Definitions 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. Full-day centers usually enroll infants, toddlers, and preschool children for 4 hours or more per day. Part-day centers, including nursery schools, Head Start programs, and preschools, usually enroll preschool children for less than 4 hours per day. This type of care is likely to resemble center care in its organization of activities.
Caregivers model their programs either on a nursery school or on a skilled parenting model.
Usually offers care and education for one or more children in a residential or nonresidential setting for less than 10 hours per day, no more than once a week, to any child. Specialized centers serving only children with special needs deal with children with more disabilities and often with more serious disabling conditions, therefore requiring more specialized standards. The term family home caregiver refers to both small and large family home caregivers. A distinction has been made in these standards about the type of facility to which the standard applies. If a standard applies only to a center, the symbol will appear directly above the standard.