S.T.
When you have a few to evalute show up un- announced so you can see how things are generally run. My kids are now in middle school and high school - but you can tell alot by what goes on in the middle of the day and what the palce looks like. Don't be fooled by the brand new gorgeous places with expensive toys - I've ended up with a daycare/montessori school that was renting classrooms in a old school building. The low book/toy shelves were not new, the toys were not impressive - but the teachers and helpers were loving, the palce was VERY clean and no matter what time of day I showed up the teachers were engaged with the kids. Daycare school are expensive to run and they can spend money on the staff or on the toys/furniture. Trust your instincts too. Go to a local park on a Saurday morning when working parents take their kids to the park - ask around.