How much will I have to pay for child care?

Cost varies depending on many factors. The average cost of care for a 4-year old in the coad4kids region is $5,620 a year.

Where can I get financial help to pay for child care?

Families can apply for child care assistance through your local County Department of Jobs and Family Services. To determine if you may be eligible for this type of assistance please contact the office located in your home county.

How do I know if the childcare provider is high-quality?

According to the Child Care Aware of America, there are six main quality indicators that should be considered when searching for a child care provider.

  1. Group Size – Find out how many children are in the group. Imagine a group of 25 two-year olds with five adults, compared to a group of 10 two-year olds with two adults. Both groups have the same adult to child ratio. Typically, smaller groups are better.
  2. Ratio – The number of staff required in a child care home or center depends not only on the number of children in that setting but also on the ages of the children.
  3. Family Involvement – A high quality center will have opportunities for you to be involved in activities and regular parent meetings. You should be welcome at the center at any time that your child is in attendance.
  4. Caregiver Education & Staff Turnover – High staff turnover in a child care center can be an indicator that the staff there are under a lot of stress. If you are talking with a family child care provider you might ask if he/she is part of a support group. You want to be assured that the people who will be caring for your child are well supported with a network of professional colleagues.
  5. Health & Safety – The indoor and outdoor environment should be child-proofed and free from items that might cause harm to a child. Hand-washing should be emphasized and the space including toys should be well-maintained and clean.
  6. Accreditation – By becoming accredited child care providers have made a decision to achieve a higher level of quality. They are committed to providing high quality services to children and their families.

After I search, what if none of the names on the list work for me? Can I get more names?

You can always call your local office or email us at contactece@coadinc.org to do an additional search for you to see if there are more providers that would meet your needs for child care, and it’s always a free service.

If I used this service in the past, would it be worth my time to do it again?

Yes. New providers are added to our database on an ongoing basis as they become licensed. Your needs may change too, and that may alter your search process.

I don’t need child care, I’m just looking for a preschool. Can I still find that information?

Yes. Our search for care can include preschools, child care centers, family child care providers, and school age programs. In addition, we can link you with specialized programs like Head Start, public school preschool programs, and Step Up to Quality Rated Programs.

What is a star rated child care program?

The state of Ohio has a rating system called Step Up to Quality. Star ratings are awarded to programs that voluntarily go above and beyond the minimum requirements of child care licensing. You can learn about Step Up to Quality ratings here.

Do providers have to be fingerprinted?

Yes, but only in regulated programs, according to Ohio rules. All staff in a licensed center setting must pass a fingerprint background check. County Certified Type B providers who do care in their homes must also be fingerprinted, as well as anyone in the home over 18 years of age.

Note: Unregulated/private home care providers are not required to be fingerprinted or monitored in Ohio.

What if I have a question about my child’s development?

Our office has an infant/toddler coordinator, preschool child care coordinator, and school age coordinator available to answer your questions or concerns about your child’s development.

 

What other assistance is available?

Some additional assistance is available in the form of tax credits. According to information found on the National Women’s Law Center website, families may be eligible for a number of federal tax credits, including:

  • Earned Income Tax Credit, which helps supplement the wages of low- and moderate-income families (those earning less than $49,078 annually). This credit is worth up to $5,751 and is refundable.
  • Child Tax Credit, which helps families offset some of the costs of raising children. This credit is worth up to $1,000 per child. Families who owe little or no income tax can receive some or all of this credit as a refund if they earned at least $3,000 in 2011.
  • Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, which helps families offset some of the child and dependent care expenses they incur in order to work. This credit is worth up to $2,100, though the amount that may be claimed is limited by a family’s federal income tax liability.

Some states also offer their own family tax provisions: Twenty-eight states, including Ohio, offer child and dependent care tax provisions.

The Ohio Benefit Bank is a great resource to connect people with the services they need. Below is a listing of some of the programs that you can connect to via their website.