How to Find Child Care

Choosing the right caregiver is one of the most important decisions that a family can make.  Get as much as you can to make sure the choice you make is the best one.  Talk to friends, family members and parents with children in childcare and get their opinions.

When looking for the best caregiver visit several facilities/providers and compare:

• Watch staff and children interaction.
• See what activities are available.
• Ask questions and make sure your questions are answered to your satisfaction.
• Current license or certificate and any current deficiencies should be posted.
• Things to think about when choosing a provider:
  • child's age
  • child's personality
  • locations of the facility compared to your home and workplace
  • hours of the center and fees
• After your chid is in a facility, drop in unannounced at various times of the day to see what the conditions are.  If you see anything that makes you uneasy, talk to the caregiver or the director about.  Keep going back to check.  Watch for recurring bumps or bruises or changes in your child's behavior.  Talk to other parents when you pick up your child.  Compare notes.  Trust your instincts and look for another child care facility, if necessary.

Child Care Resource and Referal 

Child Care Resource and Referral provides resources to parents on finding quality child care and information to providers concerning training.  For a list of child care facilities in your area, call (877) 316-3552.

STARS for KIDS NOW

STARS for KIDS NOW is a voluntary rating system to identify child care centers and homes that go beyond licensing and certification requirements.  Programs are rates for quality using a four level system.