What Should a Daycare’s Staff-to-Child Ratio Be?
Staff-to-child ratio is one of the least glamorous questions you can ask on a daycare tour, and one of the most important. It directly determines how much individual attention your child receives every day, regardless of how impressive the facility looks.
Why Ratio Matters More Than Group Size
A large group with a strong staff ratio can function well; a small group with too few staff cannot. What matters is not how many children are in a room, but how many children each staff member is actually responsible for. Younger children generally need lower ratios, since they require more direct, hands-on support for feeding, comfort, and basic needs.
What Reasonable Ratios Look Like by Age
Ratios appropriate for infants and young toddlers are meaningfully lower than what works for a group of five and six-year-olds, who can follow instructions and manage more independently. There is no single universal number that applies to every age group, which is exactly why it is worth asking a centre directly what their ratio is for your child’s specific age, rather than accepting a general statement about the centre as a whole.
How to Verify This, Not Just Ask About It
Ask the question, but also observe during your visit. Count the number of staff visible in a room relative to the number of children, and watch whether that ratio is maintained consistently or whether staff appear to be covering multiple rooms at once. A centre confident in its ratios will not mind you observing directly.
We are glad to walk you through our staffing ratios for every age group during a visit to Besa or Somalwada. Book a visit to see our staffing in practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does staff-to-child ratio matter so much?
It directly determines how much individual attention, supervision, and support your child receives throughout the day, which affects both safety and developmental outcomes.
Is a smaller group always better than a larger one?
Not necessarily. What matters most is the ratio of staff to children within the group, not the absolute size of the group itself.
How can I verify a centre’s stated ratio is accurate?
Observe directly during a tour by counting staff and children in a room, rather than relying solely on what you are told.
