The Office of Child Care (OCC), under the Maryland State Department of Education, is responsible for all child care licensing and regulation in Maryland. The primary mission of OCC is to make sure that safe child care is available to all Maryland families.

Know the Difference

You may choose to have a friend or a relative come to your home to provide care for your child. Or you may wish to have a relative care for your child in the relative's home. These informal kinds of child care are not recognized under Maryland laws and are not regulated. However, if you choose an informal caregiver who is not a relative and who cares for your child outside of your home for more than 20 hours per month, Maryland law requires that caregiver to be regulated.

Regulated child care means that a child care provider has been authorized to operate by OCC and that the provider meets the minimum health, safety, and program standards set by Maryland law. A regulated provider must continue to meet those standards in order to maintain OCC's approval. The state has established procedures, which include on-site inspections, to check regulated providers' compliance with regulations.

There are two kinds of regulated child care providers: child care centers and family day care homes.

CHILD CARE CENTERS

These are facilities which generally serve large groups of children. They operate for part or all of a day at least twice a week. The children are supervised by professional child care staff. Within the center, children are usually grouped with others of the same age.

There are different types of child care centers. Some centers primarily provide care for infants and toddlers. Other centers care for preschool or school-age children. Some centers care for children of mixed-age groups, from six weeks old through school age. Small group centers have a maximum capacity of 12 children and may be located in private residences. School-age child care centers offer programs before and/or after school hours and during school holidays and vacations.

Nursery schools are educational programs for children 2 years through 4 years old. These programs are approved by the Maryland State Department of Education. Most are also licensed by CCA.

FAMILY DAY CARE HOMES

Professional child care is provided in the caregiver's home. Regulations allow the caregiver to take care of up to eight children at one time if the home meets certain physical requirements. No more than two of these children, including the caregiver's own, may be under two years old unless additional staff members are present.

Family day care is typically available for at lease eight hours per day and usually offers flexible scheduling. Like many child care centers, some family day care homes serve only certain age groups or children who have special needs.

A non-relative or an agency which provides out-of-home child care on a regular basis without being licensed, registered, certified, or otherwise regulated is an illegal caregiver. Illegal child care is against the law. Also, using illegal child care can be dangerous for your child because an illegal caregiver has not met any health or safety standards.

Finding the right kind of child care takes time. If possible, begin looking a few months before your child will need care. Allow several weeks for visiting different child care centers and family day care homes.

When looking for child care, it is important to visit a child care facility when children are involved in program activities. That will give you an opportunity to see if the children like the program and how they get along with program staff. This may also give you an idea of how well the program suits your child. If you find a facility you think is suitable, try to come back for a second visit and take your child. Does your child seem comfortable there? After the visit, try to find out from your child how he or she felt about the facility.

Before you visit any child care setting, you should call and talk with the family day care provider or center director to get some basic information.

Here are some questions you may want to ask:

• What time do you open and close?
• How much do you charge, and when are payments made? Weekly? Monthly?
• Does the price include meals and snacks, or do I need to bring food for my child?
• How many other children are in your program, and what are their ages?
• Are your services and fees written down in the form of a contract or service agreement?

If you are uncomfortable with the answers to any of these questions, the facility is probably not the right one for your child.

When you visit the facility, there are three main things you should look for to make sure the program is the right one for you and your child. These three things are: the caregiver, the children, and the space within the facility which is used for child care.

1... LOOK AT THE CAREGIVER

• Can you talk easily with the caregiver?
• Are you comfortable with the person?
• Do you feel you can trust the caregiver?
• Does the caregiver seem to enjoy being with the children?
• Is he/she really listening and responding to them?
• Is the caregiver able to keep up with the children, or does he/she seem overly tired?
• Are the children supervised at all times?
• How does the caregiver discipline the children? Be aware that Maryland law forbids corporal punishment.
• Does the caregiver use a calm voice?
• Does he/she speak to the children on their own level?
• Does the program have written policies and procedures? If so, do parents receive copies?

2... LOOK AT THE CHILDREN

• Do the children seem to enjoy being with the caregiver?
• Are the children given a chance to make choices?
• Are they able to "explore" on their own?
• Do the children seem to understand and follow the program's rules and routines?

3... LOOK AT THE SPACE USED FOR CARE GIVING

• Is the provider's child care license or registration displayed? Is it current?
• Does the program area look clean and safe?
• Do the children wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet?
• Are cleaning supplies, sharp objects, medicines, and other dangerous items put away out of the children's reach?
• Is there enough space indoors and outdoors so all the children have room to play? Is the outdoor play area safe?
• Is there enough heat, light, and ventilation?
• Are there fire extinguishers and smoke detectors?
• Are all toys and materials in good condition? Are they suitable for the children's ages? Can the children reach them easily?
• If meals and snacks are provided by the program, are they nutritious? Are they the kinds of food you want your child to eat?
• In general, does the program have a safe, healthy, and happy "feel" to it? Is it a place where children can be children?

If you can answer "yes" to all these questions after your visit, you have probably found the right facility for you and your child. But you also have to listen to your instincts: If you feel uncomfortable with the facility for any reason, you should look for another one.

As a parent, you play the most important role in your child's growth and development. Deciding on the right kind of child care for you and your child is difficult. But it's a decision that only you, the parent, can make. The previous questions should give you an idea of what to look for. They may also help you to think of more questions to ask. Here are some additional suggestions you may find helpful:

When you find a facility that fits your needs and feels right for your child, talk with the caregiver again. Good communication with your caregiver is important right from the start. Tell the caregiver about your child and the kind of care you would like for your child. This is especially important if your child's care will require any particular conditions. It will also help the caregiver know what you expect for your child.

Work out arrangements with the provider before your child begins the program. Be sure to discuss who is responsible for providing meals and snacks, when fees are due, what happens if fee payment is late, and the days that the facility is closed. Signing a contract or service agreement will help to settle these arrangements.

If you are unhappy with something about the facility after your child has started there, discuss the situation with the caregiver as soon as possible. Doing so may make it easier to work out a solution.

You can help the caregiver care for your child by letting him or her know if something unusual happened at home the previous night or weekend. That way, the caregiver can plan or be on the lookout for differences in your child.

If you choose regulated child care, you have several rights which are protected under Maryland law.

• Have the right to expect that the care your child receives meets minimum standards set by Maryland child care regulations.
• Have the right to visit the facility any time your child is in care without making an appointment.
• Have the right to see the rooms and outside play area where care is provided during program hours.
• Have the right to review the public portion of the licensing or registration file of any child care facility at a regional OCC office.
• Are to be notified if someone in the family day care home smokes. Smoking is not allowed in program areas of a child care center.
• Have the right to receive advance notice when a substitute will be caring for your child in a family day care home for more than two hours.
• Must give written permission before a caregiver may take your child swimming, wading, or on field trips.
• Are to be notified immediately of any serious injury or accident. If your child has a non-serious injury or accident, you must be notified on the same day.
• May file a complaint with OCC if you believe that your child care caregiver is violating child care regulations. Any complaint you make to OCC about the care your child is receiving will be promptly investigated by OCC. All complaints are kept confidential.

CCA's Purchase of Child Care (POC) program issues vouchers to eligible families to help them pay their child care costs. To be eligible for this program, families must meet certain need and income requirements. The program is administered through the Howard County Department of Social Services. If you would like more information about the POC program, please call 410-872-8700 and ask for the Child Care Unit.

You may also get information about the program by calling OCC's Office of Program Development at (410) 767-7840.

As of January 1992, the national Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires all child care programs to make reasonable efforts to accommodate children with disabilities. Unless doing so would be excessively difficult or expensive or would change the basic nature of the program, every child care program is required by law to admit and serve disabled children in a way that meets their particular needs. The following are some examples of such services:

• Making a schedule change for a child who takes medication and/or naps in the morning;
• Having staff who are trained in sign language, or hiring an interpreter;
• Putting signs in Braille on the personal belongings of a child who is blind;
• Removing physical barriers which block access to the program by disabled children or offering alternative means of access, if this can be done without a great deal of difficulty or expense. For more information about the ADA, please contact one of the following organizations: