The Family Resource Center maintains a small network family child care providers at MIT who are both licensed by the Office of Child Care Services and, if foreign nationals, are eligible to apply for permission to work in the United States. The Center can also provide lists of hundreds licensed providers throughout Massachusetts and can refer you to agencies which offer information on current openings. Materials and counseling on selection, contracts, tax credit, licensing, and training are also available. Some accept only preschoolers or only preschoolers and toddlers. Technology Children's Center, a child care center located on the MIT campus, accepts children from fifteen months to five years of age.
Centers vary greatly in terms of philosophy, program, and quality.
It is generally possible to sign up for care a year or more before that care is to begin. The Family Resource Center has lists of child care centers for every town in Massachusetts. Counseling, books, and other materials on educational philosophies are also available. The Center maintains information as well on the few financial assistance programs that exist to help parents with day child care costs. The Family Resource Center holds informal briefings to address frequently asked questions concerning child care issues, as follows.