Finding good quality child care services can be a worrisome and difficult tasks, here we have put together five steps to help choose child care.

Start Early

Start looking a far ahead of time as possible. Whether you are looking for a child care center or care in someone’s home, finding the right child care services can take some time.

Make a Call

Start your search by calling the Child Care Resource and Referral agency in your area. They will be able to give you the facts about child care as well as a list of options in your area. Make sure you ask them:

• What the licensing requirements in your area?
• How can I get information about complaints or licensing violations?
• Do I qualify for any child care financial assistance?

Visit and Ask Questions

When you visit a child care that you are contemplating, find out about these key signs of quality:

• Adult to Child Ratio – You want to know how many children there are per each adult. The less children per adult, the better for your child as you do want your child to get plenty of attention.
• Group Size – Ask how many children are in the group, the smaller the group the better.
• Qualifications – Caregivers with degree or special training working with children will be better able to help your child learn, so be sure to ask about their training and education.
• Turnover – Check how long caregivers have been with the cent or offering care in their home. Children do best if they are with the same caregiver for at lease a year.
• Accreditation – Is the childcare accredited by a national organization? Providers who are accredited have met standards for child care that are above most state licensing requirements.

Make a Choice

To make the best choice for your child and family think about what you saw at each visit.

Stay Involved

Just because you found good child care for your child doesn’t mean the work is over, here are some ways to stay involved:

• Have regular meetings with your caregiver and ask questions.
• Volunteer your time when needed.
• Be there for your child’s birthday party.
• Visit and read a book aloud.
• Join in special events like field trips or holiday parties.