Published: August 06, 2007 08:29 am         

Help available for parents choosing child care

ADA — “Choosing the right child care may be one of the most important decisions a family can make for their child,” said Cheryl Bell, coordinator of East Central’s Child Care Resource & Referral Agency. FREE services are available to every family in Oklahoma that needs help finding and choosing safe, quality child care that fits their needs. Locally, families can phone the ECU Child Care Resource and Referral Agency at (580) 436-5202 or toll-free at 1-800-862-5593 to learn what to look for when choosing child care, get a list of licensed child care providers in their area and discover assistance programs that may help them pay for child care.

In a poll conducted by the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral, parents said a safe and healthy environment is their most important goal for choosing child care. It is very hard for working parents to leave their child with someone they don't know. Child Care Resource and Referral Specialists are trained to help parents understand the types of things to look for when selecting safe child care. Such things as low adult-to-child ratios, safety equipment including smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and outlet covers, background checks for caregivers, and training in child development, first aid and CPR can make all the difference between a safe environment and one that is not.



These specialists will also give parents information on how to access the licensing record for any child care center or family child care home that the family is considering. Records are maintained by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) on all licensed child care providers in the state. Our Resource and Referral Specialists tell families how to contact the OKDHS licensing worker, who will either fax the family a summary of a facility's licensing record or help the family review the detailed record in person at the county OKDHS office.



Oklahoma rules require all licensed child care facilities provide parents' access to all areas of the home or center during the hours that children are in care. The Child Care Resource and Referral Specialist reviews that policy with parents who call. “We encourage parents to interview a prospective child care provider at the home or center prior to placing the child in care. We also suggest that parents go back after the interview and observe the provider actually caring for children,” said Bell. Finally, parents are encouraged, once they have placed a child in care, to make unannounced visits to the facility-whether it is a center or family child care home-and to make the visits at different times of the day and week.



Even after placing their child at a facility, parents are advised to periodically review the licensing record again, because records are changed and updated every four to six months. In addition, parents should get to know not only the providers who care for their children but also other parents who have children in the same facility. This will help them learn of potential problems and issues at an early stage.



Parents will always have the primary responsibility for overseeing the safety and development of their children even while the child is in someone else's care. But Child Care Resource and Referral Specialists can help parents with this responsibility by advising them about choosing and remaining involved with their child's care.



The ECU Child Care Resource & Referral Agency is a member of the Oklahoma Child Care Resource & Referral Association, Inc, a private, non-profit organization established in 1999 to promote child care quality, affordability and availability for all Oklahoma families. Its services are provided through eight regional resource and referral agencies located throughout the state.





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