Choosing Child Care for Your Family

Posted on October 30, 2024 by CHS
Choosing the right child care program for your family can feel overwhelming. Learning about the types of child care available and the regulations child care providers are responsible for following can help you decide which program will best meet your family’s needs. Keep reading to learn more about:
- Types of child care available in California
- Community Care Licensing (CCL)
- TrustLine
- Tips for Choosing a Child Care Program
Types of Child Care Programs
In California, you can choose a program that is licensed or license-exempt. Child care centers and Family Child Care Homes that are caring for the children of more than one family are licensed by Community Care Licensing (CCL), a division of the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). As licensed child care providers, they are responsible for following the rules and regulations of CCL. A Licensing Program Analyst (LPA) is assigned to different areas of each county, and they can conduct unannounced visits to check the health and safety of licensed child care.
Child Care Centers provide care for children in a group setting for either part-day or full-day care. Centers can provide care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and/or school-age children depending on their license. They may be independently operated or connected with a school, church, business, or other organization. All licensed child care providers are required to have been tested for tuberculosis, passed a class in CPR/First Aid/Health and Safety, received required immunization, and been fingerprinted for a background check.
Children in centers are separated into groups by age and may have one to two caregivers, depending on the type of license and how many children are enrolled in the program. The adult-to-child ratio requirements are typically one teacher with four infants, one teacher with twelve preschoolers (ages two to six), and one teacher with fourteen school-age children. Staff in licensed centers are required to have Early Childhood Education (ECE) units from a college or university, and may have a Child Development Permit or university degree in child development.
Licensed Family Child Care Homes may have a small capacity or large capacity license. A small license allows them to care for eight children (depending on their age), and a large license allows them to care for fourteen children with no more than four infants if they have an assistant caregiver. Children are cared for in a mixed-age group setting, including infants and children up to about twelve years old. Child care providers in a licensed home are not required to have ECE units, but they may have chosen to acquire units or a degree.
License-exempt programs include programs on a public or private school site, cooperative agreements (co-ops), and public recreation programs. This also includes child care providers who care for relatives, or who care only for the children of one family. They are usually referred to as Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) child care providers. License-exempt providers are fingerprinted through TrustLine, but are not required to follow CCL regulations, have ECE units, or have been trained in CPR/First Aid/Health and Safety.
Community Care Licensing (CCL)
Community Care Licensing (CCL) is the division of the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) that distributes and monitors child program (facility) licenses in both homes and centers. They are committed to ensuring the health and safety of children in care. Licensing Program Analysts (LPA) visit licensed child care facilities to conduct periodic unannounced visits and respond to community complaints.
Parents have the right to get information about any substantiated or inconclusive complaints regarding a child care provider that they consider selecting for their child. The information is public and can be accessed by calling the local licensing office. Information about complaints in a specific facility is also available on the CCL Facility Search webpage. If a parent sees something in a licensed child care facility that they feel is unsafe or a concern, they can report it anonymously to CCL by calling the Complaint Hotline at 844-LET US NO (844-538-8766) or submit information online.
TrustLine
In 1987, the California Legislature created TrustLine to be a resource for parents who are looking for unlicensed child care. Parents may use TrustLine to check the background of caregivers who are not currently required by the State of California to be licensed. TrustLine, a public registry maintained by the California Department of Social Services and the Child Care Resource and Referral Network, includes caregivers who have submitted their fingerprints to the Department of Justice and have no disqualifying child abuse reports or disqualifying criminal convictions in California.
These license-exempt providers include: in-home care in which a caregiver (nanny, babysitter, friend, or relative) provides care for the child in the child’s own home, and home care in which a caregiver provides care in their home for children from only one other family besides their own. Some before-and after-school programs may also be license-exempt.
This is the only authorized screening program for in-home and license-exempt caregivers in the state that has access to fingerprint records from the California Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and California’s Child Abuse Central Index. It is free for parents to use the TrustLine Registry to check the background of a potential caregiver. TrustLine can be reached by calling 1-800-822-8490, or by visiting their website.
Tips for Choosing a Child Care Program
Once you have decided on the type of care you think will work best for your family, you can call your local Resource and Referral (R&R) Program or search online for a child care provider. If you live in the Greater Long Beach area, Orange County, Sutter County, Yolo County, or Yuba County areas, you can search for child care programs on the CHS website. If you live in another California county, you can search online with the My Child Care Plan website. Once you have some referrals for child care, you can call them to schedule an appointment to view their facility and talk about their program.
Before going to visit child care programs, make a list of questions to ask. The CHS brochure Choosing Child Care: Making the Right Choice for Your Family has a checklist you can use as well. The checklist contains items to look for regarding health and safety, the child care provider’s personal style of care, and the provider’s professionalism. Preparing a list of questions in advance will ensure that you receive the information you need to make the right choice for your family. Ask if you are able to bring your child with you when you visit so that you can see how they respond to the environment and caregivers. While you are there, you can also ask to view their parent handbook to learn more about their policies, requirements, holiday schedules, and program philosophy. Some programs may also allow you and your child to participate in the daily activities for an hour or two.
With a little time and preparation, you can find a quality child care program that provides your child with a safe and healthy place to grow and develop. For further information regarding child care referrals, please contact one of CHS’s R&R Program offices.
References and Resources:
Choosing Child Care: Making the Right Choice for Your Family (brochure) by CHS is available in English, Spanish, and other languages
Parental Choice of Child Care Services (brochure) by CHS is available in English and Spanish
Separation: Easing the Transition from Home to Child Care (brochure) by CHS is available in English, Spanish, and other languages
When is Your Child Too Ill to Go to Child Care?: How Sick is Too Sick? Recognizing the Signs (brochure) by CHS is available in English, Spanish, and other languages
Child Care Referrals: Search for child care in the Greater Long Beach area, Orange County, Sutter County, Yolo County, and Yuba County areas on the CHS website (español)
Child Care Payment Assistance: Families in the Greater Long Beach area, Orange County, Sutter County, Yolo County, and Yuba County areas can apply for child care payment assistance from the Child Care Payment Program on the CHS website (español)
Contact a CHS Resource and Referral Program
Community Care Licensing Resources for Parents
Community Care Licensing Transparency (Facility Search) Webpage
TrustLine Registry: California's Background Check for In-Home and License-Exempt Child Care Providers (español)
California Department of Public Health Shots for School (Immunization Requirements)