Understanding Early Care
Child care programs, like many other businesses, must follow certain rules and operate under specialized regulations. Understanding all the ins and outs of child care licensing, early learning and best practices can be confusing.
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Child care licensing is a form of consumer protection that reduces the risk that children are being cared for in an unsafe environment. North Dakota state and county laws regulate child care licensing.
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The license type, ages of the children and adult-to-child ratios are factors that determine the total number of children that can be cared for at any one time.
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Early Learning Standards are research-based, measurable descriptions of the things young children are expected to know and be able to do at each age and stage of development. This "road map" provides parents, teachers, caregivers and policy makers with common language and expectations that they can use to plan, execute, and evaluate early childhood environments and services.
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Accredited Child Care Programs ➜
Programs seek accreditation because they want to be recognized for offering a higher standard of care. Accreditation is optional and standards vary depending on accreditation standards of the organization. Independent accreditation organizations include:
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) ➜
• National After School Association (NAAWEB ➜)
• National Association for Family Child Care(NAFCC) ➜
