The first few years of children’s lives are key to their physical, intellectual, emotional and social development. Everyone wants to know that children are being well cared for while family members are at work or school. High quality child care that is available and affordable is important to children’s healthy development, and families’ self-sufficiency and peace-of-mind.

There are many different types of child care, from small, family-like settings to large centers. Child care settings offer care to children of various ages and individual needs. Caregivers have a wide variety of experience, training and skills. Also, each caregiver’s personality strongly affects the kind of care your child will receive.

Some specialized types of child care are:

• Care for babies and toddlers,
• Care for preschool children,
• Care for school-aged children.
• Care for children with special needs.
• Care using a special curriculum, such as Montessori, or faith based
instruction.

Washington State licenses or certifies two types of child day care:

• Child care centers (including most school-age programs), and
• Family child care homes.

There are some types of care that do not require a license in the State of Washington:

• Part Day Preschools
• Care given by a family member
• Nanny Care (care in the child's home)
• School-age programs run by a public school