Family Child Care Homes... Child Care Centers
Family child care homes provide child care in the home of the provider. Family child care homes are described as small or large, depending on the number and ages of children cared for, but can serve no more than 14 children.

Child care centers provide care in larger facilities and have structured hours of operation. Each child care center serves an average of 19 children.

Licensed Care... License-exempt Child Care
Most family child care homes and child care centers are required to be licensed by the state. Licensing establishes requirements for staff ratios, training, and health and safety conditions.

Some types of child care do not require a license, and are referred to as license-exempt care. This includes care by a relative, care in a child's own home, some public recreation programs, care for school-age children at their own school, and care in a home when the provider cares for children from one other family besides their own.

Infant/Toddler Care... School-Age Care
Child care for pre-kindergarten children is typically divided into infant care, toddler care, and preschool-age care.

School-age care refers to before-and after-school care for children from kindergarten through Grade 9.

Preschool...
Preschool is a classroom-based, enriched learning experience for children ages 3 and 4 who are not yet attending kindergarten. It is usually part-day and often is closed during the summer. The California Department of Education funds state preschool programs, as does the federal government through Head Start. Some preschools (both public and private) offer additional hours of care to provide full-day care for children of working parents.

Publicly Subsidized Care...
Publicly subsidized care refers to child care that is paid for in part or in full with government funds. Subsidies can take different forms, including government-contracted programs and vouchers paid to providers chosen by the parents. Most California programs also have a sliding fee scale form parents. For-profit and nonprofit providers may or may not choose to accept clients supported with government subsidies.

Quality Care...
Quality care typically means providing a healthy and safe environment and care that is appropriate to the child's background, age, and stage of development. Basic health and safety parameters, as well as minimum educational requirements for teachers and directors are established through the licensing conditions of Title 22 of the state's Code of Regulations. Through Title 5, some quality parameters are set through contractual requirements affecting teachers' education, training, and staffing ratios.

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