Finding the right child care provider takes work
And it takes asking a lot of questions – from the practical ones about hours and meals, to the personal ones about discipline and toilet training. As parents talk to providers, the most important question to consider is, “Will my child receive loving and careful attention?"
Your local child care resource and referral agency can help you choose the type of care that best fits your needs and values.
There are three main types of child care settings:
Family Child Care Home
Care offered in the home of the provider, who is often a parent. The number of children a family child care provider can care for depends on the ages of the children and whether or not there is an assistant or a second provider. Family child care providers often care for children of different ages, and are licensed by the State.
Child Care Center
A facility that can provide care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children all or part of the day. Although generally larger than family child care homes, centers may be large or small and can be operated independently or by a church or other organization. Child care centers are sometimes called "nursery schools" or "preschools". Child care centers are licensed by the State.
License-Exempt Care
Care provided by a friend, relative, neighbor, babysitter, or nanny in the child or adult's home. This care is not licensed, but in-home care providers can register with TrustLine*, California's criminal background check for license-exempt providers.
*Learn more about TrustLine
See our child care glossary for descriptions of more child care terms
When considering a provider:
- Interview and observe the potential provider with the child.
Explore why this caregiver wants to care for children.
How does s/he feel about this work?
Is this person warm, caring, attentive, and responsive to the child who will be in this care? - Ask the potential provider:
What do they like to do with children?
What are their feelings about discipline?
How do they handle naps, eating, toilet training?
How would they handle an emergency? - Ask a lot of "what if" questions, for example:
What if my child cries all day?
What if my child refuses to eat?
What if my child refuses to nap? - Check references and work history.
- Trust your instincts! Hire someone you like. Hire someone your children like.
- Once you have found a good provider, be sure to:
Communicate regularly and openly about how the child care arrangement is working
Parents have the right to receive information regarding any substantiated or inconclusive complaint about any licensed child care provider. That information is public and can be acquired by calling the local licensing office. (Oliver’s Law Language per AB633 (Benoit) – 2006)