Here's what every parent should be asking when seeking a daycare provider
MIAMI - Earlier this week we heard from a heartbroken family whose toddler died at a daycare.
CBS4 spoke with an expert to find out the top three questions you need to ask your child's daycare provider and how you can look up a daycare's history online.
CBS News investigative correspondent Stephen Stock researched the issue here in South Florida. He spent 7 weeks hand-entering inspection data from every daycare in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe Counties into a spreadsheet. He found out how many of those daycares had violations and repeat violations.
"And because of our work there, the state of Florida decided we need to make this more available for parents so they can go online and see the same thing that we did," said Stock.
In his research, Stock found certain reoccurring violations. The most common theme was not enough staff and too many students.
"There was one in Liberty City where children would wander away and not be missed because there were not enough staff to keep up with all the children. Another problem and it came up again and again and again, was poorly trained staff," said Stock.
There is an online tool, Myflfamilies.com, you can use to find out important information about your child's daycare.
Click on childcare, there is a video that gives advice on how to choose a daycare. They break down questions you should ask when you visit the daycare and they break down the laws.
Based on his research, we asked Stock the three most important questions every parent should ask.
"Tour it, ask to see the inspection records, it's a public record. That's how we got it when I was there in Miami. You can get that same record online. Go, ask questions and if the daycare says we don't want to show, we don't want to tell you, we can't tell you, then walk away and go find another daycare," said Stock.
He says to find out the staff-to-student ratio, and finally, "Will they let you come in at any time, sign in, they've got to have security. You don't want someone coming in and kidnapping your child. But if you sign in as a parent, can I come in at any time of the day or night and can I look at those inspection records,"
