There are three types of child care – child care centers, family child carehomes and exempt- providers.  Child care centers and family child care homes each have their own licensing regulations. Exempt providers are providers or programs that meet certain criteria and are exempt from licensing requirements.  The California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division is responsible for licensing child care centers and family child care homes to ensure that minimum health and safety standards are met.  Licensed child care programs are inspected prior to licensure and must meet the applicable licensing regulations at all times.  Beyond the general licensing regulations, each program sets their own admission criteria, program standards, operating hours, fees for service, policies and procedures.

It is important to note that the quality or educational value of a program cannot be determined by the program type, such as child care center or family child care home, or by the name of the program alone.  Child care programs can operate under a variety of names – preschool, nursery school, child care, day care, children’s center or simply school.  There are no additional regulations for a program to meet in order to call their program a preschool as opposed to a child care center.  The distinction more often lies in the hours of operation – full time versus part time.  A high quality program, no matter what it is called or whether it is in a Center or Family Child Care Home, offers developmentally appropriate activities that meet the social/emotional, cognitive and physical development needs of all children. This kind of program variety allows for a wide range of choices to best meet each families needs.

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