Childcare

In this section, find out about:
● Searching for Child Care
● Licensing & Accreditation
● Babysitter Training
● Child Care Health & Safety Issues

● SEARCHING FOR CHILD CARE ●
Action for Children
Provides child care and early learning information free of charge for parents, including parenting classes and information about choosing child care. Their website provides free resources for people living in seven central Ohio counties. Click to search for child care.
78 Jefferson Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43215
(614) 224-0222
- www.actionforchildren.org
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Healthy Child Care America
Offers an online site for parents and providers to find resources related to early education and child care, including resources for children with special needs, nutrition information and injury prevention.
141 NW Point Blvd, Elk Grove Village, Illinois 60007
(888) 227-5409
- www.healthychildcare.org/resourcelibrary.html
Care.com
Allows parents to go online and find babysitters, nannies, child care centers, au pairs and special needs caregivers in their area.
1400 Main Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451
- www.care.com
Child Care Aware Parent Network
Provides information on how to find high quality child care in the community, including five steps toward choosing quality child care, videos on what to look for when choosing a child care center, and an online site to find babysitters and nannies and special needs care. Parents can have information on a variety of topics sent to them for free.
1515 Courthouse Road, Arlington, Virginia 22201
(800) 424-2246
- www.ccaparentnetwork.org/resources
Ohio Association of Child Caring Agencies (OACCA)
Their website contains advocacy information and helpful resources, as well as a directory of members and services and a referral form for services throughout Ohio.
50 West Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215
(614) 461-0014
- www.oacca.org
Ohio Child Care Resource & Referral Association (OCCRRA)
Click to find child care resources and referral agencies in your county.
6660 Doubletree Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43229
(877) 547-6978 or (614) 396-5959
- www.occrra.org
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS)
Search online for child care providers by location, type of facility and ages of children. Parents can learn about each program, its licensing status, its location and the number and ages of children served. Their website also has information about affording day care and other useful links. Print out the four-page Parent's Guide to Choosing Safe and Healthy Child Care, a parent checklist developed by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
30 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215
(877) 852-0010 or (614) 752-0435
- http://jfs.ohio.gov/cdc/childcare.stm
YMCA of Central Ohio
Offers over 60 programs throughout Franklin, Delaware, Fairfield, and Pickaway counties. Their services include Educare Centers (full-day infant through preschool programs), early childhood education programs, preschool programs, school age programs, and year-round care (programs when schools are not in session).
40 West Long Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215
(614) 224-1142
- http://ymcacolumbus.org/childcare
● LICENSING & ACCREDITATION ●
General Ohio Licensing Information
All child care centers in the state of Ohio are licensed by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) or the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). Because a license is no guarantee of quality, some programs have gone beyond minimum licensing standards to obtain accreditation from the National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs (NAEYC). Ohio is one of the few states that does not require home providers who care for 6 or less children (Type B homes) to be licensed. Type B home providers can go above minimum standards, however, by being nationally accredited through the National Association of Family Child Care (NAFCC).
78 Jefferson Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43215
(614) 224-0222
- www.actionforchildren.org
Licensing Agencies
National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)
Individuals who have achieved NAFCC accreditation have met the highest standards available for in-home providers. Click below to find home care providers that are nationally accredited through NAFCC. There are less than 30 in Columbus.
743 West Alexander Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119
(801) 886-2322
- http://nafcc.org
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
Has a voluntary accreditation program for child care centers who wish to meet quality standards that go above and beyond basic licensing requirements. Ohio has more than 150 NAEYC accredited child care centers. Go online to search for these centers.
1313 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
(866) NAEYC-4U or (800) 424-2460
- www.rightchoiceforkids.org
Ohio Department of Education (ODE)
Licenses preschool programs and school-age child care operated by schools and educational centers. Click below to search for licensed centers.
25 South Front Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215
(877) 644-6338
- www.ode.state.oh.us
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS)
Their website has information about what is covered in the licensing law in Ohio, what must be regulated and additional standards. When checking on centers licensed by ODJFS, families can click to search for a center and then view their inspection report online or calling below. Centers are required to be inspected before they are licensed. Step Up to Quality (SUTQ) is a voluntary quality rating system for child care centers licensed by ODJFS. Each star means they have gone above and beyond minimum standards.
30 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215
(866) 635-3748
- http://jfs.ohio.gov/cdc/childcare.stm
● BABYSITTER TRAINING ●
American Red Cross Babysitter Training
Offers beginner and advanced babysitter training. Visit their website for a schedule of classes, pricing and registration information.
995 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43205
(614) 253-2740
- http://classes.redcrosscolumbus.org
Nationwide Children’s Hospital Babysitter Training
Participants must be at least 11 years old, and registration is $25. The registration fee includes educational materials, a babysitter success kit, lunch and a certificate of completion.
700 Children's Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43205
(614) 355-0662
- www.nationwidechildrens.org
Safe Sitter
A nationally-recognized program developed by pediatricians that provides quality babysitting training programs for youth at many locations throughout Columbus and Ohio. Click to find program locations.
8604 Allisonville Road, Indianapolis, Indiana 46250
(800) 255-4089
- www.safesitter.org
● CHILD CARE HEALTH & SAFETY
ISSUES ●
Handouts and Links for Parents
Healthy Kids, Healthy Care
Parents can go online to find useful information about safety, sick children in child care, diapering, handwashing and more.
13120 East 19th Avenue, Aurora, Colorado 80045
(800) 598-KIDS or (800) 598-5437
- www.healthykids.us
Help Me Grow (HMG)
Their parents and caregivers page has information about child health, children with special needs, school readiness, safety, resources by county and parent rights.
246 North High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215
(614) 644-8389
- www.ohiohelpmegrow.org
National Resource Center for Health & Safety in Child Care & Early Education
Offers information on a variety of topics, including handling asthma in a child care setting, required immunizations, child care emergencies and resources for children with special needs.
13120 East 19th Avenue, Aurora, Colorado 80045
(800) 598-KIDS or (800) 598-5437
- http://nrckids.org/RESOURCES/list.htm
_________________________________
CAP4Kids does not recommend or endorse the agencies or resources listed on the site. This is an informational site only. We encourage users to carefully review and evaluate all services and decide what is best to meet the needs of their families.