Childcare visit checklist: useful questions for parents

A useful childcare visit answers three questions: how will my child be cared for, do the practical arrangements fit our family, and what still needs checking? Bring your required days and five priority questions. Ask about specific situations and write down the answers afterwards so that you can compare different locations fairly.

1. Prepare one short page

Write down your child's age at the intended start, required days, drop-off and collection times, and start date. Identify what is essential and where you can be flexible. For example, Thursday may be fixed because of work, while Wednesday could become Friday. This gives the provider a clearer question than simply asking whether there is space.

Read the location's GGD inspection report beforehand. Bring one or two passages you would like explained. Try the journey at the time you would normally travel. A lunchtime visit will not show you how tight your future morning routine might be.

2. Ask about your child's actual group

Ask which group is intended for your child and who you would meet there. If you cannot see it today, ask when you can learn more about it. A general reception or demonstration room gives less detail than information about the actual group. Respect children's privacy and ask before taking a photograph.

• Who will be our contacts during the start and afterwards?
• What happens when a familiar member of staff is absent?
• How do staff respond when several children need attention at once?
• How do you discuss development, behaviour or concerns with parents?

The Dutch government describes emotional security, development and guidance as parts of responsible childcare. Ask what these look like on an ordinary morning. A staff member's example is often more useful than the name of an educational approach alone.

3. Walk through a normal day

Use a familiar scenario: your child arrives tired, does not want to join in yet, or struggles when you leave. Ask what staff would do and how you would be involved. Then discuss meals, rest, outdoor play and collection. You do not need to predict your child's reaction; you are learning how the provider handles different needs.

For a baby, ask how sleep and feeding arrangements are agreed and what happens when a routine changes. Share necessary information through the agreed secure channel rather than a public comparison. Discuss specific care needs directly with the provider and, where appropriate, a treating professional. A tour is not a medical advice appointment.

4. Make safety and communication practical

Ask how parents can read the safety and health policies. Then choose an everyday example: who may collect your child, how is this checked and what happens if you are late? Discuss how the provider contacts you after an incident or when your child is uncomfortable.

• Which channel is used for daily messages and important changes?
• Who do we call with an urgent question or a complaint?
• How are photographs and information sharing agreed?
• Which illness and absence arrangements should we know before starting?

Record an unclear answer as an outstanding question. Staff do not have to remember every contract detail. Ask who can confirm the correct information and when you will receive it.

5. Adapt the checklist for after-school care or a childminder

For after-school care, start with the school: is your school on the collection route, who accompanies the journey and where does care take place during holidays and school training days? Ask what happens if the timetable changes unexpectedly. A nearby location is not necessarily part of your school's collection arrangement.

For a childminder, the personal working relationship matters. Discuss who is present during care, which other children attend on your required days and how to contact the agency. Ask what you need to arrange when the childminder is ill or away. Also read choosing a childminder and agency. Flexible hours need confirmation rather than assumption.

6. Get the proposed arrangements in writing

Ask for written confirmation of days, times, start date and the status of a place. A visit or contact request is not a confirmed placement. Request the contract and applicable terms before signing. BOinK explains that the agreement, terms and offer are all relevant to the arrangements you make.

Check the price for the proposed package, charged hours, closure days, extra sessions, swaps and settling-in arrangements. Ask what is included. Do not compare hourly rates alone when providers charge for different hours or packages. Mark what is an estimate and what has been confirmed in an offer.

7. Compare soon after the visit

For each location, make three short lists: what we know, what appeals to us and what we still need to ask. Suppose location A has a welcoming group but cannot confirm Thursday, while B requires more travel and gives a specific offer. Thursday remains a decision point at A even if the visit felt positive.

Find two or three realistic candidates through childcare search or after-school care search. Send the same remaining questions to each one. Use comparing childcare to organise your research and keep written replies with your own notes.

Sources and date checked

The background information about quality, registration and contracts was checked on 8 October 2026:

• Dutch government: childcare quality
• DUO: the Dutch childcare register
• BOinK: the childcare contract