Search Our Network of Childcare Providers FOR FREE

What are you looking for? *
Number of Children *
When would you like to start? *
Salutation *
First Name *
Last Name *
Phone Number *
Email Address *
Address *
Address 2
City *
State *
Zip Code *

Enter Your Preferences and Have Childcare Providers Call You!

Honesty.
Safety.
Integrity.
Happiness.

TheChildcareResource.com Method

Finding a quality childcare provider can be extremely difficult. We make the process much easier!

  • Answer a few brief questions and you will be connected to child care providers in your area.
  • Browse all the matches in your area and then select the ones you want to speak to.
  • Your choices will then contact you in order to answer your questions and set up a visit.

The Importance of Childcare

Staff members at good centers are usually trained in early childhood education so they know what to expect from your child developmentally and are able to nurture his growing skills accordingly

Ongoing research by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development suggests that children in quality daycare centers may even have an intellectual edge over those in other kinds of care. When researchers compared kids in quality daycare to those in other, equally high-quality childcare situations, children in centers performed a little better on tests.

More and more, research tells us that our children's healthy development depends on safe and positive experiences during the first few years of life. If you are a parent who works during these early years, choosing good child care is one of the most important decisions you will ever make for your child.

To help you make the right choice for your child, researchers have identified 13 research-based guidelines to think about when choosing a child care program.

You might want to visit several different child care programs, either centers or family child care homes, before you decide which one is best for your family. Call each child care program and schedule an appointment for your visit. Once you are there, stay for at least an hour to watch activities, check the surroundings, and ask questions. The checklist below provides a place for you to note which guidelines are met. Research shows that if a program follows guidelines, it is more likely to be a safe and healthy place for your child. Your state or county may have other guidelines to help ensure health and safety in child care programs.

Considering these guidelines can help you find a place where you feel comfortable leaving your child.



Director Qualifications

  • Does the director of a child care center have a bachelor's degree in a child-related field?

  • Has the director worked in child care for at least two years?

  • Does the director understand what children need to grow and learn?


Lead Teacher Qualifications

  • Does the lead teacher in a child care center have a bachelor's degree in a child-related field?

  • Has the teacher worked in child care for at least one year?

  • Does the teacher give children lessons and toys that are right for their ages?

Child:Staff Ratio and Group Size

  • How many children are being cared for in the child care program?

  • How many caregivers are there? (Your child will get more attention if each caregiver has fewer children to care for. The younger the children are, the more caregivers there should be. For example, one family home caregiver should only take care of two infants.)

Immunizations

  • Is your child up-to-date on all of the required immunizations?

  • Does the child care program have records proving that the other children in care are up-to-date on all their required immunizations?

Toxic Substances

  • Are toxic substances like cleaning supplies and pest killers kept away from children?

  • Has the building been checked for dangerous substances like radon, lead and asbestos?

  • Is poison control information posted?

Emergency Plan

  • Does the child care program have an emergency plan if a child is injured, sick, or lost?

  • Does the child care program have first-aid kits?

  • Does the child care program have information about who to contact in an emergency?

Fire/Emergency Drills

  • Does the child care program have a plan in case of a disaster like a fire, tornado, flood, blizzard, or earthquake?

  • Does the child care program do practice drills once every month?

Child Abuse

  • Can caregivers be seen by others at all times, so a child is never alone with one caregiver?

  • Have all caregivers undergone background check?

  • Have the caregivers been trained on how to prevent child abuse, how to recognize signs of child abuse, and how to report suspected child abuse?

Medications

  • Does the child care program keep medication out of reach from children?

  • Are the caregivers trained and the medications labeled to make sure the right child gets the right amount of the right medication at the right time?

Staff Training/First Aid

  • Have caregivers been trained how to keep children healthy and safe from injury and illness?

  • Do they know how to do first aid and rescue breathing?

  • Have they been trained to understand and meet the needs of children of different ages?

  • Are all child care staff, volunteers, and substitutes trained on and implementing infant back sleeping and safe sleep policies to reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, crib death)? (When infants are sleeping, are they on their backs with no pillows, quilts, stuffed toys, or other soft bedding in the crib with them?)