Child Care Link
Families
Search for Childcare | Choosing Child Care | Financial Assistance | Family Resources
Choosing Child Care
Choosing child care for your child is a very important and sometimes difficult decision. As a parent, you want to ensure that your child is safe and happy in a child care environment that is fun, educational, and nurturing. Read on to learn how to go about making such an important decision.
- Save yourself frustration by taking the time now to do a careful childcare search
- Make your goal to find the best quality of care for your child and consider both center and home-based care.
- Visit the childcare program for at least an hour, visit more than once, and visit with and without your child.
- Ask for a tour of the program so you can see where children will eat, sleep, and play.
- Ask for references of families who have used the program
- Be sure to understand anything you sign and get a copy. Written agreements help parents and caregivers
- know what is expected of each.
- Ask for a copy of the program's philosophy or purpose
- Have a backup plan for childcare in case your needs or the care changes.
- Always pay attention to the signals your child is giving to you.
- Programs that meet national accreditation standards meet higher standards than state requirements
- To check on licensing rules or program status or file complaints call the Virginia Department of Social Services at 1-800-543-7545.
Family Child Care Homes
Do not have to be licensed in Virginia if they have 5 or fewer children, however they can be Voluntarily Registered or certified which means they have met state standards
Family Child Care Homes that are state licensed home can care for up to a 12 children. A certified or Voluntarily Registered home can care for 5 or fewer children. Points determine the maximum number of children. Each adult cannot go over 16 points. Infants are 4 points, toddlers 3 points, preschoolers 2 points and school-age 1 point.
Child Care Centers
Centers must be licensed if caring for thirteen or more children. Religious exempt centers, even though they are not licensed, must meet certain state requirements.
Does the program meet the state adult to child ratio? The following ratios are the minimum standards for Virginia. Higher quality programs have fewer children per adult.
Child Care Centers
1 adult per 4 children: birth to 15 months
1 adult per 5 children: 16 months to 24 months
1 adult per 8 children: 2 years
1 adult per 10 children: 3 to 5 years
School age:
1 adult per 18 children: 5 to 8 years
1 adult per 20 children: over 9 years
Backup Child Care
Even the best planned child care arrangements can be disrupted from time to time. Without emergency care, more commonly known as backup care, working parents may be forced to stay home or bring their child to work with them. By planning ahead and knowing your options, you can be prepared to meet the unexpected.
Backup care may be needed whenever your regular child care arrangements are not available. Backup care can be used when either your child or your provider is ill, when providers are on vacation, resign, or go out of business, when schools are closed, or any situation in which your regular child care arrangements fall through.
Sick Child Care
Sick childcare programs provide care for children who are mildly ill or recovering from a health problem.
The Get Well Center at Greenvale School is open year-round, Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM. All children must be pre-registered before attending the center. Call (540) 342-4716.
Child Care Alternatives
In-Home Child Care
In-home care, both live-in and live-out, has several advantages. Your child can develop a close relationship with one person in the family's home and parents can work out a routine that suits both their child-rearing philosophy and the child's individual needs.
- Nannies
A nanny is employed by the family, on either a live-in or live-out basis, to undertake all tasks associated with the care of children. Duties are generally restricted to child care and related domestic tasks. - Au Pair
Lives as part of the host family, receives from them an allowance for living expenses and helps with childcare and homework. May or may not have previous childcare experience. - Information Packet
To receive a "How to hire an In-Home Caregiver" information packet please email your name and address to childcarelink@councilofcommunityservices.org.
If you would like information about the providers last inspection visit you may check on line at the Virginia Department of Social Services
