The process of attending daycare or dropping your child off at daycare can be an overwhelming feat for many families. Wondering if your child is adjusting to the facility's routine, making friends or coping with the separation from family and home can be quite consuming for parents. Coupled with the financial expense of quality daycare and self-imposed guilt of entrusting someone to care for your child, the subject of daycare generally leads to parents carrying a mixed bag of emotions they struggle to sort through.

Fortunately, today's families have a myriad of daycare options – from franchised daycare centers to in-home caregivers, to grandparents, au pairs and nannies. According to information provided by the Internal Revenue Service, nearly 47 percent of American children attend daycare at some point in their lives.

Having a few tried-and-true tips to rely on will help both you and your child successfully transition to the routine of daycare. Knowing how to identify what type of daycare situation best suits your family's needs and how to prepare your family for the first day will provide all of you some comfort and confidence to navigate this new adventure.

Look for a daycare provider whose child-to-caregiver ratio will best suit everyone's needs and expectations. While some children thrive on frequent interaction and the chance to be independent, others require a more nurturing or calm atmosphere. Visit the center at several intervals throughout a day to ascertain if the schedule and interaction is conducive to your child's personality and needs.

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