What are the different types of child care facilities?

Types of facilities: Child care offers developmental care and education for children who live at home with their families. Several types of facilities are covered by the general definition of child care. Although States vary greatly in their legal definitions, overall, there is a generally understood definition for child care facilities. Much overlap and confusion of terms still exists in defining child care facilities. Although the needs of children do not differ from one setting to another, the declared intent of different types of facilities may differ. Thus, facilities that operate part-day, in the evening, during the traditional work day and work week, or during a specific part of the year may call themselves by different names. These standards recognize that while children's needs do not differ in any of these settings, the way children's needs are met may differ by whether the facility is in a residence or a non-residence and whether the child is expected to have a longer or only a very short-term arrangement for care. Thus, we have designated the type of facility to which each standard applies using the following definitions:

A Small Family Child Care Home provides care and education for up to six children at one time, including the preschool children of the caregiver, in a residence that is usually, but not necessarily, the home of the caregiver. The key elements are that this type of care takes place in a setting that is used both for child care and as a residence (often simultaneously) and that the total number of children is limited to a maximum of six at any one time. Family members or other helpers may be involved in assisting the caregiver, but often, there is only one caregiver present at any one time.

A Large Family Child Care Home provides care and education for between 7 and 12 children at a time, including the preschool children of the caregiver, in a residence that is usually, but not necessarily, the home of one of the caregivers. Staffing of this facility involves one or more qualified adult assistants so that the requirements specified in the child:staff ratio and group size standard are met. The key element that distinguishes this type of facility is the combined use of the premises as a residence and for child care (often simultaneously) and that the number of children in care requires more than one caregiver present at any one time.

A Center is a facility that provides care and education to any number of children in a nonresidential setting, or 13 or more children in any setting, if the facility is open on a regular basis. To distinguish a child care center from drop-in facility, a center usually provides care for some children for more than 30 days per year per child. In many cases, summer camps operate for more 30 days per year per child and, in fact, provide center-based child care.

A Drop-in-Facility provides care for fewer than 30 days per year per child either on a consecutive or intermittent basis or on a regular basis, but for a series of different children.

A School-Age Child Care Facility offers activities to children before and after school, during vacations, and on non-school days set aside for such activities as teachers' in-service programs.

A Facility for Children with Special Needs provides specialized care and education for children who cannot be accommodated in a setting with typically developing children.

A Facility for Ill Children provides care for one or more children who are temporarily excluded from care in their regular child care setting. Their condition does not require parental care but they cannot participate in the regular program at their usual source of child care, require more staff time than can be offered in their usual setting without putting the other children at risk, or have a condition that poses a risk for the adults or children in their usual child care facility. Such facilities for ill children are of two types:

An Integrated or Small Group Care Facility for Ill Children provides care that has been approved by the licensing agency in a facility that cares for well children and is authorized to include up to six ill children.

A Special Facility for Ill Children cares only for ill children or cares for more than six ill children at a time.

This information was taken from Caring For Our Children National Health and Safety Performance Standards: Guidlines for Out-of-Home Child Care Programs. Because there are no federal child care standards the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Public Health Association have compiled their recommendations in this joint publication. Caring for Our Children can be ordered from the AAP Bookstore or viewed on-line by clicking here.