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The Delima of daycare has become so great that it is almost impossible to know if you have made the right choices.
The purpose of this sight is to help you to know if you have made the choices right for you and your child(ren), and to give you loads of information we find on daycare and the laws. 
Picture above is provided by Kitty Hawk. Many organizations have developed guidelines and checklists on choosing child care based on research, observation, and experiences in the field. Included are organizations that provide information on child care centers and family child care.
Child Care Aware
1319 F Street, NW, Suite 810
Washington, DC 20004-1106
800-424-2246
World Wide Web: http://www.childcareaware.org/index.htm
Child Care Aware is a national initiative designed to improve the quality of care and increase the availability of quality child care in local communities. Child Care Aware can connect parents with the child care resource and referral agency in their locality. These agencies are important community resources that can provide information and guidelines for parents on choosing child care which reflect local regulations and requirements. They can also help find child care to meet parents?rticular needs regarding type and location of care. Let the operator know the county or city where you would like to locate child care. The operator will give you the name and number of the child care resource and referral agency which serves that community.
The goals of Child Care Aware include helping parents to identify a quality child care environment and to find quality child care in their community. Their brochure, Give Your Child Something That Will Last a Lifetime...Quality Child Care, outlines five steps to finding child care and includes an observation checklist which considers both center-based and home-based care. (This brochure is also available in Spanish.) Their choosing checklist is available on-line at http://www.childcareaware.org/fivesteps.htm.
Child Care Action Campaign (CCAC)
330 7th Avenue, 14th Floor
New York, NY 10001
212-239-0138
World Wide Web: http://www.childcareaction.org
CCAC is a national coalition of individuals and organizations focused on increasing the availability of quality, affordable child care for all families. A number of CCAC?nformation guides address child care choices, including Care for Your Child: Making the Right Choice (#13), Family Day Care (#14), Finding Good Child Care: The Essential Questions to Ask When Seeking Quality Care for Your Child (A Checklist) (#19), Finding and Hiring a Qualified In-Home Caregiver (#20), Questions and Answers about Infant and Toddler Care (#17), and School Age Child Care (#15).
Children?efense Fund (CDF)
25 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-628-8787
World Wide Web: http://www.childrensdefense.org
CDF, a non-profit research and advocacy organization, has developed an on-line Parent Resource Network that is designed to help parents navigate the Web. The Parent Resource Network, available on the Web at http://www.childrensdefense.org/parentresnet.php, provides access to more than 75 national Web sites geared specifically to parents, including: adoption and foster care; child care; children with disabilities; child support enforcement; education; health and safety; parenting education and skills; violence prevention in communities; family uses of the Internet and television; and information on parent advocacy.
Children?oundation (CF)
725 15th Street, NW, Suite 505
Washington, DC 20005-2109
202-347-3300
World Wide Web: http://www.childrensfoundation.net
CF is a private national educational non-profit organization that strives to improve the lives of children and those that care for them. CF publishes a brochure, Family Day Care: A Guide for Parents Using or Seeking Home-Based Child Care.
Educational Resources Information Center Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education (ERIC/EECE)
University of Illinois Children?esearch Center
51 Gerty Drive
Champaign, IL 61820-7469
800-583-4135
World Wide Web: http://www.ericeece.org
ERIC/EECE collects and disseminates research, literature, and fact sheets on elementary and early education, child care, and child development. You may also be interested in the following:
The National Parent Information Network (NPIN), sponsored by ERIC/EECE, includes a "Parent News" section with articles on research findings related to child care which may be useful. This resource is available on the Web at http://npin.org/; and
How Can Parents Identify a High-Quality Preschool Program is a brochure that includes a number of additional resources for getting more information on this topic.
I Am Your Child
World Wide Web: http://www.iamyourchild.org
Several national children?rganizations and the Rob Reiner Foundation launched a public campaign, known as I Am Your Child, to explain to parents, relatives and caregivers of infants and toddlers the recent brain development research that has highlighted the role that environment plays in the development of a child?rain. Two I Am Your Child campaign pamphlets that are available for parents are Quality Child Care: Making the Right Choice for You and Your Child and The First Years Last Forever: The New Brain Research and Your Child?ealthy Development. The Web site includes publications that may be of interest to parents, with recommendations for books and magazines, additional information on the new brain research, discussions of other issues in infant and toddler development for parents and information on how to order their publications.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
1509 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
800-424-2460 or 202-232-8777
World Wide Web: http://www.naeyc.org
NAEYC has brochures to assist parents as they make child care choices including: Choosing a Good Early Childhood Program (#525), Finding the Best Care for Your Infant or Toddler (#518), A Caring Place for Your Infant (#548), A Caring Place for Your Toddler (#509), A Good Preschool for Your Child (#517), A Good Kindergarten for Your Child (#524), and A Good Primary School for Your Child (#579). NAEYC?eb site has a section for parents which includes information on choosing quality child care which is available on the Web at http://www.naeyc.org/parent_resources/default.asp.
Early Years are Learning Years news releases are part of NAEYC?ublic awareness campaign to build parent?nd the public?nderstanding of the importance of high-quality early childhood programs to promote children?evelopment and learning. New releases are posted twice a month on the Web at http://www.naeyc.org/resources/eyly/default.asp. Some of these press releases are "An Important Bond: Your Child and Your Caregiver," "When Babies and Toddlers Are in Child Care, Accreditation is a Key to Quality" and "10 Signs of A Great Preschool."
National Child Care Association (NCCA)
1016 Rosser Street
Conyers, GA 30012
800-543-7161
World Wide Web: http://www.nccanet.org
NCCA is a professional trade association representing the private, licensed, early childhood care and education community. NCCA publishes the brochure The Right Path to Quality Child Care: How Parents Can Make Informed Decisions on Early Childhood Care and Education Centers.
National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW)
53 West 23rd Street
New York, NY10010
212-645-4048
World Wide Web: http://www.ncjw.org
NCJW publishes the booklet Choosing Family Child Care: A Handbook for Parents. The section on "The Follow-Up Conversation" may be useful for parents to consider after completing an initial visit with potential providers. Suggested topics include the provider?raining and experience, stability and back-up arrangements, values, health, emergency planning, and references. The booklet is available in both English and Spanish.
National Network for Child Care (NNCC)
Iowa State University
ISU Extension Distribution Center
119 Printing & Publications Building
Ames, IA50011-3171
515-294-5247
World Wide Web: http://www.nncc.org/Choose.Quality.Care/qual.care.page.html
NNCC is part of the National Extension Service Children Youth and Family Educational Research Network (CYFERNet). The Web site contains many articles including, Be Choosy About Child Care, Is My Child?are Okay? and Quality Child Care: What Does it Really Mean? This group has also developed a "Parent Checklist for Child Care" as part of their series on Choosing Care for Your Children. This article has an extensive list of questions to ask caregivers in either center or home environments based on specific ages of children needing care, from infants through adolescents.
National PTA
(Headquarters) 330 North Wabash Avenue
Suite 2100
Chicago, IL 60611-3690
312-670-6782
World Wide Web: http://www.pta.org
The National PTA prepared "What to Look for in Child Care" checklist as part of their Busy Parent?uide to Child Care.
Quality Care for Children, Inc.
1447 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 700
Atlanta, GA 30309-3030
404-479-4200
World Wide Web: http://www.qualitycareforchildren.org
Quality Care for Children has a booklet titled Child Care Choices for Parents, which provides a guide and check list that parents can use when visiting family child care homes to assess safety, health, and quality care issues.
Zero to Three
734 15th Street, NW, 10th Floor
Washington, DC 20005-2101
800-899-4301 or 202-638-1144
World Wide Web: http://www.zerotothree.org
Zero to Three is a national organization focused exclusively on issues affecting infants and toddlers. Its Web site includes "Choosing Quality Child Care" and is available on line at http://www.zerotothree.org/parent.html?Load=parent_intro.html.
Zero to Three?ublications include Caring for Infants & Toddlers in Groups: Developmentally Appropriate Practice (1995) which provides information on: development of the first three years of life; components of quality infant/toddler child care; illustrations of appropriate and inappropriate practice; developmental milestones of the first three years; and references and resources.
STATE REGULATIONS
Child care licensing agencies can provide information specific to local requirements and regulations to assist parents in choosing and monitoring child care. To see if such a guide is available, or to learn of the specific regulations and requirements of child care programs in your state, contact the State office responsible for child care regulation. This contact information can be found on the NCCIC Web site at http://nccic.org/statepro.html.
Additional publications to help parents recognize and find child care to meet their family?eeds include:
Four Steps to Selecting a Child Care Provider is a checklist for parents selecting a quality child care provider, published by the Administration for Children and Families. This publication can be found on the Web at http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/ccb/faq1/4steps.htm.
Child Care Safety Checklist for Parents and Child Care Providers is produced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This publication is available on the Web at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/childcare.pdf. For additional information, contact CPSC at 800-638-2772 or on the Web at http://www.cpsc.gov.
NATIONAL ACCREDITATION
A way for parents to identify high quality child care centers is to seek out those which have achieved national accreditation. Accreditation is a voluntary process designed to improve the quality of child care programs by establishing benchmarks for quality which go beyond minimum child care licensing standards. Achieving accreditation involves extensive self-study followed by validation by experts outside the program to verify that quality standards are being met in areas of health and safety, staff qualifications, interactions between adults and children, administration, and programming for children. There are several national accreditation systems for early care and education programs, including:
National Academy of Early Childhood Programs
(administered through NAEYC): 800-424-2460, extension 2003 or on the Web at http://www.naeyc.org/accreditation/default.asp;
National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)
800-359-3817, or on the Web at http://www.nafcc.org/;
National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA)
sponsored by the National Early Childhood Program Accreditation Commission, Inc. in Conyers, Georgia: 800-505-9878; and
National School-Age Care Alliance (NSACA)
617- 298-5012, or on the Web at http://www.nsaca.org/.
Daycare Express does not endorse any organization, publication or resource. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us .
FEDERAL CHILD-CARE TAX CREDIT How does the federal child-care tax credit work?
People who have to pay someone to look after a child while they work are eligible for a special child-care tax credit that can greatly reduce the taxes they owe. According to "Get a Financial Life" by Beth Kobliner (Simon & Schuster), "If you pay someone to take care of your child while you (and your spouse, if you?married) work, you may be a candidate for this credit. Even if you earn a high income, you may be allowed to receive a credit of 20% of your child-care expenses, up to a maximum of $2,400 for one child and $4,800 for two.
For details about the child-care tax credit see IRS Publication 503, Child and Dependent Care. You can download it from the IRS Web site or order by calling 1-800-TAX-FORM (829-3676).
What sort of records must I keep to claim a credit for child care or dependent-care expenses?
If you claim a tax credit on your income tax for expenses related to the care of a child or other dependent or participate in a cafeteria child-care reimbursement plan, you must keep adequate records and receipts, including the Social Security number or other taxpayer identification number of the child care provider, or be prepared to show that you made a reasonable effort to obtain that information.
What are the tax and other financial implications of the kind of child care I choose?
Having someone look after your child while you go to work can be costly. Exploring all your options and familiarizing yourself with some key provisions of the nation?ax code could cut your child-care costs dramatically. According to "The New Century Family Money Book" (Dell Publishing, New York), "Be sure to take a look at the various day-care alternatives available to you well before your child arrives on the scene. First, ask your employer whether any company-provided programs or financial assistance will be at your disposal. Second, given the available options, consider how you can best satisfy your child-care needs at a reasonable cost. Be forewarned that child care in any form is an expensive proposition, although the tax code is structured to provide some relief to overburdened parents. "You can take advantage of the child-care income tax credit. Or if your company provides a flexible-benefits plan, you may be able to pay child-care bills out of your pre-tax income. Whether the flexible-benefits plan or the income tax credit results in greater savings depends upon your particular tax situation, but usually the flexible-benefits plan provides the greater." It?lso worth noting that nursery and kindergarten tuition costs -- as well as day-care expenses -- are usually eligible for the child-care tax credit. In-home child care is also eligible for the credit, but you may have to withhold federal taxes and pay Social Security taxes under the so-called "Nanny Tax" laws.
Is it true that taking the child-care tax credit can trigger an audit?
It?mpossible to make your tax-return audit-proof, but it helps to know that claiming certain tax breaks can increase your chances of being red-flagged. One area that the Internal Revenue Service scrutinizes: child-care expenses. According to "The New Century Family Money Book" (Dell Publishing), "Because many people pay their child-care providers in cash, a large number of child-care deductions cannot be substantiated. It is impossible to prove a deduction without receipts, so a large claim for child-care credits may invite an audit." If you always pay for the care by check and always insist on getting a receipt for those payments, you?have a much better chance of defending yourself if the IRS eventually questions the child care tax breaks you have claimed.
CHILD CARE CHOICES How to pick what's best for you
Finding quality child care is one of the big issues you'll face as a parent. In essence, you're looking for a mommy or daddy substitute. Someone who will nurture, love, cuddle, play with and care for your baby in your absense. If you're returning to work, start thinking about child care soon after your baby's born, even as early as your second trimester if you live in a big city or anyplace where child care is limited. It takes time to find the right child-care situation for your baby, and competition for the best providers can be intense.
First, decide what kind of care you want for your child. We'll help you compare and contrast your options: day-care center, home day care, nanny care, preschool, relative care and staying at home.
Day care
Average cost for full-time care: $333 to $833 a month (range includes both infant and toddler care)
Advantages:
More affordable than nanny care
Reliable (won't call in sick)
Ample supervision
Toddlers get a chance to socialize with other children of same or other age groups
Staff members are trained in early childhood education
Licensed and regulated
Disadvantages:
Teachers care for more than one child; recommended ratios are 1:3 for babies, 1:4 for toddlers
Centers that care for infants can be hard to find
Kids get sick more often
Centers won't provide care for sick children
Closed during most holidays
Rigid pickup and drop-off times
Home day care:
Average cost for full-time care: $420 a month (infants), $360 a month (toddlers)
Advantages:
Nurturing, homelike atmosphere
Smaller groups of children than at large day-care centers
Less expensive than most other child care
Kids socialize with children in the same and other age groups
Usually more flexible pickup and drop-off times than a center
Disadvantages:
No backup if provider gets sick
Most providers don't have formal schooling in early childhood education
No caregiver supervision
Less stringent licensing requirements
Nanny:
Average cost for full-time care: $300 to $700 a week
Advantages:
More personalized attention
In-home care is more convenient than out-of-home care
More flexible than day care and home day-care centers
Children stay in familiar surroundings
Disadvantages:
Most expensive child-care option
No nanny supervision
Playtime with other children must be arranged separately, either by you or the nanny
Extensive paperwork and taxes (if you hire nanny legally)
Can leave you in a bind if she quits, becomes sick or is otherwise unavailable
Relative care:
Average cost for full-time care: Often free, but if you choose to pay, aim for $5.15 an hour (minimum wage) or more; you can also offer to do chores, give gift certificates, or pay an occasional bill for them.
Advantages:
More personalized care; ratio is 1:1 (if you have only one child)
Caregiver has personal interest in your child
You often share values with your caregiver
Very inexpensive (many relatives refuse payment)
Disadvantages:
An emotional minefield; employee-employer relationship is hard to establish with a relative
Your child-care philosophies may conflict
Playtime with other children must be arranged separately, either by you or your relative
No caregiver supervision or regulation
Older relatives may have a hard time handling toddlers
Stay-at-home parent:
Average cost for full-time care: No extra cost, but you'll be a one-income family and will likely have to make some lifestyle changes
Advantages:
No one truly replaces mom or dad
You get to be there for your child's developmental milestones
You're assured of loving, attentive care
You don't have to explain your rules or parenting philosophy to others
You avoid the work-family tug-of-war
Disadvantages:
Isolation and loneliness, especially for dads who may be looking for other fathers in the same boat.
Physical and emotional strain on caregiver
Some women suffer a loss of identity in giving up career
Playtime with other children usually must be arranged specially
Loss of income
Although preschools technically fall in the same category as day-care centers They are licensed and regulated by the same. They often have a more academic day. If you have an older toddler or young child (2 1/2 through 5), preschool is definitely an option.
Preschool:
Average cost for full-time care: $333 to $833 a month (same as day-care centers)
Advantages:
Structured environment
Well-regulated
Reliable (won't quit on you or call in sick)
Developmentally appropriate academic curriculum
Teachers are trained in early childhood education
Kids get a chance to socialize with others
Disadvantages:
Teachers have to care for more than one child; minimum ratio is 1:8
Kids get sick more often; school won't provide care for sick children
Closed during most holidays
Rigid pickup and drop-off times.
Stay at Home vs. Back to Work Introduction
Of all the choices modern mothers face, the most heart-wrenching may be whether to work or stay at home with their children. When you've just given birth to a delicious new being, can you happily hand her over to someone else for a good part of every day? Every mother wants to be there to witness her baby's first words and wobbly steps, to be the one to patch the skinned knees and roll out the holiday cookies. At the same time, if you've worked at any kind of career that gives you satisfaction, you're going to be understandably reluctant to give that up. You may not have a choice if your family is dependent on your income to pay the bills. But if you do go back to work, what about childcare? Who is going to be there with your child when you are not?
Adding to the confusion -- and the guilt -- is the range of expert opinions on this subject. In recent years, mothers have been whipsawed by studies claiming to provide definitive proof of the negative impact of childcare on young children. We've been told, among other things, that children in daycare have a weaker bond with their mothers and are more aggressive than other children, though other experts have disputed or contradicted these findings. And we've all heard the horror stories: babysitters caught abusing children by a hidden camera, daycare centers where children are parked in front of the TV. In sum, if you go back to work, you will find plenty of data to support your guilty feelings.
Stay-at-home moms often feel torn about their decision, too. They may regret their increased dependence on their husband, and their inability to contribute to the family income. Many also complain of feeling isolated, and long for the concrete rewards -- creative and social as well as remunerative -- that the workplace provides.
The bad news is that, whether you go back to work or stay at home, you will question your choice plenty of times. But the good news is that, unlike some parenting decisions, this one is not irreversible. If you don't want to go back to work right away, you may choose to do so when your child is older. And if you want to or must go right back to work, you may be able to take time off down the line, or find alternative work arrangements like flex-time or job sharing.
One certainty: No one choice has a clear advantage. Working mothers feel inadequate because they don't have time to make birthday cakes and Halloween costumes or attend every school play, while mothers at home often feel dismissed as dimwitted or lazy by those with high-powered careers. Like other parenting decisions, this is a highly personal choice. Consider the pros and cons, make up your own mind, and respect mothers who take a different path from the one you choose for yourself and your child.
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