Child Care Options

The Department of Consumer & Industry Services Child Day Care Licensing Division sets rules for the following kinds of child care.

Family Day Care Home:

• One adult may care for up to six children for part of the day in her own home.
• The family home may have a mixed age group including babies and toddlers.
• Homes may serve meals and snacks, and have some flexibility in hours.

Group Child Care Home:

• A group child care home is like the family home with more children.
• Two adults care for seven to twelve children.

Child Care Center:

• A child care center is in a building, not a home.
• A center may take children ages two weeks through school age.
• It may be called a child care center, day care, nursery school, parent co-op. preschool, pre-kindergarten, play group or drop in center.
• It may offer rides to and from school.
• Meals end snacks are often served.
• Most centers are open only Monday through Friday.
• Most full day centers are open all year.

Before and After School Care:

• School age child care may be in any of the above places or in a school.
• Programs may provide children with a variety of enrichment activities.
• Some After School Programs may be regulated through a particular school district and not by the State of Michigan Licensing.

Some Child Care Facilities are Quality Recognized:

• This means that they have completed 2 years of high quality training & intensive on-site mentoring to receive this Quality Designation.