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It's important to think specifically about your needs and those of your child, as well as what might be available. Knowing your child care needs sounds simple, but make sure you’ve thought through such specifics as your child’s age, the time of day or season when you’ll need care, location, financial considerations including assistance with no-cost health insurance, and any specific needs your child may have. |
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Your Child’s Age is key in choosing child care. You'll feel more confident about leaving your child in care when you make sure that the setting you choose meets the particular needs of the age of your child. For example, infants thrive when they are allowed to set their own schedule of naps and feedings. Preschoolers need lots of time to explore their environment. And school-age children need a variety of activities and materials to keep them interested. Select a setting that meets the child development needs of his or her age.
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Time of Day ... or Season matches the hours of care you will need with what might be available. Be sure to get clarity before choosing a particular child care setting.
- Full time care is considered a full week, at a minimum of five hours a day in most settings. Part time care could be just a few days a week or a few hours a day. School-age care is before and/or after school, and some settings don’t offer both so it’s important to ask.
- Most family child care homes and child care centers offer care between approximately 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, but some options exist beyond those hours; including evenings, overnight, weekends, and special summer camp programs.
- Some settings offer options such as occasional or drop in care, 24-hour care, or temporary or emergency care.
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Location is important for most parents. If you have an infant or young child, you might prefer child care closer to your workplace. Few employers offer onsite child care. If your child is in school, you might prefer child care closer to home or school, or on the school bus route. Some schools offer before and after school care onsite.
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Financial Considerations will certainly be part of your decision. Care for school-age children, for example, will be less than care for toddlers and infants. Quality child care is expensive and so is the cost of providing quality care. Overhead costs for child care providers include maintaining up-to-date materials and environments, insurance, salaries, and professional development; as well as additional expenditures if they are working toward accreditation or further academic credentials.
You could be eligible for financial assistance, depending on your income, through your local county Department of Job and Family Services. Many child care centers, homes, and school-age programs participate in subsidy programs. Other options to help offset your costs include the possibility for no-cost health insurance through Healthy Start! or taking the child care credit on your taxes.
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Specific Needs of your child will also be part of your decision-making process. These needs could be health-related, such as allergy to pet dander or cigarette smoke, or they could be related to physical, cognitive or emotional needs that require special accommodations. If your child has special needs, it will be beneficial to be up front when interviewing potential child care providers. The provider’s response can often help you decide whether or not to proceed with the next step of setting up an onsite interview.
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More . . .
Prepare for your search by learning about the types of child care settings, including child care centers, family home child care, school-age programs, summer camps.
What to Look For
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