What Information Should I Give My Daycare?
This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy through the link, I may earn a commission. Learn More.
Do you worry about over-sharing? There is no such thing when it comes to child care. A daycare provider only knows as much about your child as you tell them.
Any concerns or special needs about your child should be disclosed in order to ensure the best possible experience.
Quick Answer:
Disclose all information about disabilities, trauma, behavioral patterns, and allergies. Basically, if it is a concern to you, your child care professional needs to know. Likewise, provide contact and health insurance info. It is always better to give your daycare too much info than not enough.
*FYI some of the links in this article about “what information you should give your daycare” may be affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase we may get a commission (at no extra cost to you). For more info please see our disclaimer.
What Information Does a Daycare Need?
The first child always comes with a lot of questions. Placing your child in daycare brings a host of new questions to the table.
Wondering what information to give to your daycare provider is one of those queries.
Looking for a Good Quality Daycare?
Find an affordable and qualified daycare center that fits your needs.
Provide Your Daycare With Basic Information
The daycare provider will ask you for contact details, emergency numbers and insurance. Don’t be afraid to overdo it. Give you work, home and cell number.
Provide an email address. Offer numbers for as many different friends and family members as you trust. You never know when they will be needed.
Disclose Allergies of All Kinds
Allergies of any type should be made clear to your daycare provider. Nut, dairy, gluten and egg allergies are somewhat common and are usually accounted for in any snack areas.
What if your child has a less common food allergy? Let your daycare know that your little one shouldn’t eat tomatoes or be allowed food with MSG if those are issues.
Food allergies are not the only ones that should be disclosed. Latex allergies are of particular concern in a daycare setting.
Playing with balloons or even using a bandage could have disastrous results for a child with a severe allergy. Don’t make any assumptions about what will or won’t be present at daycare.
There are also instances when less severe allergies should be shared. My son has a sun sensitivity.
Being exposed to bright sunlight for more than a few minutes causes him to develop an unattractive, but harmless rash.
It is not dangerous, it doesn’t make him feel uncomfortable, but it looks horrible.
We have been called more than once by worried caregivers who were certain he was suffering with something nasty and/or contagious.
Giving them a heads-up has saved a lot of time and worry.
Share Medical History and Developmental Concerns
Serious issues need to be made apparent to any caregiver.
A child with juvenile diabetes, epilepsy or other medical issues should only be in a setting that can manage any medical emergencies that may arise and/or provide access to medication.
Has your child had seizures in the past? The caregiver needs to know. Have you been made aware of any developmental delays? Share that with the caregiver as well.
Children who have disabilities or mental health disorders should have the same access to daycare as children without special needs.
Likewise, caregivers need all of this information in order to manage issues when and if they arise.
As with allergies, there may be some non-issues that present differently. Once again, I have personally been through this with my son. He was born with anisocoria.
It is a condition in which his pupils are different sizes. It doesn’t effect his vision in any way and it is only noticeable in dim light as he has one pupil that doesn’t dilate.
After the first call from a daycare provider who was worried he had suffered an injury, I realized that I needed to disclose his condition in order to avoid future worry.
Don’t Hide Emotional Trauma
My daughter is terrified of turtles. Who knew that would be an issue at her nursery school?
A visit from a local nature center sent her into a frenzy when the turtle was given free passage to roam around the play mat for all of the kids to touch.
Seven years later, she still talks about the Day of the Turtle.
Your children’s fears are very real. Some are afraid of clowns. Others are afraid of spiders. Any phobia should be given the consideration it deserves.
The same is true of other emotional events. My father passed away while my son was in nursery school.
My grandmother left us during my daughter’s years at the same facility. Sharing this with daycare allowed them to give extra attention and space to my children when they needed it most.
Looking for a Good Quality Daycare?
Find an affordable and qualified daycare center that fits your needs.
Final Thoughts
It is unlikely that you will give your child’s daycare too much information.
Offer the basics, like favorite books and potty training habits, but don’t forget about medical, physical and emotional information. Do you have a story to tell? Share it with us!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Information should I give to my daycare?
- Parent or guardian contact information
- Emergency contact information
- Photo of those who are allowed to pick up the child
- Current and past medical history
- Allergies
- Past childhood emotional traumo
- Extreme phobias
- Child’s favorite books, toys and TV shows
- Child’s food schedule and preferences
- Nap and bedtime routine
- What calms the child down when they’re upset
