Our Community
Choosing Childcare
Parents and guardians of young children relocating to
West
Anne
Arundel
County
often say that finding childcare or a preschool for their offspring is the most challenging part of the move. Fortunately, there are a wide variety of resources available to help make the search easier.
Before exploring your options, it’s important to note that Maryland is one of the few states that has a law (Family Law Article, 5-801) requiring children under the age of 8 to be cared for by someone who is at least 13 years of age. In other words, no child under the age of 8 can be left home alone in
Maryland
, and no one under the age of 13 can legally babysit for a child under the age of 8.
Maryland
also requires that most childcare providers be licensed. The Office of Child Care, which is part of the Division of Early Childhood Development at the Maryland State Department of Education, is responsible for licensing and monitoring all childcare centers and family child care providers in the state.
The best place to begin your search for licensed childcare is through the Office of Child Care’s LOCATE system. For a random list of licensed providers, visit their website and enter an address near where you would like to find a childcare provider: www.mdchildcare.org. You will also find a list of Chamber members who are licensed childcare providers in our Business Directory.
For a more comprehensive list, contact the Anne Arundel County LOCATE office at 410-222-1728 between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office is also available to help locate childcare for children with special needs.
Parents and guardians who are looking for an accredited early childhood program can visit Maryland’s School Improvement website for a list of Childcare centers that have voluntarily sought state or national accreditation. These centers follow the Standards for Implementing Quality Early Childhood Programs.
Mayland School Improvement
Other childcare options in the area include in-home care and faith-bases childcare programs. To search for in-home care, contact an organization like Nannies, Inc, The Nanny Network, or AuPairCare . For faith-based programs, please call or visit the church or synagogue of your choice. A comprehensive listing is available on our website.
Additional resources, including copies of A Parent’s Guide to Choosing Child Care and 13 Indicators of Quality Child Care can be found at the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education’s website http://nrc.uchsc.edu Chesapeake Family Magazine also has a comprehensive listing of preschools and summer camps under “directories” at www.chesapeakefamily.com.