* What must be regulated?

	Centers - seven or more children of any age. Centers must be licensed. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services licenses over 3500 child care centers which care for over 215,000 children each day.
	Type A Homes - seven to twelve children (or four to twelve children if four children are under two years of age) cared for in the provider's personal residence. The provider's own children under six years of age must be included in the total count. Type A homes must be licensed. 60 type A family day care homes are licensed by the Department of Job and Family Services.
	Type B homes - one to six children cared for in the provider's personal residence. No more than three children may be under two years of age. The provider's own children under six years of age must be included in the total count. Anyone can operate a Type B Home without a license. However, care for more than 6 children requires a license. Type B homes must be certified by the county department of Job and Family Services if the child care is paid for with public funds. Approximately 7,000 type B homes are certified by local departments of Job and Family Services.
	Schoolage centers - seven or more children aged kindergarten and above. Schoolage centers must be licensed. 435 schoolage centers are licensed by the Department of Job and Family Services.
	Child day camps - Program which operates for less than seven hours a day and only during the vacation of the public schools, cared only for schoolage children, and which is at least 50% outdoor based. Child day camps must register with the department each year. If child care is paid for with public funds, the camp must also meet American Camping Association Accreditation standards, or be approved by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Approximately 250 child day camps register with the department each year.

Some examples of programs which do not require licensure:

• care provided in a child's own home;
• programs which operate two weeks or less a year;
• programs where parents remain on the premises (unless at the parent's employment site);
• specialized training in specific subjects, such as art, drama, dance, swimming, etc.
• programs which operate one day a week for no more than six hours.

Programs licensed by other agencies:
 Ohio Department of Education (ODE) Centers - In Ohio, the Department of Education licenses child care programs operated by public and private chartered schools.

Rules and regulations Ohio's child care regulations consist of basic requirements designed to prevent harm to children's health, safety and development. The regulations cover the following areas:

Ohio's child care centers are inspected prior to receiving a license, and after license issuance - once a year (for part time centers) or twice a year (for full time centers) - to be sure they continue to meet the requirements. Centers will also be investigated in response to complaints. Ohio's child care centers must post their license in a conspicuous place where parents can see it. They must also post copies of inspection reports for parent's review.

Standards above and beyond licensing:

Contact these web sites for more information about standards above and beyond licensing:

National Association for the Education of Young Children has a voluntary accreditation program for child care centers who wish to meet quality standards that go above and beyond basic licensing requirements. Ohio has 182 accredited child care centers. See individual center listings for more details.

National Association for Family Child Care has a voluntary accreditation program for type B family day care homes. Visit their web site for more information about their organization and its services to family day care providers.