Q:  How can I find child care in my community?

A:  You can locate child care programs and providers in your area by visiting the homepage of the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies. 

Click to conduct a web-based search to identify child care programs in your area accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. This organization administers a national accreditation process for child programs that meet NAEYC standards of quality. 

If you are looking for a home-based provider for your baby or toddler, the National Association for Family Child Care offers an Internet-based search option so that you may identify NAFCC-accredited family child care providers in your area.

Choosing an accredited program means that the provider or program has met quality standards that exceed those required by state or local licensing guidelines.  But accreditation does not tell the whole story. Recommendations from other parents, friends and co-workers are often helpful as well. And, of course, you still have to visit and judge for yourself how a caregiver or program meets the needs of your child and family. What do you look for and ask about once you begin visiting programs? Click here for our tips on choosing a child care setting for your infant or toddler.