Child Care Solutions: Exploring Your Options

A child-care program can have a tremendous influence on your child. A good program may improve language skills, social skills and self-esteem. While no child-care operation can replace a parent's love and attention, well-chosen care can complement your efforts and enhance your child's development. There are many child-care choices available and the quality can vary widely.

We hope this guide helps you understand:

1. How different child-care providers are regulated and evaluated against our minimum standards; and
2. How you can research various child-care options to make an informed choice. Once you read this guide, start your search at our Web site - www.txchildcaresearch.org - to find information about all child-care providers licensed, registered or listed with the State of Texas.

Types of Child Day Care in Texas

Home-based care

• more than 15,000
  
• Registered child care homes
  
• Licensed child care homes
  
• Listed family homes (unregulated)
  
  

Center-based care

• more than 9,000 child day-care centers
  
• Drop-in care
  
• Kindergarten and nursery school programs and some schools grades kindergarten and above
  
  * Totals based on 2010 DFPS Data Book, the number of child-care providers known to Child Care Licensing.

How does Child Care Licensing regulate homes and centers?
All regulated child-care operators must meet minimum standards for a child's health and safety. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services' (DFPS) Child Care Licensing (CCL) inspects all licensed centers and homes and all registered homes to check for compliance with the minimum standards appropriate for the type of care. These standards have basic requirements for a safe environment and for caregivers to have minimal training and professional development every year. DFPS develops minimum standards in consultation with caregivers and experts in child development, education, fire safety, health and sanitation.

What kind of care is best for my child?
This depends upon you and your child's needs and the setting you think would be best for your child. Look for qualities that help children thrive. These qualities are listed within the checklist found below. Most importantly, look for the education, experience, and training of caregivers as well as the group size for your child's age.

How do I find child care that meets my standards?
Child-care solutions are within your reach. Your child will benefit from the time you spend researching and choosing a child-care setting that meets the needs of your child and family. Child care is a choice. Make it an informed one by following these steps.

1. Research your options. If possible, begin gathering basic information several months before you think you will need child-care.
   • Check our Web site - www.txchildcaresearch.org - to find information about child-care providers. The Web site offers the operation's details and results of our inspections.
     
   • You also may call your local Child Care Licensing office for a list of home-based or center-based operations in your area.
     
   • Talk to friends, family and other parents to get their recommendations.
2. Narrow your list to a few centers or family homes that interest you:
• Arrange to visit them to compare their programs. If you did not obtain the inspection reports through www.txchildcaresearch.org, you will want to ask each for the compliance information, or you can call your local Child Care Licensing office to request compliance information over the phone.
  
• Visit when the children are in care so you can see what kind of activities are planned and how the caregiver interacts with the children.
  
• Observe the caregivers, the environment and the children at the operation using the checklist below.
  
• Keep in mind the individual needs of your child. Imagine what it would be like to spend eight to 10 hours every day in that environment.
3. Meet with the caregiver or director.
   Discuss any of your concerns and make sure your questions are answered to your satisfaction. It may be a good idea to return unannounced. If you have any reservations about the caregiver or the operation, trust your instincts and keep looking.

Sample Questions* to ask:

Please describe a typical day. ·

• How much TV are the children allowed to watch?
  
• How do you discipline children?
  
• How do you handle nap times?
  
• How do you handle toilet training?
  
• What types of play or learning activities do you have?
  
• Do you have CPR and First Aid Training?
  
• What other training do you and your staff receive?
  
• What child proofing have you done to prevent accidents?
  
• What types of foods do you serve for meals and snacks?
  
• Are children ever transported in a vehicle? Do you use seatbelts or car seats?
  
• How do you handle emergencies?
  
  * Sample questions written by Lesia Oesterreich, Iowa State University, University Extension. Used with permission.
4. Use the following checklist to help decide if the center or home is right for your child. Remember, a license, registration or listing does not guarantee quality child care. It is your responsibility to make sure that the center or home will meet the individual needs of your child and provide an environment where he or she can flourish. If possible, take your child with you to see how the caregiver and child interact and how the child adjusts to the environment.

* Checklist written by Lesia Oesterreich, Iowa State University, University Extension. Used with permission.

Once my child is in care, how do I ensure care stays at my standards?
1. Keep talking with the caregiver.
· Good communication with your child and child's caregiver is vital from the very beginning and will help ensure good care for your child.
· Talk to the operation director or provider about their policies and make sure to sign and read a contract. A contract should cover issues like fee payments, late fees, operation holidays, and who provides snacks and meals.
· Many homes or centers share weekly activity plans and menus. Ask to see them.
· Ask about your child's behavior, interactions and progress.

2. Keep talking with your child.
· Ask your child about their day, what they did, whom they saw or anything special that day.
· If your child doesn't want to return to care, talk with your child and find out why.
· Talk to the caregiver if anything unusual seems to have happened.

3. Talk to Child Care Licensing, if necessary. Report problems.
· If you think any child's health or safety is jeopardized in a child-care setting, report your concerns immediately to your local Child Care Licensing office.
· You can also file a report with Child Care Licensing if you have other concerns that you cannot resolve with your child's caregiver. All reports are taken seriously.
· To report your concerns, locate your local DFPS Child Care Licensing office on the DFPS Web site, www.txchildcaresearch.org, or call the child-care information line at 1-800-862-5252.
· A licensed center or home or a registered home that fails to maintain the health and safety standards could have sanctions imposed upon it.
· In addition to inspecting licensed and registered child-care operations and homes, CCL investigates allegations of abuse or neglect and other alleged violations of standards and laws.

How do I report suspected child abuse?
If you suspect that any child is being abused or neglected by anyone, you are required by law to report it to a local law enforcement agency or to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Call DFPS' 24-hour, toll-free hotline, 1-800-252-5400. Failure to report suspected child abuse and neglect is against the law. The law also protects individuals who make reports in good faith from legal liability.

Types of Child Day Care and Regulation in Texas
Home-Based Care - Everyone over 14 years old who is routinely in a regulated or unregulated home-based operation must clear a background check. In regulated care, applicants must attend a child-care orientation session, have a high school diploma or GED, and have training related to care and education of children, including CPR and first aid.

Registered Child Care Homes - Regulated provide regular care in the caregiver's own residence for six or fewer children younger than 5 years of age. They may also take up to six more school-age children after school, including their own children.

DFPS registers, rather than licenses, family day-care homes.

• Registered family homes are inspected by DFPS before the registration is issued.
  
• DFPS inspects at least once every three years, depending on the home's history of compliance with minimum standards.
  
  

Licensed Child Care Homes - Regulated provide care for seven to 12 children, birth through 13 years old, either in their own residence or in a separate location.

DFPS licenses some child care homes.

• Directors must meet certain education requirements and have experience in child-care.
  
• Before a home can be licensed, DFPS staff will inspect it to make sure it can comply with minimum standards.
  
• DFPS routinely inspects, often unannounced, between one and four times per year, depending upon its history of compliance with minimum standards.
  
  

Listed Family Homes - Unregulated provide care in the caregiver's own residence for three or fewer unrelated children. They may also care for children related to them; however, they must never care for more than 12 children at any given time.

DFPS does not inspect listed family day homes unless there is a report of abuse or neglect.

• There are no age, education or training requirements for listed providers.
  
• There are also no health and safety standards.
  
  Center-Based Care
  Child care centers provide care for 7 or more children under 14 years old for less than 24-hours per day in a place other than the child's own home. Centers may have different names, such as preschool or child development center. They may serve a specific population, such as school-age children. All provide care, supervision, training or education for children.
  
  DFPS requires all center-based care to maintain a license.
  

• Everyone over 14 years old must clear a background check.
  
• Applicants must attend an orientation session.
  
• Directors must meet certain education requirements and have experience in child-care.
  
• Caregivers must have a high school diploma or GED.
  
• Directors and caregivers must meet training requirements related to care and education of children, including CPR and first aid.
  
• Before a center can be licensed, DFPS staff will inspect it to make sure it can comply with minimum standards.
  
• DFPS routinely inspects a center, often unannounced, at least once a year, depending upon its history of compliance with minimum standards.
  
  

Child Day-Care Centers provide care, supervision and education or training for 13 or more children, birth through 13 years old.

Licensed Child Care Homes provide care in the caregiver’s own residence for children birth through 13 years. The total number of children in care varies with the ages of the children, but the total number of children in care at any given time, including the children related to the caregiver, must not exceed 12.

DFPS licenses child care homes

• Directors must meet certain education requirements and have experience in child-care.
  
• Before a home can be licensed, DFPS staff will inspect it to make sure it can comply with minimum standards.
• DFPS routinely inspects, often unannounced, between one and four times per year, depending upon its history of compliance with minimum standards.