One of the most important steps parents should take before choosing a child care program is to check the state licensing records of programs they are considering. All regulated programs must follow specific rules set by the state of New York. These rules are called NYS Day Care Regulations and they help to ensure the safety of New York's children. It is important to review the licensing records to make sure the child care program is in good standing with the NYS Office of Children and Family Services and that there are no unresolved citations. You can check for regulatory history, occurance of serious citations and the complaint history of a program.This is an important step to ensure a quality child care placement and a vital component of a comprehensive search for the right child care provider. For more important steps to take check out our Parent Guide To Finding High Quality Child Care.To check on the compliance history or register a complaint forlicensed child care centers orlicensed group family child care homes,contact:
NYS Office of Children and Family Services 1-800-732-5207 Mon-Fri, 9:00am - 5:00pmTo check on the compliance history or register a complaint forregistered school-age child care programs orregistered family child care homes,contact:Child Care Solutions (315) 701-2707 Mon-Fri, 8:30am - 4:30pmYou may also check the compliance history of any licensed or registered child care program on the NYS Office of Children & Family Services web site. Here you can enter a program, provider's name or the zip code and type of care. A “click here for profile” option will be available to the right of the program or providers name that will list recent regulatory violations.