I Need Child Care

Help! I need child care!
Does Your Child Care Situation Make The Grade?

Help with child care and preschool resources is just a click away
at greatstartCONNECT.org. Many people settle for less than ideal child care situations, often unaware that resources and opportunities for better care are out there. Michigan’s Great Start Network is working to help local families find and access the high-quality learning opportunities their children – and all children – deserve. With input from families and child care and preschool providers around the state, greatstartCONNECT.org has compiled a nationally-recognized system of qualified early learning opportunities into one easy-to-use website.
greatstartCONNECT.org is an online listing of early learning resources including a searchable database that families can access 24/7 in order to find licensed local child care and preschool providers.

If you need child care or a preschool for your child, you want the very best setting for your child. We strongly urge parents to screen, visit, interview, and choose a child care provider who can best meet their family needs. The final decision on choosing care for your child(ren) is with you.

To search for child care, click on the CONNECT button below and then choose Child Care and Preschool.

What is the best place for my child?

To help you in choosing the best child care or preschool environment for you and your child, click HERE for a brochure that gives you ideas to consider.

If you need help using the CONNECT website to find child care, you can click HERE for a tutorial.

A Parent's Guide to Early Learning and Care in Michigan

Click HERE for a guide to help you decide what early learning or child care environment is right for your child.

We can assist you if you find that you cannot meet your child care needs with the database search. Call us at 1-877-614-7328.

Some things to look for when evaluating a child care provider:

1) The number and ratio of children to child care provider: For family and group homes, any time there are more than two infants or four toddlers or six total children present, at least one other adult must be present and interacting with the children. For child care centers, the number of children allowed varies with the size and accommodations of the facility. In all cases, the ratio of child care providers to children is the same: 1/4 for children under 2.5 years, 1/8 for children ages 2.5 to 3 years, 1/10 for children 3-4 years, 1/12 for children 4-5 years, 1/20 for children 6-12 years, and 1/30 for children 13-17 years.

2) Family involvement: You should be able to visit the home or facility at any time. Ask the provider how they keep parents involved and informed.

3) Caregiver training: Inquire whether the child care providers have training in child care and first aid and CPR.

4) Health & Safety: Look for things like clean, safe, and healthy indoor and outdoor spaces. Check to see that there are gates on stairs, caps on electrical outlets, working smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, and locked cabinets for medicines, poisons, and cleaning products. Also watch to see that children are not left alone.

To help you choose quality care, access the booklet Is This the Right Place for My Child?: 38 Research-Based Indicators of High-Quality Child Care. The booklet contains a 38 question checklist to help you evaluate child care providers and environments. Click here for only the checklist.

You can obtain licensed provider complaint history information by contacting the Freedom of Information Act office at 1-866-856-0126, or online by clicking here. Type in the name of the name of the provider or partial name and click on "search."

To make a complaint regarding child care, click here

Child Care Centers: Child care centers include day care centers, preschools, nursery schools, before and after school programs, and Head Start programs. Centers need a license.

Group Day Care Homes: Homes in which two or more adults provide care for up to 12 children. These homes require a license.

Family Day Care Homes: Homes where an adult cares for one to six children. Family homes must be registered.

Relative Care Provider: A child's grandparent/step-grandparent, great grandparent/step-great grandparent, aunt/step-aunt, uncle/step uncle, or adult brother/step-brother or sister/step-sister who provides care in their home and does not live with the child. Relative providers must be at least 18 years old and enrolled with the Department of Human Services (DHS) Agency to receive child care payments from the State.

Day Care Aid: A person you employ to care for your child(ren) in your home. Aides must be at least 18 years old and enrolled with DHS to receive child care payments from the state.

What do I look for in a child care provider?

Looking for quality child care can be confusing and overwhelming! Here are some resources that can help you. Click on the titles to link you to them.

A Parent's Guide to Early Learning and Care in Michigan

4 Steps to Choosing Quality Child Care

Finding Child Care for a Child with Special Needs

38 Research-Based Indicators of High-Quality Child Care

Checklist for Quality Child Care Indicators, checklist only

Child Care is Expensive! How do I pay for it all?

Financial Assistance Information
Child Care Financial Day Care Assistance

The Department of Human Services Agency offers a child care assistance program for working families who meet income guidelines. This program may pay part of the child care costs for employed parents and parents who are attending classes leading to a high school diploma or equivalent who use eligible care centers, family and group day care homes. In-home day care aides and relatives may also be eligible. For more information please contact your local DHS Agency: Alcona (989) 724-2100; Alpena (989) 354-7200; Crawford (989) 348-7691;Cheboygan (231) 627-8500; Iosco (989) 742-2100; Montmorency (989) 785-4218; Oscoda (989) 826-4000; Otsego (989) 732-1702; Presque Isle (989) 734-2108 or click here to contact your local DHS office.

Click here to see if you are eligible based on your income.

Click here to apply for assistance.

If you will be using a Relative Care Provider or Day Care Aide, they must attend the Great Start to Quality Orientation in order to be paid with child care subsidies. Click here to learn more.

The Women's Caring Program offers child care assistance to subsidize child care while families work and/or complete education. Funding is limited and eligibility is based on income. For more information click here or call (517) 962-2892.

Income Tax Credits:

Child Care Credit: Parents who have paid someone to care for a child so they could work may be able to reduce their federal income tax by claiming the credit for child care expenses on their tax return. This credit is available to people who, in order to work or to look for work, have paid for child care services for dependents under age 13. The credit is a percentage (20-35%), based on your adjusted gross income, of the amount of work-related child care expenses you paid to a care provider.

Income Tax Credits
Child Credit: This credit is available to families with dependent children under age 17 whose adjusted gross income does not exceed certain limits. To be eligible, a single or married worker must be able to claim the dependant child.Whether you receive the full credit for the year is dependent on the amount of taxes you owe.

Earned Income Credit: This credit is for certain people who work and have earned income under certain limits. It reduces the amount of tax you owe and may also give you a refund. For more information you can call the IRS at
1-800-829-1040 or you can visit http://www.irs.gov/.