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Our Mission
It is the mission
of the Fairfield County Job and Family Services Child Care Unit
to assist families in removing child care as a barrier to
self-sufficiency by linking them to quality child care options
and early childhood programs.
Who does the Child Care Unit Serve?
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Parents who
are working or in school and need care for children under
the age of 13.
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Parents who
are receiving OWF
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Family Child
Care Providers
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Licensed Child
Care Centers
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Local
employers working to alleviate child care as a barrier to
employment
Helping families pay for child care
In order to
determine whether or not your family qualifies for services you
must complete a
child care application and submit verification
of all income that your family receives.
The
child care
application and
employment verification may be submitted in
person, by mail or faxed.
To receive child
care benefits, you must use a licensed child care center or a
certified family child care home.
Choosing Child Care
Child Carefinder
is a FREE service provided to all families of Fairfield County,
regardless of income. Our purpose is to help link families
needing child care to quality child care programs that best meet
the needs of the family.
How does Child Carefinder work?
A referral
specialist is available to answer your questions and to gather
information about your family and your child care needs. We then
utilize a computer database to match parents with available
child care providers in their community. The Child Carefinder
database includes Licensed Child Care Centers, County Certified
Family Child Care Providers and other Early Education Programs.
A Resource and
Referral Specialist can be reached directly.
Disclaimer: Parents are responsible for interviewing and
selecting the child care provider that is best suited to meet
their needs.
Family Child Care
Certification
Basic
Requirements:
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Provider must
be 18 years of age.
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Provider must
have a high school diploma.
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Provide three
personal references completed by individuals not related to
you.
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Provider must
have a medical examination and a TB test completed.
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Provider must
sign a criminal conviction statement and not have any
disqualifying criminal convictions.
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Providers and
other adult household members over 18 years of age must be
fingerprinted and complete a Fairfield County Sheriff and
Lancaster City Police record check.
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Certification
may be denied if the potential provider or other adult in
the home has an indicated or substantiated history of child
abuse or neglect.
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Providers must
have an operative telephone in their home (cell phones are
not acceptable).
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Providers must
have a fire inspection of their home by the local fire
department.
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Providers must
complete 30 hours of training including:
First Aid
CPR
Child Abuse and Neglect
Health and Safety
Child Growth and Development
Communicable Diseases
Orientations are held quarterly for potential providers.
Please
contact the child care unit to register. The purpose of this
orientation is to outline the certification process in more
detail and explore the business of family child care. You will
receive an application and all the forms necessary to complete
the certification process at the orientation. Once you have
completed the application paperwork a child care specialist will
contact you to schedule an interview and a home inspection.
Additional
provider resources including
forms for providers.
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