Family day-care providers who do not wish to be licensed may register with the state in which they do business and must meet fewer requirements. In many states, however, licensing and registration are optional. Some states certify their childcare providers instead of licensing them, and some states do both. Accreditation Several voluntary agencies, including the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs and the National Association for Education of Young Children, accredit childcare providers that meet their standards. If your provider is accredited, he or she has met criteria established by one of these groups, which usually goes beyond counting the number of adults present or checking high school diplomas.
Accreditation is more subjective than objective.
A childcare provider or center is often responsible for completing a self study and reporting how it meets the accrediting agency's criteria. Although an accreditation committee might visit the property, it primarily relies upon the information reported by the childcare provider when awarding accreditation. Once you've selected child care, you should continue to evaluate the childcare provider and setting. Hopefully, you'll be completely happy, but you might notice something from time to time that makes you uncomfortable or concerned. Your child will probably need some time to adjust to a new childcare situation.