Find Child Care

Seeking an early childhood education provider? This might be one of the most important decisions your family will ever make.

It is now known that the first few years of life are critical in laying the foundation for future success in school and life. It is important to select an early childhood education provider that will keep your child safe, healthy, and learning! With the many different options for care, this decision might feel overwhelming. We are here to help you to make the best choice for your family!

Visit  My Child Care DC to search for and view profiles of locally licensed child care providers. Use the most important factors to you about your child’s care to determine the best choice for your family, including type of care, age of child, location, services needed and more.

My Child Care DC helps families discover child care options in one place.  They can help families:

  • Search by location
  • Compare child care options
  • View the Capital Quality profile
  • View monitoring reports
  • Search substantiated complaints
  • View licensing reports.

Learn more

After using the Child Care Finder, visit the About Child Care section for more support in selecting the care that best meets your family’s needs.

For more support, you can contact a Child Care Referral Specialist at (202) 829-2500 or email osse.dcchildcareconnections@dc.gov

FAQs

How do I locate a child development center for my child?

Looking for an early childhood education provider!  This might be one of the most important decisions your family will ever make. It is now known that the first few years of life are critical in laying the foundation for future success in school and life. It is important to select an early childhood education provider that will keep your child safe, healthy, and learning! With the many different options for care, this decision might feel overwhelming. We are here to help you to make the best choice for your family!

My Child Care DC is a user friendly website that will help you identify a list of licensed child care providers in DC that meet your specific criteria.  View profiles of local licensed child care providers to find what is available. Use what is most important to you about your child’s care to determine your choices, such as type of care, age of child, location, services needed and more. For more support, you can contact a Child Care Referral Specialist at (202) 829-2500 or email osse.dcchildcareconnections@dc.gov

How can I find out about the quality of a child development facility?

My Child Care DC is a user friendly website that will help you identify information about the quality of the child care centers in DC.  There is a lot to consider when choosing an early childhood education provider. You’ll want to find a provider that offers the type of care you want, fits within your budget, and meets your scheduling needs. On top of that, it’s also important to make sure it’s a high-quality program where your child can play, learn, and grow. So how do you choose? Here are some resources to help you to select a child development facility that is the perfect fit for your family.

Before choosing a child care provider, it can be helpful to schedule visits to a few different programs.  You can learn a great deal about each program when you spend time there in-person watching daily routines and asking questions. When you visit, use one of these Child Care Checklists to see if it meets the needs of your family and is a quality program.

  • Keys to Quality Child Care Checklist – This comprehensive checklist was developed by the Child Care Resource Center to help you determine the quality of the care. This tool was created by child development specialists, researchers, and families to help you make the best choice when choosing child care.
  • 5 Steps to Choosing Child Care – This resource was created by Child Care Aware to guide you through the important steps to take when looking for child care. Helpful tips are shared on where to look, what to look for, and what to do after you select a provider.
  • Selecting a Child Care Program – Another resource created by Child Care Aware. This tool gives information on what a quality program looks like. Use this when you visit child care programs to help you make your decision.

Where do I find information about my child participating in the Pre-K or Head Start programs?

DC provides free high quality pre-kindergarten in public schools, public charter schools, private providers and publicly funded community based child development programs for children 30 months to 5 years old who live in the District. For information about Pre-K and Head Start call 202-727-1839 or visit the pre-k and head start information.

How can I get a DC child care subsidy voucher for child care?

The District of Columbia operates a child care assistance program that helps eligible families who live in DC pay for child care.  The Child Care Subsidy Program (Child Care Voucher Program) offers families a wide range of child care options.  You can call the DHS Child Care Services Center at 202-727-0284.

How can I learn about child development facilities licensing requirements?

You can learn about licensing of child development facilities in the District of Columbia by looking at the OSSE child care licensing regulations website.

 

 

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