• Ask the provider if they are Licensed or Registered.  Being a Licensed daycare means they are inspected by the state one or more times throughout the year.  They also visit the facility and let the provider know how many children and what age groups they are allowed to care for.  A Registered daycare only gets an inspection if a complaint has been made.  They are not regularly inspected and they are allowed nothing over 6 children in their care. *Starting July 1st in Kansas, the category of registered will be completely eradicated.  Please make sure your provider is going through the necessary steps to become licensed
• Is their license posted in an area that parents can see?  If not, ask if they have it available for you to read it?
• Does the provider have Liability Insurance?  The State of Kansas does not require a daycare to carry Liability Insurance, so if your child gets hurt on their premises or worse, you will be looking at footing the bill.
• When did the provider last take an infant and toddler CPR class
• Has the provider continued to take continuing education courses and if so, what
• When was their last inspection?  Where they cited for any compliance issues, if so what measures did they take to fix the problem
• What are their discipline procedures
• Do they have their own children at home during the day and if so, do they include them in the limit of children they are allowed to care for
• What is their background in childcare
• Do they have a fire evacuation plan
• Do they have a severe weather emergency plan? 
• Have they had an incidents in the last year, in the last two years, etc
• When there is a need for the children to be unsupervised i.e. diaper changes, bathroom breaks for the provider, preparing meals, etc; what do you do to ensure the children are safe
• If the provider uses the basement for the daycare, has it been inspected by the fire marshal and did they let the state know on their application that they would be using the basement?

*Try to set up a first time meeting with them during business hours, if the provider does not allow it because they do not know you yet, you have to respect that.  But do make unannounced visits from time to time once your child is in their care.

*Also  ask all the basic questions that most parents ask about meal plans, hours,rate, etc.  The questions listed are questions that I wished I would have asked and not many parents ask them right now.