Family life in the twenty-first century presents challenges our parents and grandparents never imagined. With the preponderence of two-career marriages, and a growing number of single-parent households, no longer is it a foregone conclusion that a mother will automatically be her pre-school child's primary daytime caregiver.

Fortunately for parents today, the child daycare industry has grown exponentially in the past couple of decades. In most cities and towns, families generally have a wide variety of choices from which to choose, when making the formidable decision about their child's daytime care. There are formal daycare centers, more informal situations with only a few children ("family" daycare), and in-home babysitters or nannies.

But the variety of choices brings its own headaches, chief among which is the obvious question: How should you go about choosing the right daycare providers for your children? The obvious answer is also the most difficult: careful research, well in advance.

If you have decided that you will want outside daycare for your infant, shortly after birth (though most experts discourage the use of a daycare center during the first six weeks of life), then research should begin in the last trimester of pregnancy.

The best daycare research begins with word-of-mouth. Ask other parents in your family's network about their experiences and for their recommendations. But always follow up with first-hand investigation of your own. Visit any prospective locations on your list, well before you need their services. According to webmd.com, most facilities-though licensed by the states where they do business-are not high quality. A license only means that the business provides the minimum care necessary.

Get to know the caregivers at the home or business you're considering. Observe their interactions with the children in their charge. Child caregiving is as much a calling as it is a career; ask about worker turn-over and the business's hiring policies. Make sure the caregivers convey warmth and responsiveness to the children-do they talk gently and interact with every child? Do they make you feel welcome and encourage parents to visit often?

What is the ratio of caregivers to children? The American Academy of Pediatrics (http://www.aap.org/parents.html) has specific recommendations regarding these ratios.

Cleanliness is a huge consideration. Are the floors cleaned every day? Are the bedding facilities-especially the cribs for infants-cleaned and disinfected regularly? Are the diaper-changing areas separate and clean? Is the outside play area clean and free of litter? Is the kitchen clean and well-stocked? Along the same lines, what are the facility's policies regarding sick children? Daycare centers with lenient policies can be incubators for childhood diseases.

Do the children at the facility seem happy and engaged? Are there plenty of activities and toys to keep them occupied?

Ask to see the business license and registration, and ask about the center's record of inspections.

The most important barometer you can use in choosing daycare for your child is your own gut. Do you feel safe, leaving your child at this facility, with these people? Usually, your first impression is correct-trust it, and eventually you'll find just the right situation for you and your child.