TERRE HAUTE —
An online search tool has been launched to help Hoosier families identify high quality child care providers.
Child Care Online — www.ChildCareIndiana.org — is a free Internet tool that allows users to take virtual tours of child care facilities.
“It’s free and has relevant information to make an informed choice,” said Kelsey Morris of Community Alliance and Services for Young Children.
She demonstrated the search tool Friday during a news conference by showing how an adult can type in a family profile, including the ages of children needing care and the hours care is needed. That information remains confidential, but helps find child care close to the family.
A map with pinpoints indicating area child care facilities appears on the site, along with a list of the businesses and information on their quality ratings and accreditation statuses.
The website also lets child care providers rated at Levels 2, 3 or 4 in the Paths to Quality system upload photos and detailed information about their staffs and facilities.
That detailed information can contain photos of the exterior and interior of the child care center and play and nap areas. It also gives meal and fee information, plus details about the staff’s qualifications.
More than 2,100 providers are voluntarily enrolled in the Paths to Quality system, and about 83,000 Hoosier children are impacted by higher quality care, said Natalie Pugh, CASY’s resource and referral manager.
About 250 providers in Indiana are now working on their profiles to upload detailed information about their facilities, Morris said. Already, 56 have launched their profiles, but in the 10-county area of west-central Indiana served by CASY, only two providers have activated their detailed profiles.
The alliance’s executive director, Karen Harding, said she expects more providers will add their information as parents become aware of the website. When the state launched the Paths to Quality program, parents were quick to identify providers who were enrolled, she said.
The system validates child care programs for ongoing efforts toward higher standards of care. A Level 1 provider has met health and safety needs of children. A Level 2 provider has an environment that supports children’s learning. A Level 3 provider has planned curriculum for child development and school readiness. A Level 4 provider has achieved national accreditation.
In the CASY area, 16 providers have achieved Level 4 status, more than 20 Level 3 providers and more than 30 Level 2 providers.
Another bonus of the website is that it is employer-friendly. The state has trademarked the “Free Child Care Search” button that employers can have linked to their own websites to help employees find child care providers.
For more information about Paths for Quality and the Free Child Care Search Button, contact the Indiana Association for Child Care Resource and Referral at (800) 299-1627 or via email at info@iaccrr.org.
Reporter Lisa Trigg can be reached at (812) 231-4254 or lisa.trigg@tribstar.com. Follow her on Twitter @TribStarLisa.
News
Net tool identifies quality child care
Service helps families make informed choices
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