Choosing a Child Care Provider

Choosing a child care facility or family day care home for your child is a very important decision. For parents looking for child care in Manatee County, the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County offers free, unbiased, personalized information on child care programs and providers in the area. The resources below may also help you to determine the best fit for your child.

Look:

Visit several different childcare programs before you decide which one is best for your family. Visit the childcare program more than once, at different times of the day. Stays as long as possible so you can get a good feel for what the care will be like for your child. After you start using childcare, continue to visit from time to time.

Does the child care program look safe?
Are the children supervised at all times, even when sleeping?
Do all caregivers and children wash their hands often, especially before/after eating, using the bathroom, or changing diapers?
Are toxic substances like cleaning supplies and pest killers locked up and kept away from children?

Listen:

What does the childcare setting sound like?
Do the children sound happy and involved?
Do the teachers seem cheerful and patient?

Count:

Count the number of children to adults and the number of children they will be supervising. Be certain there are enough adults to supervise all of the different activities that are planned. Remember, the fewer the number of children for each adult, the more attention your child will get.

State Adult-to-Child Ratios for Child Care Centers:

Birth-12 months (1:4)
12-24 months (1:6)
2-year-olds (1:11)
3-year-olds (1:15)
4/5-year-olds (1:20)
School-age children (1:25)

Ask:

Ask about the training and experience of all adults who will be with your children. Find out about any special training staff have received and whether the program is accredited.

Do the adults have first aid and CPR training?
Are their discipline policies compatible with your philosophy?
Are children able to choose among activities?
What do the adults know about child development?
Have all caregivers gone through a background check?

DCF Provider Licensing and Profile Information

Provider profiles contain all relevant information pertaining to a child care provider: Name, address, license number, provider type, capacity, days and hours of operation, and services offered. Also included in the provider's profile are the inspections from the last three years. Inspections with a red dot represent an inspection with a finding of non-compliance.

Search for a Provider

Explore Early Learning Options with My Florida Schools

My Florida Schools is a free platform that helps families find quality early learning, child care, and school programs across Florida. Whether you're searching for child care centers, family child care homes, or public schools offering early learning programs, you can explore and compare options based on location, services, VPK availability, age groups, and more. Each program has a dedicated page with details, unique offerings, contact info, and tour booking options.