How to choose a daycare in Frederick County

Start with the teachers. A good center is one where teachers stay, where you get a straight answer when you call, where children go outside every day, and where the hours cover your whole working day, July included.

Maryland's guidance for parents ends with two questions that beat any checklist. Would your child be happy here? Would you be comfortable leaving them here?

Ask the lead teacher, not just the director, how long they've worked there. Teachers who stay are the best sign of a well-run place, because young children learn from adults they trust. Ask who covers breaks and sick days, and who's in the room at 5:15. Ask whether every adult is background-checked, including whoever cleans.

Parents rarely leave over the teaching. They leave after being brushed off. So test it before you sign. Call on a weekday and time the callback. Ask what happens when a parent raises a concern. Ask how you'll hear about a bump or a bite. Ask whether they've ever asked a child to leave, and what they tried first.

• Outside: how often? "Every day the weather allows" is the right answer.
• Screens: is there a TV or tablet? The best answer is never.
• Teaching: when are letters and numbers taught? Short pieces in small groups work best.
• Rest: what happens to a child who doesn't sleep? A book and a quiet corner.
• What comes home: a photo, a paper, a note? You should see something every day.

Ask for the closing time as a number, the closed days as a list, and what happens on a school snow day. "Full day" can mean a day that ends at two. Read the center's inspection reports on checkccmd.org; a few corrected findings over several years is normal. Then ask for the total cost of a year, including fees and summer, and when the price last went up.

Visit at 8:30 or 4:30, when the day is real. Walk into a room, not past a window. Do adults get down to the children's height? Does the teacher know every name? Are the children busy and happy? What does it smell like? Trust what you feel.

That's the visit we're building for: your child's name said at the door, a reading circle you can watch, the yard in use, and a chair by the door that's yours.

Rules change. The Maryland State Department of Education's Office of Child Care has the current ones.