Want to know more?

• How do I find child care programs in my community?


• Contact your local child care resource and referral agency for a listing of programs that fit your specific needs such as the need for infant care, care for a child with special needs, or care during evening hours.


See http://www.childcareaware.org or call 1-800-424-2246 for the child care resource and referral agency nearest you. Also your state child care licensing agency will have a list of programs that have been licensed to operate as a child care program in your state - see http://nccic.org/statedata/dirs/display.cfm?title=licensing.

• What are my different options for care?
• Formal child care is usually regulated by the state and inspected by the state licensing agency. Caregivers must follow rules specific to the type of facility. They can be warned and legally shut down if they do not follow the state rules.


Facilities can be:

• Child Care Centers - (In some states, Preschools fall under these rules)
• Providing care and education.
• Usually a stand alone building.
• Not located in someone's home.
• May be located at the work site in larger organizations.


• Faith-based facilities/churches
• Some states require licensing, others don't.


• Family child care home
• Care provided in the home of the caregiver.
• May be licensed or the state may require registration.


• School age
• Before and after care.
• May include vacation care programs.


• Camps
• Summer programs like baseball camps, Scouts, science camp.



• Drop-in Care
• Care may be provided at a business or service that parents are using such as a health club.
• Care is provided on an irregular basis; not consistent 5 days a week.


• Some states regulate this type of care.

See the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care State Child Care Licensing Database of State rules for what your state regulates: (http://nrckids.org/STATES/states.htm)


• Informal child care is usually not regulated by the state and does not need to meet basic rules:



• Care provided by a Nanny.
• One on one care provided in the child's home.


• Children who have many medical issues and equipment, or a child who has a very fragile immune system may find this a workable solution.


• Typically nanny care is more expensive than group care.


• The parent is the employer, and thus responsible for monitoring all aspects of quality, and responsible for payroll expenses like worker's compensation and social security.


• Care provided by a Family member/Relative (grandmother, aunt, etc.) - sometimes known as "Kith and Kin" care.


• If a parent is receiving child care assistance (state funding for child care) and uses a friend or family member, that caregiver may need to meet some basic licensing requirements.


• Legally exempt provider.
• Faith-based care provided by a religious group may be legally exempt.
• Some states allow a caregiver to care for his/her own children and a few others (often from one other family) without a license.


Examples:
A neighbor cares for your children and her own.
You swap care (co-op) with another parent so you both can work part time.

Note: The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), a professional organization for early care and education professionals and a national leader in improving quality in child care, believes that any program that provides care and education to children from two or more unrelated families should be regulated.

For more information see Caring for Our Children - Appendix AA - Licensing and Public Regulation of Early Childhood Programs - NAEYC Position (http://nrckids.org/CFOC/HTMLVersion/Appendix_AA.html)

Note: Parents may use a combination of formal and informal care. For example: A grandmother cares for the child when the child is sick and can't attend a center.

• Accredited programs
Some child care programs have decided to voluntarily go through a process of evaluation and meeting quality standards set by national organizations through an "accreditation" program. Some states award quality ratings based on programs achieving accreditation status. To find out more about these accreditation programs, see the following organizations' websites:


• National Association for the Education of Young Children (Centers)

1-800-424-2460
http://www.naeyc.org/accreditation/


Search for a NAEYC Accredited Program:
http://www.naeyc.org/accreditation/search/



• National Association for Family Child Care (Family Homes)

1-801-269-9338
http://nafcc.org


Search for a NAFCC Accredited Program:
http://nafcc.fmdatabase.com/fmi/iwp/cgi?-db=accreditationsearch.fp7&-loadframes



• Other Accreditation Programs:

http://www.nccic.org/poptopics/nationalaccred.html

• Quality Rating Systems
• Some states have instituted "quality rating systems" to help parents evaluate the quality of early care and education programs in their state.



• To learn more about these systems and if your state has such a system, go to the National Child Care information Center's web site --

http://nccic.org/poptopics/qrs-criteria-websites.html

• What child care situations are NOT legal?
• A child care program is illegal if it is a program that the state requires to be licensed but the program has chosen to operate without a license.



• To find out what types of facilities in your state need to be licensed, see:

http://nrckids.org/STATES/states.htm



Always ask if a program is licensed and ask to see a current certificate. If the caregiver states that they are not licensed and you know they should be, strongly consider NOT using them. They may be less expensive, but they may have decided to ignore basic health and safety rules and could put your children at risk for injury, illness and neglect.



• Possible indicators that a child care program should be licensed or regulated, but isn't:


• Caregiver discourages a thorough inspection of the facility:
"Doesn't have time", "doesn't have calendar handy, so can't re-schedule a facility inspection appointment", "is remodeling", etc.
• There seem to be lots of kids, but very few caregivers.
• Caregiver states licensing fees are "too high" or "too restrictive".
• Caregiver doesn't want you to visit without an "appointment".

• Visit the program before enrolling your child
• If possible, visit more than once and at different times of the day.


Note: You'll be able to observe different activities (handwashing before meals or putting a baby on their back to sleep) and how the caregiver handles children when they are very active and when they are tired and crabby.


• Set up an appointment with the director (in a center) or the family home caregiver to discuss policies, your responsibilities and those of the program. This helps to reduce misunderstandings or surprises like payment during vacations or fees if children aren't picked up by a certain time.



• Come prepared with questions and key things to observe. Compile questions from the various sections of Healthy Kids, Healthy Care or download the printer friendly versions of sections that are of specific interest. There are many good checklists, here is one based on Caring for Our Children's National Standards:



A Parents Guide to Choosing Safe and Healthy Child Care (National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care)
English - http://nrckids.org/RESOURCES/ParentsGuide.pdf


• Check with your local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency for other helpful guides:

http://www.childcareaware.org


• And your state child care licensing agency:

http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/display.cfm?title=licensing


• Ask for references both from current and former parents.

• What should you do if you visit a child care facility and you witness something harmful to children in their care?
• Make a mental note of what you're seeing, jot it down the moment you leave:
• Date and time.
• Address (including zip code).
• List of problems.
Examples of problems: too many children for the number of caregivers; unsafe conditions; dirty surroundings; or infants being placed on their tummies to sleep.


• Report what you saw to the licensing authorities in your state. (http://nrckids.org/STATES/states.htm)



• You have probably decided not to enroll your child there, but other children may be at risk.

• If you are currently in a child care program, but want to look for different child care options:
• Give the required withdrawal notice stated in your current contract, or pay for unused care.


Note: A possible exception to giving required notice and payment could be if your child was injured or placed in danger by the actions of program staff or problems with the facility and equipment. However, be aware that a legal battle over withholding payment (as stated in your contract) can take a long time and may be more expensive than the actual payment.


• As you begin the search again, think back:
• What things do you like about your current program?
• What things are you unhappy about?
• Were there any problems you noticed before, but didn't address with the caregiver until they became a crisis?
• Are your expectations about group child care realistic?

• Helping your child get ready for child care or to transition to a new program:
• Talk with your child in positive terms about going to the program or about going to a new program if currently in child care.



• Inform the new program about your child's favorite activities, foods, toys, etc. and ask that they include some of these in the beginning days of care.



• If possible, transition your child into the program gradually. Try a few short days before starting on a regular basis. Allow time to have the caregiver(s) introduce themselves and greet the other children in their group.