Resources for searching for childcare

We understand that searching for childcare can be a stressful experience for your family especially if it is your child's first time in a center.   There are many factors to consider when searching including price, educational offerings, and most importantly safety.   Because parents have different priorities, the right center for you may be different from other families.   To assist you in your search, we are providing the following information and resources:

In the state of Arizona, all childcare operators that have over 5 children are required to be licensed by the Arizona Department of Health and follow licensing rules and regulations.   As part of the licensing process, all centers are inspected by a Compliance Officer annually and each time there is a complaint.   Findings of each inspection is public information that is posted on the AZDHS website.   To access this information, enter the address or name of the center you are researching using the following link:

 ADHS - Public Health Licensing - AZ Care Check 

When reviewing information, it is important to keep in mind that no center is perfect.   Some key things to look for are allegations of abuse, ratio violations, and lack of supervision.   Any center you are interviewing should be willing to address concerns raised by looking at these inspections.   All licensing rules are available on the AZDHS website under the Child Care Licensing page.

Although useful, this widely used medium is one that we advise to be careful relying on fully.    

Reviews written by families who actually attended a center can provide insight into the quality and educational components of a center and also provide reasons to explore concerns noted by the reviewer.  

That said, we have seen instances where amazing reviews for a center were written by a reviewer that had written multiple reviews solely for affiliates of that center.   One center locally had former employees tell us that it was a requirement by the owners for employees to write the center a 5-star review.  On the negative review side, a disgruntled former employee or a competitor can provide a false negative review.

Key here is reviews can be very helpful in gaining insight into a center.   It is important to remember that not all reviewers are credible, and you should read each review with that in mind.

The Arizona Child Care Resource and Referral website is constantly evolving, providing a variety of resources for families.   Resources provided include:

-- A childcare search function where you can search for centers by zip code.   Search results provide valuable information about centers including ages served, operating hours, center capacity and even some basic information about AZDHS inspections (not as detailed as on the AZDHS website).   The site also provides star ratings provided by Quality First and accreditation information.   

-- A family resource page that provides a variety of resources not only for searching childcare but most things child related including child development and parenting resources.  

-- A portal to submit complaints when concerned about your child's care provider

You can access this page at www.azccrr.com .

Before choosing a childcare center we highly recommend touring multiple centers so you can have enough information to make a good decision.   When touring, we recommend using your five senses as a starting point.  

Some examples:

-- Does the center have a bad smell or appear dirty?

-- Do the classrooms look overcrowded?

-- How are the teachers speaking to the children in the center?

-- Do the classrooms have enough supplies for the children?

-- Are the children supervised?  

Make sure to have a list of questions prepared which focus on the things that are important to your family.  We think some important questions are as follows:

-- What are the qualifications of the management of the center?  Are the owners engaged in the center or just investors?

-- What are the qualifications of the staff interacting with my child? (Note: Arizona considers a person with 6 months experience and a high school degree a qualified teacher and many centers hire to that minimum). 

-- What are your classroom ratios?

-- What is your method of discipline for children that act out?

-- What methods of parent communication are utilized?

-- How does your program compare to others in the community?  What makes you unique?

-- What is your tuition/fee structure?  What is included (meals, etc.)?

-- What is your illness policy?  

-- What are the center hours?  Is there a cutoff time for drop-off?   What is the policy around late pick-up?

Of course, this is not an all-inclusive list of questions that may cover things important to your family.   There are many great sites with prospective questions to ask.   One that has a comprehensive list is Child Care Center Checklist - Child Care Aware® of America 

We hope that you find the information here helpful.    It is important to do your homework when choosing a provider for your child.   Make sure to research any potential provider and ask questions that are important to your family.   At Mind and Body Kids, it is important that all children are in a safe place.   Even if our center does not meet your needs, we are more than glad to assist you in your childcare selection journey.   You can email us at info@mindandbodykids.com or call us at 623-878-1539 with any questions that you may have about your search.

These are some other resources available to families to support their parenting and child development:

-- Birth to Five Hotline offers a free service for Arizona families with young children, providing expert advice on child development and parenting from early childhood specialists.    You can reach it 877-705-KIDS or on the web at  Birth To Five Helpline – Southwest Human Development 

-- Peoria Unified School District Family Resource Center provides parents and caregivers with the tools they need to support the learning and development of their young children including resources for children suspected of having developmental disabilities.   To learn more visit Family Resource Center / Overview