Choosing care for your child while you work or go to school is one of the most significant decisions a family will make. Child Care Aware ® of America produced a guide Is This the Right Place for my Child? that is designed to help families with their search for child care.
The Child Care Aware booklet contains a checklist that can be used by families to evaluate child care programs. The questions are based on research about what is important to children’s health, safety, and development.
The District of Columbia has a child care quality rating system to help parents make their decision. Similar to rating systems for restaurants and hotels, the District’s “Going for the Gold” quality rating system awards quality ratings ranging from Bronze to Gold to early and school-age care and education programs that meet a set of defined program standards. Even child care providers that have met the District’s entry-level standards (Bronze level) have achieved levels of quality that are beyond the minimum requirements to operate.
Need to find child care?
DC Child Care Connections, a District funded resource, provides families with information about licensed child care programs available in DC via phone and an online search. DC Child Care Connections also provides checklists and other tools to help families identify high-quality child care programs.