1. Decide what you need
Your child's age decides which license to look for. Then think about the hours you need and how far you are ready to drive every morning.
2. Make a short list
Type your city or ZIP code and pick three to five centers. Look at the kind of license and how many children each center is licensed for.
3. Check the license
Ask the center to show its current license. Compare its number and kind with the ones listed here.
4. Call
Ask whether there is a place for your child's age, what the hours and fees are, how many children there are per adult, and whether someone speaks your family's language.
5. Visit
Go during the day, when children are there. Watch how adults talk with the children, look at the rooms, the yard and the place where children sleep.
6. Before the first day
Ask for the admission agreement and the list of fees in advance. Ask how the center tells parents about injuries and illness. California law (Health and Safety Code section 1596.857) gives a parent the right to enter the center without advance notice whenever their child is in care there.
Guides for parents
Kinds of child care licenses in California and the ages they cover
Infant center, preschool-age center, school-age center and the single license: what each one means, and which child care is not in this directory at all.