Types of Child Care

Family child care homes offer care and supervision for up to seven children in the provider’s own home for seven or fewer children for part of the 24-hour day. Large family child care homes offer care and supervision for eight to 12 children and have more than one provider. In this arrangement, your child will go to a caregiver's home along with a number of other children.

Some family child care homes may be licensed, but many are not, so be sure to ask. Licensing rules and regulations vary from state to state. Many states impose them only if the provider cares for more than four children. Some require that providers have pre-service and ongoing training. All states set minimum health, safety, and nutrition standards for providers, but enforcement is often lax.

Usually more flexible than a day-care center, family day care providers will sometimes keep children extra hours or even overnight if parents have to travel on business. Some are willing to care for your baby when he's mildly ill.

Pros:

  • Schedules are usually more flexible than at formal child care centers.
  • Homelike setting can be appealing.
  • Usually the least expensive option.
  • Your child may get a good amount of one-on-one attention if the group is small.
  • Your child may have contact with other children of different ages.
  • You can have all your children in the same group.

    Cons:

  • Sometimes less structured and less educational than center care.
  • You need a backup plan if your caregiver is sick.
  • May be subject to less oversight and fewer health and safety regulations than formal child care centers.

    Child Care Centers are programs licensed by the state and operate in a facility designed specifically for the care of children. Size and the number of children can vary quite considerably — some centers being licensed for only a handful of children, while others may have over 100. Some parents prefer a day care center because it's the most regulated option. Centers have to meet the requirements of state or local licensing authorities. Licensing regulations often require child care centers to segregate infants, toddlers, and preschoolers based on the required staff/child ratios. Staff members usually have child development training. You don't have to scramble for substitute care as you would if your sole caregiver got sick. And centers tend to stay in business, which means you don't have to look for a new caregiver as often as you might with a nanny or family day care.

    Due to their "school-like" setting, children experience a significant amount of interaction with other children. Some centers provide drop-in services provide care for children on a drop-in basis and meet the needs of parents seeking occasional or part-time care. Part-day programs provide care and supervision, generally offering preschool or mother’s day out programs, for more than 15 hours and up to 30 hours a week.
    Pros:

  • The majority of center programs have an emphasis on education.
  • They are reliable every day. Unlike individuals, child-care centers do not call in sick.
  • State regulations set standards for staff-child ratios, group size, staff training, safety of building and sanitation.
  • Centers are more likely to have a variety of developmental toys and books for your child to choose from.
  • Caregivers have training in early childhood education.
  • Center-care programs are usually modeled with a group in mind and are therefore very structured without much flexibility.

    Cons:

  • Your child may receive less individual attention.
  • Many centers have fixed business hours and are not able to accommodate individual schedules.
  • Minimum standards do not always create optimum environments.
  • Licensed centers are often in short supply.

    Preschool Care is a group care program primarily for children ages two and one-half up to six years old. In Kern County, preschool care includes Licensed Preschools, Head Starts, Montessori Programs, Playgroups, Parent Cooperative Preschools, and Part-Day Preschools. Families should look at each program to see which philosophy best works with their child and meets the family's needs. Most provide services weekdays between around 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., though many preschool programs operate part-day and/or part-week sessions and follow the public school calendar.

    School-age programs provide care and supervision for school-age children, such as before-school and after-school programs, extended day programs, day camps, summer camps and summer park programs for more than 15 hours per week.

    In-home care (Includes Nanny Care, Au Pairs, and Babysitters) means hiring someone to come into your home and care for your child. In-home providers do not have to be licensed and there are specific tax and employment rules that apply. Both nannies and au pairs fall under the category of in-home care and can be found through agencies that will search for a provider according to your requirements. Au pairs are often exchange students from foreign countries who care for children in exchange for room/board and a fee set by an agency.

    There is no training or licensing of such caregivers. Caregivers should at least receive training in Infant/Child First Aid and CPR, available through many hospitals, Hall Ambulance, and Red Cross. It is recommended that, for the safety of your child, you obtain a TrustLine fingerprint clearance for the person, which is a background check through State and FBI criminal records and State Child Abuse Index.

    Pros:

  • Your child will be more accustomed to her surroundings because she is in her own home.
  • Because your child is alone with his provider he is likely to receive more individual attention.
  • Transportation and other logistical factors are taken care of by the provider.
  • Individual child-care providers can be more accommodating — especially in the case of live-in providers — so you will have more flexibility and control.
  • Care is available when your child is sick.

    Cons:

  • By staying home, your child will not be exposed to the kinds of group interactions he/she would in a center.
  • There is no way for you to monitor what your child does all day.
  • Your child will not be exposed to an academic or physical program.
  • You need a back-up plan for when your caregiver is ill.
  • In-home care is sometimes more expensive than other care.

    Relative Care is provided by family members, which includes parent, grandparent, brother, sister, step-parent, step-sister, step-brother, uncle, aunt, cousin. A parent may hire a relative or other person to provide child care either in their home or yours. These arrangements can be of equal or lower cost, or free. There are no State requirements for training. Caregivers should at least receive training in Infant/Child First Aid and CPR, available through many hospitals, Hall Ambulance, and Red Cross. It is recommended that, for the safety of your child, you obtain a TrustLine fingerprint clearance for the person, which is a background check through State and FBI criminal records and State Child Abuse Index. License-exempt caregivers who are paid through public subsidy funds are often required to obtain a TrustLine background clearance.


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