All child care centers in Ohio must be licensed. A place that is not the home of the administrator and offers care for seven to twelve children at any given time or a place where child care is provided for thirteen or more children at one time must be licensed by the Ohio State Department of Job and Family Services. Licensed programs conform to minimum health, safety and education requirements.
There are several national accrediting bodies for centers, and the two most well-known are Montessori accreditation and NAEYC--The National Association for the Education of Young Children accreditation. Accredited programs meet specific quality criteria that focus on several areas that impact the experiences of children, parents and staff in these centers.
Action for Children offers to centers pursuing NAEYC accreditation both technical assistance and grants for program improvements through the Start Smart Initiative funded by United Way of Central Ohio. Currently more than 150 child care centers in central Ohio are working toward or have achieved NAEYC accreditation through AFC’s facilitation program. You can learn more about Start Smart by clicking on the logo above.
If you are interested in more information, please contact us at (614) 224-0222 or Contact Us.
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