June/July 2010
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Local Resources Help Parents Find Quality Child Care By Tia Duerrmeyer 
One of the most critical — not to mention stressful — decisions a parent ever makes is choosing a child care provider. Knowing how to go about finding the right caregiver is a big question mark for many families.
With about 70 percent of parents placing their children in day care during what, according to Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, is "...the most critical stage of their development, from birth to age five," deciding with whom to entrust the care of a child is a weighty decision indeed. "Numerous long-term studies have shown that high quality care during these formative years increases the likelihood of a child's success in school and in later life," states Governor Kulongoski in a February 13, 2006 executive order regarding child care providers. Although not abundant, resources are available to help Central Oregon parents through the process of securing quality day care. Knowing what these resources are and how to access them may make the difference between choosing a day care provider who offers a safe, positive, and nurturing environment and one who operates in a manner that negatively affects a child. The Oregon Child Care Resource and Referral Network (OCCRRN), a 501c3 non-profit organization based in Salem, provides an online statewide database of care providers. At www.occrrn.org, parents can search for providers by city or zip code. They can narrow their search to include the type of child care desired, age of the child, language preferred, and whether or not the provider is state licensed. OCCRRN is clear that it provides referrals only and not recommendations. "These referrals are based on information received from child care providers themselves. The Network cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information nor the quality of child care," OCCRRN states on its Web site, noting that it is the responsibility of parents, after visiting child care providers, to choose a caregiver based upon their needs and those of the child. Locally, NeighborImpact's Child Care Resources program offers a free resource and referral service that is more hands-on and goes a step farther than OCCRRN's online database. Before providing referrals this service attempts to match the needs of the parents and their child(ren) with the capabilities of childcare providers. The program also educates parents about quality childcare. In contrast to OCCRRN's service, NeighborImpact does not provide the public with direct access to its database. Parents must either call or come by NeighborImpact's offices in Redmond and speak with one of the organization's specialists "who helps them identify a number of child care options in the area they are looking for ... [by] going through a series of questions" said Betty Shuler, early child care and education director for NeighborImpact. The specialist first asks for specific input, including but not limited to the ages of the children, whether family home care or center care is desired, if infant-toddler care or school-age care is needed, and/or whether the parent desires a facility where all of his or her children can be together. After gathering this information, the specialist taps into NeighborImpact's database of Central Oregon caregivers to formulate a list of options for the parent. Next, the case worker provides the parent with education and information on how to go about selecting quality day care. "They get that verbally. They go through a series of 'this is what to look for,'" said Shuler, who noted that this process gives the parent the power to say: "'This is what I want in quality.'" The Child Care Resources specialist follows up the verbal process with a packet of information that in writing reviews all that was verbally gathered and provides a list of selected referrals and a storehouse of information on how to go about choosing quality child care. Although it provides a more comprehensive service, like OCCRRN the Child Care Resources program does not recommend care givers. "We don't do any quality ratings. We tell exactly what kinds of state certifications the care providers have. We give only referrals," said Shuler. For more information about services offered by Child Care Resources, call and ask to speak with a specialist at (541) 548-2380 x 118 or send an e-mail to ccr@neighborimpact.org. Tapping into community referral resources, although important, is only one step on the pathway to choosing a quality child care provider. Understanding Oregon licensing requirements is also critically important. State law mandates day care providers comply with these. Oregon care providers must comply with state regulations A brief overview of state regulations affecting Oregon care providers follows. Before choosing a caregiver, parents should confirm the provider is complying with these stipulations. For more detailed information visit: http://egov.oregon.gov/EMPLOY/CCD/index.shtml. Registered Family Child Care If a person regularly provides child care in his or her home to more than three children at any one time, the provider is legally required to register with the Oregon Employment Department’s Child Care Division. A registered provider may care for up to 10 children under 13 years of age (including the provider's own) at any one time. However, only six of the 10 children may be under the age of six and only two of the six may be under 24 months. The provider must participate in a state-administered Family Child Care Overview session and the completion of two hours of child abuse and neglect training. An on-site health and safety review must be passed. The provider must complete 8 hours of training every two years. The provider is required to:
Care is provided in a caregiver's home. No regulations apply and no training is required if the provider cares for three or less children other than their own, the provider's relatives, or children all from the same family. Certified Family Child Care Homes and Certified Child Care Centers In a Certified Family Child Care Home care is provided for up to 16 children (including the providers) in a home setting. The state minimum indoor space requirement is 35 square feet per child. The number of students allowed will be specified on the posted license. In a Certified Child Care Center care for 13 children or more is provided in a commercial building. The number of children allowed is dependent upon space and will be specified on the posted license. These facilities can be certified to care for infants through children 12 years of age. Required staffing ratios are:
Staff are required to:
A licensed facility sets a specific age range for services. The caregiver to child ratios are the same as for certified homes and centers, but the number of children allowed is based on square footage and the number of toilets. Square footage requirements are 35 square feet per child inside and 75 square feet per child outside and only 15 bottoms per toilet. Licensed facilities are inspected by the Oregon Employment Department's Childcare Division, the county sanitarian and the state fire marshal. Infants and toddlers must be cared for in separate facilities from preschool and school age children. A licensed facility must provide an educational component along with childcare. Staff are required to:
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