Amanda Kirksey relies on the drop-in childcare at her gym four or five days each week for two hours per day for her children.

"They have a pretty intense security system, a separate infant room, toddler room and several 'bigger kid' rooms to separate the children," says Kirksey, of Rochester Hills, Mich., whose daughter is 3, and son, 2. "They house a huge climbing maze, mini-basketball court, computer learning center, as well as normal toys," and maintain a good staff-to-child ratio, she says.

Supervised play areas charging little or no fee have become commonplace at gyms and churches in Hawaii, and even some Mainland casinos, colleges and supermarkets.

But facilities and quality of care can vary widely among drop-in care providers.

And with many drop-in care centers exempt from licensing (27 U.S. states currently exempt some or all of these facilities, according to the National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center), little data is available on their growth.

That absence of state oversight, and the recent news that a 3-year-old boy was allegedly assaulted at a drop-in care center in a Minnesota casino, may have parents wondering about using these brightly colored playrooms.

For parents considering using a drop-in care center or play area, here are some questions to consider:

• THE SPACE

Look for written guidelines on how issues like safety, communication and discipline are handled, says Barbara Roth, a consultant for children's programs at the YMCA of the USA.

"Ask who has designed this program, who has made the decisions about safety and equipment, and what knowledge do they have?" says Roth. Also, "visual access is important. Is there a window I can peek in, a door I can open unannounced?"

Also ask: Is a sink or hand sanitizer available, and what are the policies on hand washing, toy cleaning, and using the bathroom or diapers?

• THE PEOPLE

What training do the caregivers have? "Is it that they just came in and wanted to work at the gym, and there was no place available for them except at the childcare center?" asks Sherry Workman, CEO of the National Association of Child Care Professionals. Also, do they report to someone with childcare knowledge or to a manager with no childcare background?

Many parents are concerned about the ratio of caregivers to kids. Ikea, for example, doesn't exceed a 12-1 ratio and limits the crowd to 60, says U.S. spokeswoman Mona Astra Liss.

Workman says it's always best to have at least two staffers on duty: "If something happens to my child, and that person is the only one in the room, then it's my child's word against that person. And that's not good for either one of them."

• THE KIDS

Are various ages mixed together, and how do they spend their time? Like Kirksey's gym, YMCA care centers offer space for kids to exercise. Ikea has a ball pit, shows DVDs and offers "quiet activities, books and crayons and things they can color," says Liss.

Roth says it's important to ask how they handle children who miss their parents: "Are they ignored, are they held?"

• THE PARENTS

Are you asked to show ID and to sign your child in and out as part of a well-planned security system?

Most drop-in childcare centers require you to remain on the premises.

Kirksey's gym expects parents to return for diaper changes. "If they need you, they will page you on the intercom," she says. "If your children are having a bad day, you can request a pager."