Our trained referral counselors are available to answer questions and make referrals based on identified family needs, ages of children, location, and type of care requested. Reach this free service by calling 650-655-6777, Monday – Friday, 9:00AM – 4:00PM. If you leave a message, your call will be returned as soon as possible and within two working days. You may also choose to search for yourself by logging into our online referral database, submitting an email request, or visiting our office during our normal business hours, Monday – Friday, 8:30AM – 5PM.

Choosing Child Care - A powerpoint presentation outlining the different types of care, the steps for choosing a provider, and tips for making the transition.

Choosing Child Care and Preschool - An introduction to the process of choosing quality child care and preschool is provided in this two-page hand-out.

Curriculum Models - Wondering what a Montessori program is? Check out our hand-out for an overview of the common curriculum models.

Interview Questions - Sample questions to use when interviewing a provider.

4Cs offers ongoing workshops for parents and caregivers on choosing child care, preschool or both. These are low cost, held in the evenings and are scheduled throughout the year. For information about upcoming workshops, call 650-655-6777, or check our online calendar. Our R & R Counselors are also available to do presentations for your club or at your workplace. Send an email request or call 650-655-5010.

More About Licensing

Currently in California, all family child care homes and most child care centers are licensed by the Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing (CCL) Division. Some child care programs and providers may be exempt from licensing for the following reasons:

• Any person providing care for the children of only one family, in addition to the operator’s own children.
• Any care and supervision by a relative or guardian.
• Certain public and private schools that operate a program before and/or after school for school age children.
• Certain public and private recreation programs.
• Cooperative arrangements between parents that involve no payment.
• Child care on federal lands.

Licensing requirements insure that basic standards have been met at the time of licensure and include requirements that pertain to staffing ratios and qualifications, physical plan requirements, health and safety practices, and administrative requirements. Further information can be obtained from the local CCL office at 650-266-8843 or visit the state website at http://www.ccld.ca.gov/PG411.htm.

Licensing does not attempt to measure or assess other areas of child care services not specifically addressed in state regulations, such as curriculum guidelines, staff training, social relations and interactions, parent participation, decision-making, satisfaction levels, cultural awareness, or developmental appropriateness.

More About Accreditation

The process of accreditation is a way for child care programs to evaluate and improve their services. While it acknowledges those programs that attempt to “go beyond” minimum requirements, it is just one way for a program to demonstrate quality, and not all high quality programs may be accredited for a variety of reasons. The primary accrediting bodies are:

• The National AfterSchool Association (http://www.naaweb.org/) – for before and after school programs
• The National Association for the Education of Young Children (http://www.naeyc.org/) – for early childhood programs
• The National Association for Family Child Care (http://www.nafcc.org/) – for family child care homes

Our trained referral counselors are available to help you learn more about accredited programs in your area, and answer other questions you may have about how to recognize quality in child care programs. Please feel free to contact us at 650-655-6777, or send us an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .