Parents
Are you looking for child care?
We can assist you in locating child care options in seventeen different counties: Benton, Boone, Carroll, Cleveland, Crawford, Drew, Franklin, Johnson, Lincoln, Logan, Madison, Newton, Pope, Sebastian, Scott, Washington, and Yell. To request a referral online click on the "Search for Child Care" button below. Fill out the short form and a referral specialist will contact you with a list of facilities shortly.
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TIPS for Choosing Child Care
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1. Start looking early. Many facilities have waiting lists, so research your options before the new baby arrives.
2. Visit and Ask Questions. Look at health and safety, education and turnover, accreditation, adult to child ratio, etc... 3. Make a choice based on information gathered. Take time to review inspection reports. 4. Stay in the Know. Make sure to have parent-caregiver meetings, offer volunteer time, field trips, etc... |
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What to Look For When Finding Child Care
Health and Safety- This will help protect children from injury and illness. Any type of poisons, including cleaning supplies should be stored out of the reach of children. Child care providers should clean toys regularly, disinfect diaper changing stations, and wash their hands thoroughly.
Education and Turnover- An important indicator of quality is education and ongoing training. Arkansas requires child care providers working in a licensed facility to complete 15 hours of training each year. Providers who have special training and/or degrees will be better able to help children learn.
Accreditation- Check to see if the child care provider is accredited by a national organization. This shows the provider went above and beyond minimum licensing standards. Examples are NAFCC (The National Association for Family Child Care) and NAEYC (The National Association for the Education of Young Children).
Adult to Child Ratio- Adult to child ratio is how many children there are per adult in each room. The less the children for each adult, the better for the child. Infants need no more than one adult for four babies. Preschoolers can do well with one adult per 10 children.
Education and Turnover- An important indicator of quality is education and ongoing training. Arkansas requires child care providers working in a licensed facility to complete 15 hours of training each year. Providers who have special training and/or degrees will be better able to help children learn.
Accreditation- Check to see if the child care provider is accredited by a national organization. This shows the provider went above and beyond minimum licensing standards. Examples are NAFCC (The National Association for Family Child Care) and NAEYC (The National Association for the Education of Young Children).
Adult to Child Ratio- Adult to child ratio is how many children there are per adult in each room. The less the children for each adult, the better for the child. Infants need no more than one adult for four babies. Preschoolers can do well with one adult per 10 children.
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