How Do I Find High Quality Family Child Care?
Learn what the child care licensing regulations are in your county or state. For a higher level of quality standards click here for the Quality Standards for NAFCC Accreditation.
Start Early
Finding the right family child care program for your child can take some time. Start looking as far in advance as possible. Here are some suggestions of where to begin.
- Talk to people in your neighborhood, family, friends, and colleagues at work. Let them know you are looking for high quality family child care.
- Find the Family Child Care Association in your area.
- Look for ads in the newspaper.
- Contact your local child care licensing agency for a list of licensed providers.
- Contact your local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency. (link to Child Care Aware)
- Search for an NAFCC Accredited provider HERE
Make Calls
Call the family child care provider leads you have gathered. Here are some questions you may want to ask on the phone call.
- How many children are enrolled in your program? What is the group size at any given time? --The smaller the group, the better for your child. Most family child care providers take 6-8 multi age children in a group.
- How many children are there for each adult? --The fewer the children for each adult, the better for your child. Quality ratios vary depending on the age of the children. A good measure is no more than 6-8 multi age children per adult.
- What are your qualifications to work with children? --Family child care providers with training specific to working with children are better prepared to provide developmental learning.
- Are you accredited by the National Association for Family Child Care? Accredited family child care programs have met voluntary standards for family child care which are higher than state licensing regulations.
Interview
Set up an appointment with provider’s that interest you the most. You will want to do this when children are not present. This is a time for you to ask questions and a time for a high quality provider to showcase her program. Here are a few questions you may want to ask. However, don’t limit your questions to just these.
- Ask to see the provider’s child care license from the county or state regulatory agency. If accredited, ask to see the certificate.
- Does the provider have program policies? Ask for a copy. Do the policies meet your expectations?
- How will the provider let you know what your child is doing each day?
- Are you welcome to visit the program anytime?
- Will you be signing a child care contract with the provider? What is included in the contract?
- What education/training in early childhood does the provider have?
- Is the provider involved in ongoing professional development activities to improve skills related to caring for children?
- Is the provider currently trained in CPR and first aid?
- Has the provider received an FBI fingerprint background check?
- Ask the provider to describe a typical day in the program. What is the routine of the day?
- What types of activities are offered to children? Activities should include; Physical: both large muscle and small, Social: learning to get along with others, Emotional: self-esteem and self-awareness, Intellectual: gaining knowledge and understanding, Creative: use of imagination and creativity.
Visit
Make arrangements to visit and observe the family child care programs that interest you the most. Let the provider know you would like to observe her program for about 1 hour (without your children). The first half of the day- before lunch is the most ideal time to observe a program. Here are some indicators of quality to look for during your visit.
- Does the provider seem to like children and enjoy being around them?
- Does the provider greet children and parents warmly?
- Are children’s needs met in a timely manner even when things get busy?
- Are the areas of the home used by children welcoming and friendly?
- Do children have the opportunity for free play in which they choose their activities and explore their own interests?
- Do children have access to books? Does the provider read to children?
- Does the provider have conversations with each child?
Make a Decision
Think about your experience with each family child care provider. Consider your personal reactions as well as the facts. If it doesn’t feel right, keep looking. Make the best choice for you, your child, and your family.