What Safety Standards Should a Daycare or Preschool Meet?

What Parents Should Look for to Feel Confident Their Child Is Safe, Secure, and Well Cared For

Choosing a daycare or preschool means placing an enormous amount of trust in the people and environment caring for your child. While curriculum, location, schedules, and cost all matter, safety is one of the most important factors families should evaluate when comparing childcare programs.

So, what safety standards should a daycare or preschool actually meet?

A quality childcare center should have multiple layers of protection in place, including secure building access, careful supervision, trained and screened staff, clear child release procedures, emergency preparedness, safe and clean environments, and practices that support children’s physical and emotional well-being.

Knowing what to look for and what questions to ask can help you feel much more confident when choosing the right daycare or preschool for your family.

What Should a Safe Daycare or Preschool Have?

Childcare safety is not one policy, one locked door, or one security camera. It is a system of procedures, people, training, and physical safeguards working together throughout the day.

When touring a daycare or preschool, these are some of the most important safety standards to look for.

1. Secure Entry and Controlled Building Access

One of the first things to evaluate is how people enter the childcare center.

A quality daycare or preschool should have a controlled entry system that prevents unauthorized visitors from simply walking into areas where children are present.

When touring a childcare center, ask:

• Are exterior doors kept locked?
• How do parents and guardians enter the building?
• How are visitors identified and admitted?
• What prevents an unauthorized person from entering behind another family?
• How do staff monitor who enters the school?

Strong childcare security should include multiple checkpoints between the outside world and your child’s classroom rather than relying on a single safeguard.

2. Clear Drop-Off, Pick-Up, and Child Release Procedures

A safe childcare center should know exactly who is permitted to leave with each child.

Parents or guardians should be able to designate approved individuals for pickup, and the center should have a procedure for verifying the identity of anyone staff members do not recognize.

One of the most useful questions to ask during a daycare or preschool tour is:

“What prevents an unauthorized person from picking up my child?”

The childcare provider should be able to clearly explain its sign-in, sign-out, identification, and authorized pickup procedures.

3. Consistent Supervision Throughout the Day

Security at the front door is important, but so is what happens after children enter their classrooms.

Children should be appropriately supervised throughout the school day, including during:

• Classroom activities
• Meals and snacks
• Transitions
• Outdoor play
• Rest periods
• Bathroom routines
• Arrival and dismissal

During your daycare or preschool tour, pay attention to the classroom environment. Are teachers positioned where they can see the children? Are they attentive and engaged? Does the classroom feel organized and appropriately supervised?

Strong supervision is both a written policy and a daily practice.

4. Background Checks and Properly Trained Staff

The adults caring for your child are one of the most important parts of any childcare safety system.

Ask potential daycare or preschool providers about their hiring and screening requirements. Quality programs should have established procedures for background screening and staff safety training in accordance with applicable state requirements.

Families should also ask whether staff trained in CPR and First Aid are present. Safety procedures are most effective when the adults responsible for children are prepared to respond appropriately when something unexpected happens.

5. Emergency Preparedness and Regular Safety Drills

No school can prevent every emergency. What matters is whether the school has prepared for one.

A daycare or preschool should have established procedures for situations such as:

• Fires
• Severe weather
• Medical emergencies
• Evacuations
• Building emergencies
• Other situations requiring children to shelter or relocate

Ask how frequently emergency drills are conducted, how staff are trained to respond, and how families would receive information during an emergency.

Safety is not simply having an emergency plan written down. It means making sure the people responsible for children understand what to do when that plan is needed.

6. Safe Outdoor Play Areas

Playgrounds deserve the same attention as classrooms.

When evaluating preschool or daycare playground safety, look at the condition of the equipment, gates, fencing, ground surfaces, and overall visibility of the play area.

A strong outdoor environment should give children the freedom to move, explore, and build physical skills while maintaining appropriate safeguards around them.

7. Cleanliness, Hygiene, and Illness Procedures

A safe childcare environment is also a healthy one.

Young children share spaces, toys, and materials throughout the day, making consistent hygiene practices especially important.

When comparing childcare centers, ask about:

• Handwashing procedures
• Cleaning and sanitation practices
• Illness policies
• Diapering procedures
• Medication policies
• Allergy accommodations
• Food safety practices

Families should receive clear guidance about health procedures, including when children need to remain home due to illness and what happens if a child becomes sick during the school day.

8. Camera Coverage and Facility Oversight

Security cameras can provide an additional layer of facility oversight when they are used as part of a broader safety system.

Ask whether classrooms, common areas, entrances, or outdoor spaces are monitored and how the school protects the privacy and security of any camera system. Technology should support, not replace, attentive teachers, strong procedures, and active supervision.

9. Emotional Safety and a Nurturing Environment

One of the easiest safety standards to overlook cannot be measured by a lock or camera. Children also need to feel emotionally safe.

Pay attention to the way teachers speak to children during your preschool tour. Are they calm, patient, and engaged? Do children appear comfortable approaching their teachers? Does the classroom have predictable routines and clear expectations?

Physical protection and emotional security should work together. A truly safe preschool is one where children are protected while also feeling comfortable enough to learn, play, explore, and build relationships.

What Questions Should I Ask About Safety During a Daycare Tour?

You do not need to be a childcare expert to evaluate a school’s approach to safety. You simply need to know what to ask.

Consider asking:

• How is access to the building controlled?
• How do you verify who is authorized to pick up my child?
• What background checks are required for staff?
• Are CPR- and First Aid-trained staff present?
• How are children supervised throughout the day?
• What emergency drills do you conduct?
• What happens during a medical or weather emergency?
• How are playgrounds secured?
• What are your cleaning and illness policies?
• Are classrooms or common areas monitored by cameras?
• How will you communicate with me if there is an emergency?
• What practices help children feel emotionally safe and supported?

Just as importantly, pay attention to how the school answers. Safety policies should be clear, established, and easy for staff members to explain.

How Children of America Prioritizes Safety and Security

At Children of America, providing a safe, nurturing environment is a foundational part of how we care for children and support families. Our approach brings together multiple layers of physical security, staff preparation, supervision, health practices, and family communication.

COA schools use secure vestibule entry and controlled access systems to help manage who enters the building. Families receive unique access credentials, and child release procedures are designed so children are signed in and out by a parent or another individual specifically authorized by the family. Authorized individuals may be required to present photo identification before a child is released.

Our safety practices also include staff screening and state-required background checks, First Aid and CPR coverage, routine fire and emergency drills, health and safety procedures, and secure outdoor play areas.

COA schools are equipped with video surveillance in classrooms, outdoor areas, and lobbies. Through COA’s Always Close By service, enrolled families can also elect to access a secure live classroom camera feed from a computer or mobile device.

Just as importantly, safety at COA includes the environment children experience throughout their day. Predictable routines, consistent supervision, age-appropriate classrooms, and supportive educators help children feel secure enough to learn, explore, build relationships, and grow.

For families comparing daycare or preschool options, the goal should not be to find one impressive security feature. Look for a complete system of safeguards that works together every day.

Find a Children of America School Near You

If you are looking for a safe daycare or preschool where your child can learn and grow in a secure, nurturing environment, we would love to show you what that looks like in person.

Click the Find A School button in the top right corner of the Children of America website to search for a location near you and schedule a tour. Come meet our teachers, see our classrooms, and learn more about the safety practices designed to help protect and support your child throughout the day.

References

Children of America. Family Guide. ChildrenofAmerica.com.

American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, & National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education. Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards; Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs.

Child Care Aware of America. Child Care Health and Safety Resources.