Mom in alberta gave you great ideas. I run a daycare in my rental apartment and admit that I keep my prices on the low end of the scale for our city because I share my living room with the toyroom/sleeproom. So I developed a wonderful program that makes me proud and I offer home-cooked meals and learning themes and lots of field trips since we only have a small area outside.

I agree that you should arrange meetings with at least 6 different caregivers and have your questions ready and look around carefully. Keep safety foremost when looking around but use your Mom instincts and ask every question that you want to ask. There shouldn't be anything to hide at the daycare so the provider should answer any question you may have pertaining to the contract and the program, food, naps, etc.

Like jec, I worked outside the home all my life and my children went to some 'babysitters' who just put them in front of a tv and fed them junk food. I had good ones and bad ones though and sometimes centre care. So now it bothers me a lot to be called a 'babysitter' because I am the exact opposite and all the home daycare providers I respect the most are like me. You will find both - so be careful!