The right daycare or preschool fits both your child’s stage and your family’s working day. Begin with age, hours, location, and budget. Then look closely at how children are supervised, how adults communicate, and what happens during the ordinary parts of the day.
Middle GA families may be comparing infant care, toddler care, preschool, state-funded Pre-K, and school-age care at the same time. These are different services, even when one center offers several. Peek-A-Boo’s program overview lists the age groups and published tuition in one place. Use this guide to make your comparison practical, with clear questions you can take into a conversation or tour.
Start with the care you actually need
Write down the times you need to drop off and collect your child, including your commute rather than only your working hours. Add the preferred start date and any days when your schedule changes. This turns a broad search for childcare into a clear request that a center can answer.
Next, identify your child’s age and the kind of coverage you want. Infant and toddler care includes individual routines and close attention. Preschool introduces learning experiences suited to older young children. Georgia Pre-K is a distinct state-funded program with its own eligibility and instructional schedule. School-age care begins from a different daily pattern because children are already attending school.
Do not assume a center’s opening hours describe every program. A building may be open early and late while a specific classroom follows a shorter schedule. Ask which hours are included in the program you are considering and whether extra coverage is offered separately. Getting this answer first avoids touring a promising classroom that cannot meet your essential needs.
Compare the correct age group, not just the center
Peek-A-Boo lists infant care from 6 weeks to 12 months, toddler care from 12 months to 2 years, and preschool for ages 3 to 5. Its Georgia Pre-K offering is for eligible four-year-olds. School-age programs serve kindergarten through fifth grade. Review the room that would serve your own child rather than judging the center only by its entrance or an older classroom.
Ask how a child moves from one room to another. A birthday may be part of the decision, but staffing, space, and the child’s needs also deserve a conversation. If your child is near a transition, ask which room you would tour, how the start would be planned, and whether tuition changes with the program.
For a family with siblings, ask about both children separately. One available place does not mean the other age group has room. Also check whether their daily schedules align. A center that serves multiple ages can simplify your routine, but it is worth confirming all of the pieces before treating it as a single solution.
Observe the adults, not only the room
Bright walls and attractive toys can make a room inviting, but the interactions tell you more. Notice whether adults speak with children, respond to a child who needs help, and remain aware of the group. Look at how they move children between activities. A warm welcome matters, and so does a clear explanation of everyday supervision.
Ask about staff-to-child limits for the room, background checks, and required training. Peek-A-Boo confirms that it follows applicable DECAL requirements. You can still ask how the team organizes staffing and whom you would talk with when a concern comes up.
DECAL’s core rule information explains that licensing monitoring focuses on categories with a strong connection to children’s health and safety, including supervision and medication. That is a useful reminder to ask about ordinary routines, not just special learning activities. A tour should leave you with a clearer picture of what adults do, not only what the center says it values.
Look at the shape of an ordinary day
Ask to see the classroom schedule and have someone explain it. How much time is spent in active play, quieter exploration, meals, and rest? How are children helped between these parts of the day? A schedule should make sense for the ages in the room, rather than reading like a list of subjects meant for much older children.
For preschoolers, ask how stories, early math, pretend play, movement, and creative activities fit together. Ask for an example of what children have been exploring, without expecting a formal assessment on your visit. For younger children, learn how individual feeding and rest needs fit within the group routine.
Make room for the less glamorous questions. Where are personal items stored? What happens if a child becomes upset at arrival? How are toileting needs handled? Who helps when a child needs to stop an activity? These are often the details that determine whether a family feels comfortable after the first few days, even though they rarely feature in a brochure.
Make communication part of your comparison
Before enrollment, decide what you need to know at the end of the day. A parent of a baby may want feeding and rest information. A preschool parent may be more concerned about friendships, a hard transition, or an activity the child enjoyed. Ask what is normally shared and what needs a separate conversation.
Confirm the practical channel for updates and questions. Do not assume that an app, text message, or daily photograph is included. Ask how urgent concerns are communicated, how changes to pickup information should be supplied, and how to reach the right person about a classroom issue.
Bring information in both directions. Tell the center about allergies, comfort routines, health guidance, and any family changes that may affect the day. Clear communication is not about expecting a long report every evening. It is about knowing who to speak with, how important information reaches them, and what follow-up to expect when something needs attention.
Compare the full cost of your schedule
A weekly rate is useful, but it is not the whole budget until you know what it covers. Peek-A-Boo’s published rates are $165 for infant care, $160 for toddler care, $150 for preschool, $70 for after-school care, and $140 for full-time after-school care, per week. The Georgia Pre-K instructional program has no tuition. Confirm current rates directly before relying on these amounts for enrollment.
Ask about any other charges, payment timing, and how fees apply to the schedule you need. Ask whether a week with a holiday or an absence affects billing and review the center’s written policy. These questions do not imply that additional charges exist. They ensure you are comparing like with like.
Also consider the costs that sit outside tuition. A longer drive, separate sibling pickups, or an uncovered hour can change what an option costs your family. Keep the comparison simple: the confirmed program cost, the care hours included, and the practical arrangements you need to make it work. Ask about any assistance separately rather than assuming a published rate includes it.
Check health, food, and pickup procedures
Share allergies and dietary needs before choosing a program, not after the first meal. Peek-A-Boo includes meals, but individual needs still need a direct discussion. Ask to see the menu, explain any medical guidance, and confirm how the center would handle your child’s situation. Do not assume that a general statement about meals answers a specific allergy question.
Ask what you should do if your child is sick, when a child can return, and what is required if medicine must be given. Peek-A-Boo follows Georgia health and medication requirements and uses the required written permission for medication except where Georgia law otherwise authorizes it. The center’s own illness instructions should be part of your enrollment review.
Pickup needs the same care. Peek-A-Boo releases children to authorized people and verifies their identity against family information. Ask how to update your approved list and what someone new must bring. Plan a backup adult before you need one. Keeping contacts current is a practical part of a safe routine, not just paperwork.
Understand preschool and Georgia Pre-K differences
Preschool and Georgia Pre-K can both support a child’s preparation for kindergarten, but their enrollment and funding are not interchangeable. A tuition-based preschool program can serve a range of preschool ages. Georgia Pre-K is a state program with specific age and residency rules and its own calendar.
DECAL’s Pre-K questions and answers says children generally must be four on or before September 1 of the relevant school year and live in Georgia. Being eligible does not by itself reserve a classroom place. Contact the provider about dates, availability, and required documents.
If you need care outside the instructional day, ask about it as a separate service. Free Pre-K should not be treated as a promise of free early-morning, evening, summer, or holiday coverage. Our guide to free Georgia Pre-K explains how to separate the state-funded learning day from the other care a working family may need. For some families, the right arrangement combines an instructional program with additional care; for others, a preschool schedule is the simpler fit.
Use the tour to test your real concerns
Bring a short list of the questions that could change your decision. Include your schedule, your child’s needs, the full cost, and the pickup plan. Ask to see the relevant classroom, not only a general tour of the building. If possible, observe an ordinary transition such as moving between play and another part of the day.
Take notes in plain words while the answers are fresh. A helpful comparison can have one line for hours, one for costs, one for communication, and one for a concern that matters to your child. You do not need to assign a score to every toy or decoration. You need to know whether the program can meet your needs safely and clearly.
If an answer is unclear, ask for an explanation or the written policy before deciding. A tour request is not enrollment, and sending an online request does not confirm an appointment or secure a place. Wait for the center to arrange the visit and confirm the next step. This keeps expectations clear on both sides.
Choose a workable fit and prepare the transition
Once you have the essential answers, review the enrollment packet and parent handbook. Check emergency contacts, pickup permissions, required health records, and any information the team needs about your child. Confirm the start date, room, payment arrangements, and what to bring. Do not leave important questions until the first morning.
Plan a familiar goodbye routine and explain the next day in language your child understands. A younger child may need a simple repeated phrase. An older child may want to know where personal items will go and who will help. Ask the center what transition arrangements are available instead of assuming a particular settling-in schedule.
Peek-A-Boo is at 2346 Rocky Creek Rd in Macon and is open Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Contact the team to confirm which program and schedule fits your family. For a younger child, the infant and toddler comparison guide offers more focused tour questions.
Questions parents ask
What should I ask first when comparing daycare?
Start with your child’s age, the hours you need, your preferred start date, and availability. Then ask about supervision, daily routines, communication, health procedures, and the confirmed cost of your schedule.
Is preschool the same as Georgia Pre-K?
No. Preschool describes a program for preschool-age children, while Georgia Pre-K is a state-funded instructional program with its own age, residency, and enrollment requirements. Check the schedule and any extra care separately.
Can siblings attend Peek-A-Boo?
Peek-A-Boo offers programs from infancy through school age. Contact the center about each child’s age, classroom availability, and required schedule. Availability in one program does not guarantee a place in another.
Does requesting a tour reserve a place?
No. A request starts a conversation. The team must confirm the tour arrangements and program availability, and enrollment requires its own confirmation and paperwork.
Plan your next step
Explore Preschool, or request a tour to discuss your child’s age, schedule, and current openings.
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