Who is Required to be Licensed by the Department of Family Services?
Generally, if your provider is caring for more than 2 children who aren’t related
to the provider, they probably should be licensed. If you have
specific questions as to whether or not your provider should be
licensed, contact your local Child Care Licenser.
There are three types of programs licensed by the state.
- Family Child Care Home
- This is a smaller program offered in the provider’s residence where there are 10 or fewer children in care.
- Family Child Care Center
- This type of program provides care for 15 or fewer children and may be located in either the provider’s home or a commercial type building. Whenever there are more than 10 children present, there must be 2 caregivers.
- Child Care Center
- This is a larger program where care is provided for more than 15 children in a commercial type facility. The number of children that can be care for is based on the size of the facility.
Are Any Programs Exempt from Licensing?
Yes. Listed below are those instances where a program does not have to be licensed by the state:
- A legal parent or legal relative’s care of a child
- Occasional care of a neighbor’s or friend’s child if the person providing the care does not regularly engage in this activity
- Parents exchanging care on a cooperative basis
- Child care provided by a person that you have employed to come into your home to provide care
- Child care by a person who is caring for less than 3 children
- Any child care facility which is supervised by the state, local government or school district
- Child care provided for the care only of the children in one immediate family unit
What are the Regulations for Child Care?
All licensed child care programs are required to meet the requirements in
the Child Care Licensing Rules. These rules are designed to assure the safety of
your child while he/she is in care. The physical premises must meet health and
safety requirements and the appropriate staff:child ratios must be met.
In addition, the provider and all staff are required to meet continuing education
requirements. There are other requirements in addition to those listed above.
If you are interested in viewing more details about licensing requirements, the
complete text of the Child Care Licensing Rules is available.
How does the Department of Family Services Monitor Child Care Facilities?
Child care licensers are located across the state and are responsible for a
caseload of licensed programs in one or more counties. At a minimum, the
licenser conducts one unannounced and one announced site visit to each licensed
facility each year. In addition to the regular visits, a licenser may visit a
facility for a variety of reasons including:
- Pre-licensing visits for new programs
- Complaint investigations
- Technical assistance
- Follow-up visits, as necessary
What Can Parents Do?
Because parents are in a child care program each day, they have the best
knowledge of what the provider is, or is not doing. Children need for parents
to constantly assess the child care arrangement. Here are some proactive ways
parents can evaluate child care providers on an ongoing basis:
- Ask your child what he or she does during the day
- Find out how he or she interacts with the caregiver. Listen carefully to what your child says
- Spend a few minutes each day to talk with the caregiver about your child
- Drop in frequently and participate in activities
- Observe behavior during drop-off and pick-up, and explore unexplained changes
Problems with a provider?
