Choosing Child care

The personality, skills, training and child caring philosophies of the people caring for your child are major factors determining the experience she or he will have each day.

Good quality childcare includes: caregivers who provide warm, loving age-appropriate guidance; trained and experiences caregivers; a safe, comfortable and healthy setting; small child-to-staff ratio and small group sizes; and, finally, activities and an environment designed to help children grow and learn mentally, physically, emotionally and socially.

For further information about finding quality child care download Child Care Action Council's Parent Guide.

Child Care Action Council's trained Resource & Referral counselors will assist you in finding child care best suited to your needs. An in-depth interview helps determine the family's needs and preferences. A listing of providers is created through our computerized database which includes over six hundred state licensed homes and centers in Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific and Thurston Counties.

Contact the Resource & Referral team by calling 360.754.0810 or 800.845.0956 or click here to request a child care search electronically and get your referrals by email.

Child Care Action Council (CCAC) works with the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies and the military services to help military families access high-quality, affordable off-post child care. These specialized services include enhanced referrals to child care providers who meet standards comparable to military child care, and fee assistance to help families with the cost of child care. Through the Army Child Care in Your Neighborhood program, CCAC also recruits and assists child care providers to become nationally accredited or, for family child care providers, to meet specific educational requirements. For more information contact Sokha Bunn at x105.

Most children, including those with disabilities and special needs, spend some time in a child care environment. In a quality child care environment, caregivers respond positively to differences in children’s abilities, interests and experiences.

Let us know if your child has special needs of any kind. The Child Care Action Council's trained Resource & Referral specialists will provide you with and enhanced search to assist you in finding a child care that can meet your needs. Our child care provider professional development academy offers free classes on working with children with special needs every month. In a quality child care environment, caregivers respond positively to differences in children’s abilities, interests and experiences. CCAC also provide onsite consultation to parents and providers to assist in creating a relationship and an environment where your child will succeed and be happy. CCAC encourages child care providers to accept children with special needs and keeps track of providers that have education and experience working with children with special needs. Contact the Resource & Referral team by calling 360.754.0810 or 800.845.0956 or click here to request a child care search electronically and get your referrals by email.

Additionally, our community partners, South Sound Parent to Parent and Arc of Washington State, provide support for families including a child with special needs.

WORKING CONNECTIONS:
The Working Connections Child Care Program helps low income families pay for child care expenses while the adults are working, looking for work, or in an approved training program. This program is funded by state and federal funds, and is administered by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). Eligibility is determined by income.

 

TO APPLY:
Use the DSHS Trial Eligibility Calculator to determine if you are eligible for the WCCC or other DSHS programs. If you think you are, you can apply online.

 

COPAYMENT:
All Working Connections Child Care families are required to help pay for child care services with a co-payment. The co-payments will vary, with a minimum payment of $15.00 per family, each month. DSHS staff will determine the specific co-payment amount based on the family size and total income.

 

QUESTIONS:
For more information about the WCCC subsidy call the Working Connections Customer Service Center at 1-877-980-9180.

The Department of Early Learning's Licensed Child Care Information System (LCCIS) helps parents and others find general information about licensed child care providers and facilities. For more specific information about a child care provider's licensing history, call the Department of Early Learning (DEL) toll-free 24 hours a day at 1-866-482-4325.

You can play an important role in the ongoing monitoring of licensed child care and school age care programs. To inquire about a specific licensed program, discuss concerns or file a complaint, call the Licensed Child Care Information Line at 1-866-482-4325.