If you have to (or want to) go back to work before you child or children are old enough to go to school, you probably have to see what you can find in the way of childcare centers that can have them while you are working. This can be hard, as some are much better than others, and some should be avoided at all costs. There are some things you can look at when you visit each place under consideration, and also some signs you can see in your children that may tell you something is wrong or that they are content and happy with your choice.
Children need to be protected at all costs. No one has to tell you that. If you have ever seen your toddler waddle up to a stranger quite readily, you know that you can not leave your child somewhere unless you know they are safe. This means asking for background checks on each and every person with access to the childcare centers you are interviewing right down to the people that clean after hours. Also, ask about the policy they have in place for who can pick up your children and who can not. Make sure this is strict and to your liking. If not, move on to other childcare centers.
Once you have found a few childcare centers that fulfill your expectations in those regards, you have to see what you like as far as what they do all day and what type of educational activities they offer, if that is important to you. Also find out about how many children are assigned to one staff. You don't want your child in a room with ten other kids and just one caretaker. Also see if they are broken up into age groups, as this can be more important than you think. Infants take a lot of care, which means you four year old won't get much attention if they are all grouped together with the babies.
Once you have started sending your child to what you think is the best of the childcare centers you visited, start watching them for clues to see if you have made a good choice. If you notice any type of change for the worse, pull them out immediately. Children under the age of five rarely lie about things, and if they seem distraught, something is wrong. If your child fights to stay in your arms, beyond normal separation anxiety, when you go to drop them off, turn right back around and go home. Those children could be getting punished in ways you would not approve, or they could be neglected. Anything could be the cause of their fear, but know that fear means something is very wrong.
You can find more information about childcare centers in your community with a search online and by asking other parents where they take their children and what they think of each place. There are always going to be great places and there are always going to be some that should be skipped. If you choose to use a private babysitter, go through the same steps. Things can go wrong there, and in fact, they often go wrong there first and most often. Don't leave the well-being of your children up in the air.