Off Campus Child Care
Finding Quality Child Care
Choosing a child care provider can be one of the most important and influential decisions a parent makes. The National Association for Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies provides five steps for choosing quality child care.
Accreditation
Many states have rules for child care centers, child care ministries, and child care homes. These rules are set and monitored by local agencies. Licensing rules may help parents judge the quality of local child care. Learn more about accreditation from the Child Care Aware Web site.
Program Quality Checklist
This checklist 
provides guidelines when choosing a child care provider. It is recommended that you visit several different programs before choosing which one is the best for your family. Stay at least an hour to watch activities, check the surroundings, and ask questions. You can use the right side of the checklist to make notes on up to three child care programs.