Child Care Licensing and Regulation
Neighbors Go—March 1st, 2010
Winter is almost over and before we know it summer will be upon us once again. While summer provides a nice break for school-aged children, many parents and guardians are employed and cannot afford to stay home with their children. During these economic times, it is difficult to find an affordable and dependable child care program. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) provides helpful resources in order to help parents make an informed decision regarding child care. After all, nothing is more important than our children’s safety.
Types of Child Care Centers
There are two basic types of child care facilities: home-based and center-based. Home-based care facilities are further divided into licensed, registered, and listed facilities. Everyone who is over 14 years of age and routinely works in a regulated or unregulated operation must clear a background check. Both registered and licensed child care homes, along with child care centers, are regulated by the state. All applicants working in these homes or centers must attend a child-care orientation session, have a high school diploma or GED, and have training related to child care and education, including CPR and first aid. Additionally, all the centers are inspected by DFPS before they are licensed or registered.
“Licensed child care homes” provide care for 7 to 12 children, from infancy to 13 years of age, either in a person’s own residence or a separate location. The director of a licensed home has to meet certain educational requirements and must have experience in child care.DFPS routinely inspects these homes between one and four times per year, often unannounced.
“Registered child care homes” provide care for 6 or fewer children younger than 5 years of age, but they may take up to 6 additional school-age children after school, for a total of 12 children. This number includes any children that reside at that household. DFPS inspects these homes at least once every three years, depending on the residence’s history of compliance with minimum standards.
A third type of home based care is the unregulated “listed” family homes. These homes provide care in a caregiver’s own residence for 3 or fewer unrelated children. They may also care for children related to them but cannot care for more than 12 children at any given time. DFPS does not inspect these homes unless there is a report of abuse or neglect. There are no requirements for providers set by the state, and there are also no health and safety standards.
“Child care centers” provide care for 7 or more children under the age of 14 for less than 24 hours per day in a place other than the child’s own home. They are required to maintain a license. DFPS routinely inspects centers at least once a year, often unannounced.
Each child care facility is different and not all children are comfortable in every setup, so the DFPS recommends that you visit any potential facility with your child to observe their interactions and to meet the caregiver.
Why is Child Care Licensing Important?
Many times, parents are unaware of the multitude of child care options. It is important to research your potential child care facility to ensure it is registered and/or licensed through the DFPS. The purpose of child care licensing is to protect the well-being, safety and health of children, to regulate standards and encourage improvement of programs, and to guarantee that the program is both affordable and available to children and parents. Additionally, the DFPS enforces a minimum set of standards and rules and routinely inspects child care facilities to enforce them.
Child Care Websites
A list of licensed child care centers and homes and the results of recent inspections of these locations can be reviewed at the DFPS website. You may search by operation type or location. Another great resource is the Texas Child Care Resource and Referral Agency, whose local resource agency is Child Care Group. Of course, the DFPS also encourages you to talk with relatives, friends and other parents to get their recommendations.
Furthermore, if you would like additional information about the different types of child care facilities, a checklist to reference when visiting facilities, and a list of important questions to ask your child’s future daytime caregiver, the “Child Care Solutions: Exploring Your Options” pamphlet is available at my district office. If you would like a copy, please feel free to contact my office and request that a brochure be mailed to you.
If you have questions regarding these resources or about the information provided, I invite you to contact my district office at (214) 370-8305 or my capitol office at (512) 463-0244. Please free to email me as well at District107.Vaught@house.state.tx.us, and be sure to include your name and full address. I look forward to hearing from you.
