Academics · Subject Resources

Read the records
before the tour.

Every licensed preschool has a public trail: a license status, inspection reports and any violations. Copy what your state’s lookup shows, add the children and teachers in your child’s room and any accreditation, and the checklist works out the ratio against the levels accredited centers keep, counts serious and uncorrected violations and tells you what to ask on the visit.

Research a programWhat you get

Programs

The worked example is made up: an accredited center, a family child care home on a provisional license, and a license-exempt church preschool with a large room. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Academics · Subject ResourcesFree

What you finish with
A record per program: kind, license number and status, the date checked; the last inspection and each violation with its kind, seriousness and correction; children and adults in the room, accreditation and state rating; seven visit questions and notes. Works out children per adult and group size, counts serious and uncorrected violations and the age of the last inspection, and lists every program in one printable table.
Who it is for
Parents and caregivers choosing a preschool or pre-K program for a 3- or 4-year-old.
Format
Browser checklist with a saved record per program. Prints one program, every program in a comparison table or a blank form; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Subject Resources space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Look the program up in your state’s licensing search.
  2. Copy the status, last inspection and any violations.
  3. Ask how many children and teachers are in the room.
  4. Read the flags.
  5. Take the questions on the visit.

Research a program

Licensing, accreditation and ratios

Four records to read before you visit1The license lookupStatus, license number and thecapacity the state approved2The inspection reportsDates, what was cited andwhether it was corrected3The quality ratingMany states rate programs instars or levels4The accreditation searchConfirm it on the accreditor’sown site5The visitGo while children are there;watch how adults talk with6Your questionsBackground checks, staffturnover, a typical dayFour records to read before you visit1The license lookupStatus, license number and the capacitythe state approved2The inspection reportsDates, what was cited and whether it wascorrected3The quality ratingMany states rate programs in stars orlevels4The accreditation searchConfirm it on the accreditor’s own site5The visitGo while children are there; watch howadults talk with them6Your questionsBackground checks, staff turnover, atypical day
Inspection reports are public records in most states, and they are the most specific of the four.

A license is the floor

A state license means a program met the state’s minimum rules for safety, staffing and space and is inspected. Rules differ by state, and some programs, often ones run by schools or faith communities, are exempt from licensing.

Accreditation is extra

Accreditation is voluntary. National early childhood accreditation for centers expects, for example, no more than 9 three-year-olds per adult in groups up to 18, and 10 four-year-olds per adult in groups up to 20. National health and safety standards recommend fewer: 1 to 7 for 3-year-olds and 1 to 8 for 4- and 5-year-olds.

Reading a violation

A paperwork citation fixed the same month is different from a supervision problem with no correction listed. Look at what kind, how serious, how recent, and whether it repeats from one inspection to the next.

Sources

  1. National Association for the Education of Young Children. Accreditation standards: staff-to-child ratios within group size.
  2. American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association and National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education. Caring for Our Children, 4th edition, standard 1.1.1.2 (ratios and group sizes).
  3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Care. Childcare.gov: links to every state’s licensing search and quality rating system.
  4. Child Care Aware of America. Guidance for families on choosing child care.

The worked example is made up. Licensing rules, ratios and exemptions differ by state; this checklist does not say what your state requires. Your state licensing agency has the official record. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.