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University Avenue West, Suite 324-S, St. Paul, MN 55104 Phone: 1-651-636-1989 or 1-800-652-9704 Fax: 1-651-636-9146 |
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To the Parents and Advocates... Hello and Welcome to the Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association (MLFCCA) web site. You have reached a family child care organization serving family child care providers. As such, we are not a resource and referral network for parents looking for child care nor do we endorse any one agency or provider.However, if you care looking for child care in the state of Minnesota you may call these numbers to inquire about child care openings in each respective county. Minnesota Child Care Resource & Referral Network Why Choose Family Child Care? Our Homes. Our Profession. Our Commitment. WHO USES FAMILY CHILD CARE? Family Child Care is a widely used type of out-of-home care for young children in the United States, and is a preferred choice for infants and toddlers. Research has shown that family child care has unique qualities that make it the preferred arrangement of many parents. In fact, nationally 38% of all children under age 5 with working parents are in family child care programs and/or are in the care of relatives. WHY CHOOSE FAMILY CHILD CARE?
Good child care is NOT “just babysitting” A good family child care home does much more than keep children busy, under control, and out of trouble. A quality family child care home is a place where a family child care professional understands and responds to children, takes care of their physical needs, comforts them, and teaches them. Caregivers in a good family child care home know how to show children love and acceptance, and at the same time, strengthen the bond that children have with their own home and family members. The family child care home is a place where children not only play but learn through play, using toys and materials that are interesting and just right for their growing abilities. Care is given by a provider who has learned about growing children and applies that knowledge in his/her services. A family child care home can provide rich opportunities for children’s learning. Young children learn best when they are actively involved with things and people. They also learn well when they are comfortable, in a familiar setting, and when the experiences fit in easily with what they know already. The kitchen is one of the world’s best learning environments. Preparing food can teach science, math, and language as a child watches steam rise from a tea kettle, helps measure the flour into the muffin batter, and talks about the white and yolk of an egg. Natural happenings and neighborhood events contribute to a child’s learning in a home. When it “looks like rain,” there is time to scan the sky and talk about clouds. If a city crew starts to fix a pothole in the street or a neighbor invites the children to see a litter of kittens, this event becomes the activity of the moment. For young children, daily happenings are important educational events. Family child care makes it possible for children to get the attention they need, when they need it, and promotes understanding between children. A family child care setting usually has a small group, but a wide range of ages. The range in ages allows an infant to enjoy the closeness and activity of a 5-year-old’s play while giving the 5-year-old a chance to learn about babies. Early development is the basis for all later development. Children’s feelings of self-worth, their attitudes toward themselves, other people and the world, and the skills with which they cope and operate are all acquired early and through all of their experiences. A quality family child care care home fills the many hours that the child spends there with meaningful and developmentally appropriate activities that help children grow. Some resources for parents:
WHAT ARE CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL SERVICES?: Child Care Resource and Referral agencies provide families, child care programs and providers, and communities with information and support for quality child care that is affordable and accessible for all Minnesota families. Services of CCR&R programs:
GUIDE FAMILIES: BUILD PROVIDER/PROGRAM CONNECTIONS: BUILD COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: BUILD EMPLOYER CONNECTIONS: Minnesota’s Child Care Resource and Referral programs Guide Families and Build Connections. To view contact information about an agency, click here to bring up a map of the regions and respective CCR&Rs in Minnesota. Local CCR&R agencies maintain a state-of –the-art database of child care programs and providers across Minnesota. They help families take the guesswork out of choosing care by providing referrals, information on state licensing requirements, availability of child care subsidies, and other pertinent information. CCR&Rs provide this personalized guidance by phone, in person, and over the Internet. They work cooperatively with all types of child care programs/providers, and do not discriminate in referrals based on race, sex, age, or national origin. The quality of programs or providers may vary. CCR&Rs make it easier for families to select a child care program or provider based on what is important to the individual family. Call the Statewide Hotline at 1-888-291-9811 to be directed to your local CCR&R.Services are availble in English, Hmong, Somali, and Spanish. To view other community resources nationwide please visit the Child Care Aware website: Child Care Aware |
The entire site and all contents:
©2001-2008 Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association, All Rights Reserved In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 or (202)720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. |
