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The links and resources provided below are excellent sources for child care information.
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State Regulations
State Child Care Licensing Resources
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)
http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/
DFPS is charged with protecting children and licensing group day-care homes, day-care centers, and registered family homes. DFPS provides inspection information/ history for child care programs.
DFS is responsible for:
- Safeguarding the basic health, safety, and well-being of Texas children by developing and enforcing minimum standards for child-caring facilities and child-placing agencies.
- Investigating complaints and serious incidents involving day care and residential-care facilities and, if necessary, taking corrective or adverse action.
- Licensing group day care homes, day care centers, and registered family homes, child-placing agencies, and private and publicly owned residential child-care facilities.
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National Accreditation
One way for parents to identify high-quality child care programs is to look for programs that have achieved national accreditation. Accreditation is a voluntary process designed to improve the quality of child care programs by setting standards for quality. There are several national accreditation systems for early care and education programs, including:
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National Child Care Organizations
Child Care Aware
English: http://www.childcareaware.org
Spanish: http://www.childcareaware.org/sp/
Child Care Aware is a national project that helps parents find their local child care resource and referral ( CCR&R) agency. Child Care Aware has several brochures to help you find quality child care. Information is available in English and Spanish on the Web at http://www.childcareaware.org/en/tools/pubs/.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
http://naeyc.org
NAEYC is a nonprofit professional organization of more than 103,000 members dedicated to improving the quality of care and education provided to our nation’s young children. NAEYC runs the National Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation, which is a voluntary, national accreditation system for high-quality early childhood programs. NAEYC has brochures to assist you as you make child care choices.
National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC)
http://nccic.org
The National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC), a service of the Child Care Bureau, is a national clearinghouse and technical assistance center that links parents, providers, policy-makers, researchers, and the public to early care and education information.
National Network for Child Care (NNCC)
http://www.nncc.org
NNCC is operated by the Cooperative Extension system. It offers over 1,000 publications and resources related to child care.
National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care (NRC)
http://nrc.uchsc.edu
The National Resource Center is located at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colorado, and is funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, HRSA. The NRC's primary mission is to promote health and safety in out-of-home child care settings throughout the nation.
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Health & Wellness Resources
American Academy of Pediatrics
http://www.aap.org
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and its member pediatricians dedicate their efforts and resources to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.
BabyCenter
http://www.babycenter.com
BabyCenter.com , the leading destination on the Internet for new and expectant parents, together with its companion site ParentCenter.com, a Web resource for parents of children ages 2 to 8, is dedicated to helping you find the information and support you need during pregnancy and in caring for a baby, toddler, or child.
Kids Health
http://www.kidshealth.com
KidsHealth provides doctor-approved health information about children from before birth through adolescence. Created by The Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media, the award-winning KidsHealth provides families with accurate, up-to-date, and jargon-free health information they can use. KidsHealth has separate areas for kids, teens, and parents.
ZERO TO THREE: National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families
http://www.zerotothree.org
ZERO TO THREE is a national organization focused only on issues affecting infants and toddlers. The Parenting A–Z section of ZERO TO THREE’s Web site is on the Web at http://www.zerotothree.org/ztt_parentAZ.html. |
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Additional Resources
- Quality Child Care: Making the Right Choice for You & Your Child, published by Parents’ Action for Children (formerly the I Am Your Child Foundation), focuses on the importance of finding quality child care and contains tips for parents about choosing quality child care. For additional information, contact Parents’ Action for Children at 888-447-3400 or at http://www.parentsaction.org/index.cfm.
- A Parent’s Guide to Choosing Safe and Healthy Child Care, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is a checklist for parents to help them select a quality child care provider. This guide is on the Web at http://nrc.uchsc.edu/RESOURCES/ParentsGuide.pdf.
- Child Care Safety Checklist for Parents and Child Care Providers, produced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), is on the Web at http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/chldcare.html.
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