For Families

Know Your Child Care Options

You have child care options to choose from. What are the differences?

• Child Care Center
  A child care center is in a commercial building. Child care centers care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children for less than 24 hours a day. They do not provide medical care. A child care center will receive one or more licenses based on the ages of the children at the center. Child care centers are sometimes called "nursery schools" or "preschools". Child care centers are licensed by the State.
  
• Family Child Care Home
  A family child care home cares for children in the caregiver’s home. A family child care home is licensed as either a small or large home. Small homes may have up to eight children at a time, and large homes may have up to fourteen children at a time, if there is an assistant or second child care provider. Family child care homes are licensed by the State.
• License-Exempt and In-Home Care (Nanny or babysitter)
  In-home care, where the caregiver (nanny/babysitter) comes to the child’s home, and where the child care provider cares for children from only one other family in addition to their own, do not need a license. These are called license-exempt providers.  Some other programs that serve groups of children, such public recreation programs with specific rules and before and after-school programs run by schools following specific guidelines, are license-exempt.