And more than half of working moms' preschoolers are enrolled in child-care centers. Providers of group care vary widely. But centers that look after more than 15 kids are almost all licensed. State licenses help ensure that the centers meet minimum standards for health, fire safety and staffing. The operations that allocate a higher percentage of their budget to attract better teachers and reduce staff turnover are often able to provide a higher level of quality in their programs.
Staff is the key to quality.
You can reduce your real costs by taking advantage of a Flexible Spending Account, if your employer offers it. An FSA allows you to use pretax dollars to pay for day care expenses. During the year, you pay dependent day-care expenses as they occur and submit your claims to the FSA plan administrator where you work for reimbursement up to the amount totaling your original contribution. You pay no federal income taxes on these disbursements, and most states follow the federal rules, so you can make considerable savings. So, use it or you'll lose it.