Child Care Options
ARIZONA TRI-AGENCY CHILD CARE MATRIX
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Centers and Preschools
Child Care Centers and Private Preschool Programs - Non-Residential Settings
Centers and private preschools: are licensed through the Arizona Department of Health Services, Bureau of Child Care Licensing (AZDHS). Child care centers and preschools are non-residential settings that offer care for more than four children for compensation. Centers are licensed and monitored by the Department of Health Services (AZDHS), except where children can come and go on their own, where parents are on the premises or those on military bases or on tribal lands.
DHS Licensed Child Care Centers or private preschool programs may obtain a contract with the Department of Economic Security (DES) to serve families that receive assistance to pay for child care. You can call Child Care Resource & Referral to find out if a child care center is DES contracted to receive child care assistance payments.
Public Preschools: The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) administers and oversees public preschool programs in Arizona. These programs are licensed by AZDHS, Bureau of Child Care Licensing and are provided through public schools including charter schools to provide early childhood education with a goal of preparing children for kindergarten. Public schools may offer many options for children with varying abilities and income.
Early Childhood Special Education Programs: The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) administers and oversees special education preschool programs in Arizona. Families and children are required to meet eligibility requirements in order to attend.
Family Child Care
Family Child Care Homes - Residential Settings
Family child care homes are certified or registered through the Arizona Department of Health Services, Bureau of Child Care Licensing (AZDHS), OR Department of Economic Security, Division of Child Care. You have three options when it comes to family child care settings: AZDHS Child Care Group Homes, DES Family Child Care Homes or CCR&R Registered Homes.
DHS Certified Child Care Group Homes are certified and monitored by AZDHS. They may provide care for up to 10 children at one time for compensation. They must maintain at least one staff person for every five children in care. These homes may contract with DES to serve families that receive DES child care assistance.
DES Certified Family Child Care Homes are certified, monitored and contracted by DES. They may care for no more than four children at one time for compensation. They may care for children whose families receive DES child care assistance.
CCR&R Registered Family Child Care Homes are not certified or monitored by any state agency or CCR&R. They may care for no more than four children at one time for compensation. Registered family child care home providers have a Child Protective Service (CPS) clearance, are fingerprinted for a criminal background check, have provided proof of current training in CPR and First Aid, and have submitted a sworn statement attesting that if they have a pool, it is fenced and that any firearms in the home are locked and stored separately from the ammunition.
Family Child Care Providers that are not certified or monitored by any state agency, and that do not meet registry requirements are not listed with CCR&R.
Family Child Care Providers that are not certified or monitored by any state agency, and that do not meet registry requirements are not listed with CCR&R.
In-Home Providers and Non-Certified Relative Care Providers
In-Home Child Care is provided by an individual who provides care in your (the parental) home. Arizona does not require in-home caregivers to be regulated as long as they care for no more than 4 children at one time for compensation. If the family is receiving DES Child Care Assistance than the in-home provider must become DES Certified and Contracted in order to receive child care assistance payments from the state.
Non-Certified Relative Care Providers (NCRP) is an adult who is related to the child care assistance eligible child in one of the following ways and is willing to care for the child while the parent is working or participating in a qualifying activity:
Non-Certified Relative Care Providers (NCRP) is an adult who is related to the child care assistance eligible child in one of the following ways and is willing to care for the child while the parent is working or participating in a qualifying activity:
- Grandparent
- Great Grandparent
- Aunt
- Great Aunt
- Uncle
- Great Uncle
- Adult Sibling not residing in the same home
School-Age/Out-of-School-Time Programs
School-age or Out-of-School-Time programs provide care for children who are in kindergarten through sixth grade. These programs can be offered in a family child care home or in a child care center. Care is also commonly provided in other locations such as a public school, community center, city parks and recreation programs, or summer camps. These programs may be licensed or license-exempt, depending on the facility. School-age care is not eligible for a Quality First Star Rating.
Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence
The Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence offers a free Arizona Afterschool Directory for families to look for school-age and/or recreation programs in their area. The Arizona Afterschool Directory is a free resource for parents to search for out-of-school time (OST) programs by location, services, ages of the youth served, and other criteria and view the findings on a map-based interface.
The Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence offers a free Arizona Afterschool Directory for families to look for school-age and/or recreation programs in their area. The Arizona Afterschool Directory is a free resource for parents to search for out-of-school time (OST) programs by location, services, ages of the youth served, and other criteria and view the findings on a map-based interface.
Search the Arizona Afterschool Directory here.
Other Types of Unregulated Child Care
CACFP Alternative Approval Home - Residential Setting
Alternate Approval Child Care Homes (AA) participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and must meet minimum federal requirements. They may care for no more than four children for compensation. They are monitored by the Arizona Department of Education and AA homes are not licensed or certified.
Anyone providing child care whether it is in a licensed, certified, registered, or non-regulated program may participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Centers, child care group homes, family child care homes and non-regulated home caregivers may choose to participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and receive reimbursement for nutritious meals served to the children in care.
DES does not contract with these providers to care for subsidized children unless they become a DES Certified Family Child Care Home. They may only list with Child Care Resource and Referral if they become registered with CCR&R.
Anyone providing child care whether it is in a licensed, certified, registered, or non-regulated program may participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Centers, child care group homes, family child care homes and non-regulated home caregivers may choose to participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and receive reimbursement for nutritious meals served to the children in care.
DES does not contract with these providers to care for subsidized children unless they become a DES Certified Family Child Care Home. They may only list with Child Care Resource and Referral if they become registered with CCR&R.
Family, Friends or Neighbors Care (FFN or Kith & Kin) - Residential Settings
Family, Friend and Neighbor care is exactly just that. It is when your child is cared for by a family member, a friend or a neighbor so you can work, go to school, attend events, or have respite care.
The Arizona Kith and Kin Project, a program of Candelen, works to improve the quality of care provided by "kith and kin" (family, friend and neighbor) child care providers. Kith and kin providers care for the children of friends and family members and are, for the most part, unregulated. The Arizona Kith and Kin Project is funded by First Things First and the Valley of the Sun United Way.
To learn more about the Arizona Kith and Kin Project, click here.
Arizona State Law - Child Care
By Arizona law, anyone providing regular care for children ages 0-14 in facilities (centers) and ages 0-12 in homes, for compensation, must be licensed if they are caring for more than 4 children at one time. If your child care provider is providing care for more than 4 children at one time, they should be a Licensed Child Care Center (non-residential) or Certified Child Care Group Home (residential) by the Arizona Department of Health, Office of Child Care Licensing or as a Certified and Contracted Family Child Care Home (residential) by the Arizona Department of Economic Security, Division of Child Care.
