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Part 1 Organizing a Quality Child Care Program
children to maintain enrollment in a fully licensed child care center. For many parents,
a nearby group home can be a desirable choice. It provides a smaller group setting
than a center and can offer the warmth of a home setting.
A disadvantage of the group home setting is that it is difficult to monitor. It is easy
for providers to enroll more children than allowed. It is also possible for the provider
to operate without sufficient adults in the setting. Because care takes place in the
home, adequate supervision, which includes on-site visits to the home, is expensive in
time and effort. As with family child care, some large agencies have a network of
group homes that are affiliated with them.
Neighbor or Relative Care
In some states, neighbors or relatives can legally care for a small number of chil-
dren—usually no more than three—without any type of registration or licensing.
These arrangements are similar to a neighborhood baby-sitting service. There is no
oversight by any licensing agency; the parent must monitor the care given. The care-
giver usually has no specific training in early child care or education and is not linked
to any formal training opportunities.
Center-Based Care
Care for larger groups of children in settings that have been organized specifically
for their use is classified as center-based care. Centers must be licensed by the state in
which they operate. Good centers have a daily program of appropriate activities and
trained staff members. Adequate equipment and healthful routines are provided for
the children.
In most states, licensing regulations are very specific and have been developed
with center-based care in mind. The amount of space needed, the qualifications of
teachers, and the adult-child ratio are controlled by licensing standards that vary from
state to state. Centers vary in terms of the hours that they are open and the services
that they offer. However, they all provide a place away from home where a group of
children stay while their parents are unavailable.
Preschool Centers
Centers are usually established with preschool children in mind. The typical
entrance age is three years. Centers for infants and toddlers are also becoming more
common. Most children leave this type of care when they enter kindergarten or first
grade. Groups of children may be all of one age group, or there may be an age mixture
within each group. While most will probably attend all day, some children may attend
only part of the day.
The quality of care in centers varies considerably. Some state requirements for
licensing are more strict than others. The level of staff training, the allowable adult-to-
child ratio, and group size can differ a great deal from state to state. The amount of
space needed for each child, the equipment, the schedule, and the quality of planned
activities can all affect the care provided.