tour. Florida law sets minimum staff-to-child ratios for licensed centers under Section 402.305, Florida Statutes:

• Birth through 1 year: 1 staff member for every 4 children
• 1 year old: 1 for every 6 children
• 2 years old: 1 for every 11 children
• 3 years old: 1 for every 15 children
• 4 years old: 1 for every 20 children
• 5 years and older: 1 for every 25 children

These are minimums. Ask what the center’s actual ratios are in your child’s room, since many programs choose to staff more closely than the law requires.

8. What are the ratios in my child’s classroom, and do they stay the same at drop-off, nap time and pickup?
9. What training and credentials do your lead teachers have? (Florida requires child care staff to complete a 40-hour introductory child care course and ongoing annual training.)
10. Do all staff pass Level 2 background screening before working with children?
11. How long have the current teachers been here, and how often does staff turn over?
12. Will my child have the same primary teachers every day?

If you’d like a deeper look at what Florida requires, read our guide to daycare staff qualifications in Orlando.

Questions to Ask a Daycare for Infants

Infant rooms deserve their own list. Babies can’t tell you about their day, so the routines and communication the center uses matter even more.

13. Do you follow my baby’s own schedule for feeding and naps, or a set room schedule?
14. How do you store and label breast milk and formula?
15. Are babies always placed on their backs to sleep in a crib with nothing else in it?
16. How do you track diapers, feedings and naps, and how will I see that information?
17. How much floor time and one-on-one interaction does each baby get?

Our infant care program serves babies from 6 weeks to 1 year old in a calm, prepared environment.

Questions About Curriculum and the Daily Routine

18. What does a typical day look like, from arrival to pickup?
19. What is your teaching approach: play-based, Montessori, academic or a mix?
20. How much time do children spend outdoors each day?
21. How do you handle discipline and big emotions? (Florida prohibits physical punishment in licensed centers.)
22. How do you track my child’s development and share progress with me?

If a center describes itself as Montessori or Montessori-inspired, ask to see how the classroom is set up. Low, open shelves, real materials and children choosing their own work are good signs. Our post on what Montessori childcare looks like explains what to expect.

Questions About Health, Meals and Communication

23. What is your sick policy, and when will my child need to stay home?
24. Which meals and snacks do you provide, and how do you handle allergies?
25. How do teachers communicate during the day: an app, texts, photos or a written report?
26. What are your hours, holiday closures and late pickup rules?
27. What does tuition include, and are there registration or supply fees?

Budget is part of the decision too. Our guide to daycare costs in Orlando breaks down what local families can expect to pay.

What to Look for in a Daycare While You’re There

Your eyes and ears matter as much as the answers you get. While you’re walking through, notice:

• Teachers at children’s eye level, talking warmly and calmly
• Children who look busy and comfortable rather than bored or upset
• Clean, organized rooms with toys and materials children can reach on their own
• Safe outdoor space with shade and age-appropriate equipment
• Posted daily schedules, emergency plans and the state license

Red flags include a director who won’t let you see the classrooms, frequent staff changes, rooms that feel chaotic or overcrowded, and vague answers about ratios, inspections or discipline.

Daycare Tour Checklist: What to Bring

• This list of questions, printed or saved on your phone
• Notes from the center’s DCF inspection history
• Your ideal start date and the schedule you need
• A way to rate each center right after you leave, while it’s fresh

Frequently Asked Questions

How many daycares should I tour?

Most families find that touring three to five centers gives them enough to compare without feeling overwhelmed. Use the same questions at each one so you can compare answers fairly.

What are red flags in a daycare?

Watch for centers that discourage drop-in visits, can’t clearly explain their ratios, have repeated inspection violations, show high teacher turnover or seem chaotic and unclean during your tour.

What is the staff-to-child ratio for daycares in Florida?

Under Section 402.305, Florida Statutes, licensed centers must have at least one staff member for every 4 infants under 1, every 6 one-year-olds, every 11 two-year-olds, every 15 three-year-olds, every 20 four-year-olds and every 25 children 5 and older.

When should I start touring daycares?

Start several months before you need care, and earlier for infant rooms, which often have the fewest openings. Not sure when your child is ready for preschool? Our guide on what age to start preschool can help.

Schedule a Tour of The Jupiter School in Downtown Orlando

We welcome every one of these questions. The Jupiter School is a Montessori-inspired preschool and daycare at 21 West Jersey Street in Downtown Orlando, serving children from 6 weeks to 5 years with infant care, toddler care, preschool and Pre-K/VPK. Enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year is open.

Call us at 407-537-0324 or schedule your tour online to see our classrooms in person and ask us anything on this list.