On a daycare tour, grill the program on safety, staff and ratios, the daily routine, health, communication, cost and support for kids with different needs. Then, before you sign anything, look it up in the state’s Child Care Search to confirm the license and read its posted inspection results.
By our editors · Facts checked October 7, 2026
Disclosure: Treehouse Learning Center, which runs childcare and therapy programs in Massachusetts, publishes KidBrief. Our directory lists every licensed program, and we always label ours. Some links may be affiliate links: if you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How we make money.
The short version
- Massachusetts licensed programs must let parents visit unannounced any time their child is there.
- Check ratios against state minimums: 1 educator to 3 infants and 1 to 4 toddlers in group care.
- The license must be posted where parents can see it.
- The Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) posts visit and investigation results online and keeps them up for five years.
- Can’t find a program in the state search? Call your EEC office before you enroll.
Before you go
- Look the program up first (steps below) so you can ask about anything in its record.
- Ask to see your child’s future room while kids are awake and busy.
- Bring this checklist and take notes. It builds on EEC’s family guide to choosing child care and a federal parent’s guide to safe and healthy care.
New to the search? Start with how to find a good daycare near you in Massachusetts.
The daycare tour checklist
Safety
- Is the program licensed by EEC? Where is the license posted?
- Who can enter the building, and who can pick up my child?
- What’s the plan for fires, injuries, illness and a missing child? How often do you drill?
- Where are cleaning supplies and medicines kept?
- For babies: how do infants sleep? Can I see the nap area?
- Is the outdoor play space fenced and in good repair?
Know the safe-sleep rules cold. EEC’s updated safe sleep policy takes effect November 1, 2026: babies under 12 months sleep on their backs, alone, in a crib, portable crib, playpen or bassinet with a firm, flat mattress and fitted sheet. No blankets, pillows, bumpers or stuffed animals. No sleeping in car seats, swings or bouncy seats, and baby monitors don’t replace supervision.
Staff and ratios
- What’s the educator-to-child ratio and group size in my child’s room, at different times of day?
- How long have these teachers worked here? Who covers when they’re out?
- What training do teachers have in child development, First Aid and CPR?
- Have all staff and volunteers passed EEC background record checks?
Compare the answers with the state minimums in 606 CMR 7.10:
| Age group (group child care) | Educators to children | Largest group |
|---|---|---|
| Infants (under 15 months) | 1 to 3 | 7 |
| Toddlers (15 to 33 months) | 1 to 4 | 9 |
| Preschoolers, full day (2 years 9 months to kindergarten) | 1 to 10 | 20 |
| Kindergarten | 1 to 15 | 30 |
| School age | 1 to 13 | 26 |
Family child care has its own limits. For example, a provider working alone may care for no more than three children under age 2. The full breakdown is in our guide to Massachusetts ratio and group-size rules.
Daily routine and learning
- Can I see a typical daily schedule? How much time do kids spend outside?
- What curriculum or approach do you use? How often will I get a progress report?
- How do you guide behavior? Is your discipline policy in writing?
- What do kids eat, and who provides meals and snacks?
- What happens at rest time for kids who don’t nap?
Health
- When must a sick child stay home, and when can they come back? (Here’s what’s normal for daycare sickness.)
- How are medicines stored, given and recorded?
- How do you handle food allergies and other health plans?
- When do kids and staff wash hands? How is the diaper area cleaned?
- How do you track immunization records?
Massachusetts sets immunization requirements for children age 2 and older in child care and preschool, with medical and religious exemptions allowed. Talk with your pediatrician about your child’s shots.
Communication
- How will you tell me about my child’s day?
- How fast will I hear about an injury, incident or illness?
- Can I drop in without calling ahead?
- Can I meet with the teacher when I ask? Can you communicate in my home language?
Cost and policies
- What are tuition, the deposit and any registration or waitlist fees?
- Do I pay for holidays, closures, sick days or family vacations?
- Are there late pickup fees? How much notice do I give before leaving?
- Do you accept state child care financial assistance?
- Can I take the parent handbook and contract home first?
Sticker shock? See what childcare costs in Massachusetts in 2026 and how to get help paying for childcare.
Inclusion
- Have you cared for kids with speech delays, autism or other differences? What did you change to support them?
- Can my child’s Early Intervention provider or therapist work with my child here?
- How do you adapt activities, routines and communication for different learners?
- How do you respond to behavior that may be linked to a disability?
Green flags to watch for
- Adults get down to kids’ level and talk with them warmly.
- Kids look busy and engaged, not just waiting around.
- The space is clean and safe, with books and toys that fit the ages in the room.
How do I check a daycare’s license in Massachusetts?
- Go to EEC’s Child Care Search, the state’s official directory of licensed programs.
- Find the program and open its listing. Make sure the details match what the program told you.
- Read the visit results. EEC posts licensing and monitoring visits from October 1, 2019 on. Each one shows how many items were checked and how many were in compliance, and any broken rule appears with the regulation and the program’s corrective action plan.
- Read any investigations. They list each finding and the fix. A prominent notice appears if EEC tied the findings to a death, serious injury or substantiated child abuse.
- Can’t find it? Some licensed programs choose not to be listed, so call your EEC office. It can confirm the license, any non-compliance history and any current restrictions.
Clean visits are posted right after they close; visits and investigations with problems are posted within 90 days, and everything stays up for five years. EEC also makes at least one unannounced visit a year to every licensed program.
Here are EEC’s regional offices:
| EEC regional office | Phone |
|---|---|
| Western (Springfield) | (413) 788-8401 |
| Central (Worcester) | (508) 461-1440 |
| Northeast (Lawrence) | (978) 826-1300 |
| Metro Boston (Quincy) | (617) 472-2881 |
| Southeast (Taunton) | (508) 828-5025 |
Public school preschools and other license-exempt programs won’t appear in the search. For a public school program, contact the district.
How to read what you find
One finding doesn’t automatically mean a program is unsafe. Look at what the issue was, whether it repeated and whether the fix makes sense, then ask the director about it. Treat any notice of a death, serious injury or confirmed abuse very seriously.
Got a concern?
You can report suspected child care misconduct through the online form linked from the EEC website, and report care you believe is running without a license through EEC’s unlicensed care complaint form. If a child is in danger, call 911.
For children who need extra support
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), private child care centers generally can’t turn a child away because of a disability. They must assess each child individually, make reasonable changes, such as giving a child needed medicine, and can’t charge extra for changes the law requires.
Under 3? Massachusetts Early Intervention (EI) is free to families, and anyone can make a referral. From age 3, your public school district provides free early childhood special education, which can be delivered in a child care setting. Questions about development? Start with your pediatrician, and browse our inclusive care guides.
Common questions
Can I visit my child’s daycare without notice in Massachusetts?
Yes. Licensed programs must permit unannounced parent visits while your child is in care, and must tell you that in writing before enrollment. If a program discourages drop-ins, ask why.
What ratio should a Massachusetts daycare have?
In group child care, the state minimums are 1 educator for every 3 infants, 1 for every 4 toddlers and 1 for every 10 preschoolers in a full-day class, with group sizes capped too. Ask what the ratio is at different times of day.
Where can I see a daycare’s inspection reports?
In EEC’s Child Care Search, which posts visit and investigation results from October 1, 2019 on. Results stay online for five years.
What if a daycare isn’t in the state search?
It may have opted out of the listing, or it may be license-exempt, like a public school preschool. Call your EEC regional office before you enroll.
Looking for bilingual care or pediatric therapy on the North Shore? Our publisher, Treehouse Learning Center, has programs in Lynn.
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Sources
- EEC Child Care Search
- Department of Early Education and Care (Mass.gov)
- EEC office locations (Mass.gov)
- EEC: Posting Visits and Investigations to the Consumer Education Website
- EEC Inspections and Visits Policy
- Learn about Group and School Age Child Care programs (Mass.gov)
- 606 CMR 7.04: Administration (Justia Regulations)
- 606 CMR 7.08: Family Involvement (Justia Regulations)
- 606 CMR 7.10: Ratios, Group Sizes and Supervision of Children (Cornell LII)
- 606 CMR 7.00: Standards for the Licensure or Approval of Family, Group and School Age Child Care Programs, full text
- EEC: Safe Sleep for Infants policy (effective November 1, 2026)
- DPH: 2025-2026 Child Care/Preschool Immunization Survey memo
- EEC: Choosing Child Care (family guide)
- ASPE: A Parent’s Guide to Choosing Safe and Healthy Child Care
- Criteria for Exemption from Licensing (Mass.gov)
- Commonly Asked Questions about Child Care Centers and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA.gov)
- About Massachusetts Early Intervention (EI) (Mass.gov)
- DESE: Early Childhood Special Education
From the team behind KidBrief
KidBrief is published by Treehouse Learning Center, an early education program in Lynn, Massachusetts. Looking for care on the North Shore? Schedule a free tour →
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