As your local Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agency, we offer one-on-one, personalized support to families looking for child care by providing information about available providers, licensing status, and quality indicators. Our team takes the guesswork out of the process by helping you identify options that meet your specific needs, such as location, hours, and type of care. Best of all, we can make the initial calls to providers on your behalf to check for openings, saving you time and stress. Our goal is to help you feel confident and informed as you make decisions about your child’s care.
Contact us today for assistance in finding childcare or click the "Find Child Care" button above to start your search online.
If you are not located in our service area, find your local Child Care Resource & Referral agency by visiting Thriving Wisconsin's website.
High-Quality Child Care Matters
Ensuring families access high-quality child care is not just an excellent idea. The research shows that children with high-quality early learning and development opportunities experience greater success in school, relationships, and life. High-quality programs have nurturing, professional caregivers educated in early childhood learning and development. They maintain the highest level of safety and cleanliness following state and federal regulations and offer a cheerful, child-centered environment that includes outdoor space. High-quality programming incorporates play-based activities that enrich and promote learning and development so children get the best preparation for life.
The First Years Matter
Research and science tell us that the first years of a child’s brain are rapidly developing and are the most critical time for healthy development. About 90% of the brain is developed by age 5, and the experiences during this time are built into the brain.
Connections that are used are strengthened, while those that aren’t stimulated are lost through a natural process called pruning. This means that helping our children build strong brains means giving them stimulating learning opportunities and nurturing, responsive relationships—from day one. Watch this great "Brain Builders" video to learn more.
Getting kids ready for school means more than helping them with their ABCs, packing their lunches, filling their backpacks, and getting them to the bus on time. It starts the day they're born with quality early experiences. When you talk, read, and sing with your child—even before she can use words—you’re building her brain and helping prepare her for school and life success. To learn more about this, visit the Talking is Teaching website!
How to Choose Your Child Care
Choosing the right child care provider is a very important and challenging decision. Choosing a program that has values you respect and will give your child individual, caring attention is an excellent start to picking.
There are often wait lists, so be sure to start early.
Allow yourself plenty of time to search for a child care program. Ask yourself some initial questions. What type of care would be best for your child? Would your child be more comfortable in a structured program? What are your needs regarding location, hours of operation, and cost?
Locate Providers
If you haven’t already searched for providers, complete a child care referral to receive a customized list of regulated child care providers in your area. This will give you a place to start when locating and choosing new providers! Click "Find Child Care" above.
Contact & Visit Programs
Reach out to child care programs to discuss your child care needs (age of child, schedule needed, etc.) and find ones that meet your needs.
Plan to visit a few different programs. If you are unsure what type of setting to select, visit both centers and family child care providers. Ask questions and take notes so you can compare the programs. Discuss what you want for your child, such as meals, naps, activities, etc. Eliminate any program that is unwilling to answer your questions or have you visit.
You could plan on visiting a second time with your child to see how your caregiver and child interact with one another.
While visiting programs, look for these things:
Observe awake, active children to see how the child care provider interacts with them.
Count the number of children and adults in the room. Do the child/adult ratios meet regulations requirements?
Is the facility clean and orderly?
Is there frantic yelling or enforced silence?
Are children involved and enjoying their activities?
Do children have access to toys and equipment appropriate for their age?
Check References
You may want to ask the program for references of parents who currently have their children enrolled. Ensuring the provider is highly recommended for their quality care helps you make a more sound decision about your child’s care.
Trust Your Gut
Pay attention to your initial feelings and intuitions. While there are things you can ask and observe, it is okay to act on your feelings. Any negative feelings are usually a good sign that the arrangement will not work out
Continue to Visit Program
After you have found child care, do not stop there. Continue to stay involved to make sure the program continues to meet your child’s needs. Visit the program, both announced and unannounced. Listen to what your child tells you about his/her day. Talk to your provider about any concerns you may have.
Child Care Partnership is a program of the Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council and is brought to you in part by:
Western Dairyland
418 Wisconsin Street
Eau Claire, WI 54703 Get Directions Email
