A Family’s Guide to Finding Child Care
Introduction
Finding good child care that works for your family can be hard, but understanding how it all works is a great first step.
Overview
Oregon defines child care as “the care and education of children aged birth to twelve years old, unaccompanied by a parent, guardian, or custodian, regularly, and during a part of the 24 hours of the day.”
There are a few different types of child care to choose from, depending on what your family needs:
• Child Care, commonly called Daycare: Helps care for children while parents or guardians are at work.
• Early Learning Programs: These include preschools and are great for helping kids learn, make friends, and get ready for kindergarten.
• Relief Nurseries: These programs support families by helping to prevent child abuse and neglect. They offer care and support early on, before problems grow.
Ages
The rules for child care change depending on how old your child is:
• Infants: Children from birth to 12 months old. (Most programs won’t take babies younger than 8 weeks.)
• Toddlers: Children from12 months to 3 years old.
• Preschoolers: Children from 3 to 5 years old but not yet in kindergarten.
• School-Aged: Children from kindergarten age (usually 5 years old) up to 12 years old.
Types of Child Care
Child care programs can be licensed or licensed exempt.
Licensed Child Care in Oregon is overseen by the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC). They make sure child care programs are safe and follow important rules. Licensed programs must undergo a strict approval process and have regular visits to check for safety and quality.
Staff at licensed programs must:
• Pass background checks
• Take regular training classes
• Follow rules about how many children they can care for at one time
Types of Licensed Child Care Programs:
• Certified Child Care Center: These are larger programs that care for children in a building that is not a home. They tend to follow a structured program. These centers often have set schedules, like regular business hours, and may cost more than care in a home.
• Family Child Care: These programs take place in someone’s home. They are usually more flexible and may cost less than centers. There are two types of family child care:
o Registered Family: One person runs the program from their home. They can care for up to 10 children, including no more than 6 preschoolers and 2 infants or toddlers at a time.
o Certified Family: One person runs the program with the help of one or more assistants. They can care for up to 16 preschool-aged children in their home.
Licensed Exempt Child Care is a small, home-based program caring for three children or fewer, or five or fewer children from the same family.
These programs are often harder to find because they are not fully regulated or tracked by the state. But they can be a great option for many families because they:
• Usually costs less than licensed programs
• Are more flexible, especially for evening, weekend, or last-minute care
• Often provide more one-on-one attention because of fewer children
Some license-exempt providers are regulated, especially if they want to accept state funding. These providers are called Regulated Subsidy Providers. Families who qualify for help from the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) through the Employment-Related Day Care (ERDC) program can use this kind of care. ERDC helps families working or in school with a low income (up to 200% of the federal poverty level).
Read more about ERDC: www.oregon.gov/delc/programs/ pages/erdc.aspx.
Another License Exempt program is Recorded Preschool, which must be recorded with the Child Care Licensing Division.
Recorded Preschools:
• Are for children aged 3 to 5 years old
• Are open for no more than 4 hours per day, usually 3 to 5 days a week
• Focus on helping kids get ready for kindergarten and build social skills through play and learning activities
Subsidized Child Care Programs
If your family income is within 250% of the Federal Poverty Level, you may qualify for programs that help cover child care costs. Here are some options:
• Employment Related Day Care (ERDC): This Oregon program helps working families and student parents pay for child care. Call (800) 699-9075 to find out if you qualify.
• Preschool Promise (PSP): A free preschool program offered in many locations and through various community groups. To see if you’re eligible, contact Pollywog or visit pollywogfamily.org/free-preschool
• Head Start/Early Head Start: Free child care and education programs for families with incomes between 100% and 130% of the Federal Poverty Level. To learn more or check if you qualify, visit www.ohsa.net/contact.
Child Care Quality
Everyone wants the best care for their children, but what does “high-quality” really mean?
In Oregon, all licensed child care providers must join the Central Background Registry (CBR). This means the state checks their background through groups like:
• Oregon State Police
• Child Protective Services (CPS)
• The FBI
• Sex offender registries
If the care is in someone’s home, every adult (18 and older) living there must also be checked.
License-exempt providers like Regulated Subsidy Providers or Recorded Preschool Teachers still get a background check, but it’s less strict than the one for licensed providers.
Unlicensed and license-exempt providers (not listed with the state) do not have to pass a background check.
Oregon has a system to help families understand the quality of child care programs. It’s called Spark, and it uses a star rating system to show how well a program supports children and keeps improving.
• Every licensed program starts with 1 Spark star, which means it meets basic care standards.
• Programs can earn up to 5 stars by meeting extra goals and showing a strong commitment to helping kids learn and grow.
• A 5-star Spark rating means a program offers top-level, high-quality care.
However, a 5-star Spark rating is difficult to achieve. As of April 2025, only five qualifying child care programs have 5-star Spark ratings in Linn County, six in Benton County, and five in Lincoln County.
To find programs with Spark Ratings, visit www.FindChildCareOregon.org.
Finding Child Care
Looking for child care can be easier when you know where to start. Here are some helpful tips to guide you:
9 Take your time when choosing a child care provider. Check their background, ask for references, and visit the place to see if it feels right for your child.
9 When you find a program you’re interested in, remember that child care providers are often busy. They may not answer phone calls or emails right away. Be sure to leave a clear message or email with your name, your child’s age, and what you’re looking for. If you don’t hear back soon, try again!
9 If you need child care quickly, try reaching out to many places at once. Look for programs that fit your needs— like location, hours, and cost—and check if they have any openings or short wait lists. The more places you contact, the better your chances of finding a spot. Being on at least five or six wait lists is a good idea.
9 Don’t give up! Keep checking your list of providers. Sometimes calling or emailing a second or third time makes all the difference.
Family Connections
Family Connections is the Child Care Resource and Referral agency of Linn, Benton, and Lincoln Counties. They are experts at helping families who are looking for all-day child care (daycare) or preschool. They can give you helpful tips and support while you search for child care. Plus, they have the most up-to-date information about openings in licensed child care programs in your area.
If you’re not sure where to start, Family Connections is a great place to get answers and find the right care for your child. To contact Family Connections, call (541) 917-48-99 or email them at connect@linnbenton.edu.
Pollywog
Pollywog offers families free, personalized referrals to community programs and services such as:
• Prenatal & Parenting Classes and workshops
• Free Preschool
• Child care (referred to Family Connections)
• Medical, Dental, & Behavioral Health services
• Community organizations and agencies like home visiting services, WIC, or food assistance.
• Individual & and family support services like DHS benefits, Relief Nurseries, or Early Intervention
Follow them on social media (@PollywogFamily) to learn more about everything above, plus parenting tips, local family-friendly events like library storytimes, health and resource fairs, holiday activities, play groups, and more!
Call or text Pollywog at (541) 917-4884 or visit www.pollywogfamily.org.
Find Child Care Oregon
For those wanting to search for child care on your own, you can use Oregon’s official website to find licensed child care for kids from birth to 12 years old.
Go to www.FindChildCareOregon.org, click “Search For Child Care,” and log in as a guest.
Tips for Using Find Child Care Oregon
9 Search for each city or zip code that works for your family to find the best options.
9 If you’re not looking for a Recorded Preschool and want full-day child care (also called Daycare), go to the “Regulation” drop-down menu and check only these boxes: Licensed Center, Licensed Home, and License Exempt.
Need help with your search? Just call 211 and ask for child care assistance. They’re available Monday to Friday, 7 am to 11 pm, and Saturday to Sunday, 8 am to 8 pm. A 211 staff member can search for you and send the results by email.
You can also find child care by checking Facebook groups in your area. These groups often include both licensed and licensed exempt providers who are sharing their services or new openings. Families can also post exactly what kind of child care they’re looking for, and providers may respond.
Here are some Facebook groups focused on child care in Linn, Benton, and Lincoln Counties:
• Childcare Lebanon/Albany/Sweet Home Oregon (3.7K members)
• Childcare Providers in Albany Oregon (626 members)
• Childcare in Corvallis Oregon and Surrounding Areas (3K members)
• Childcare Lincoln County Oregon (46 members)
These Facebook groups are private, which means you’ll need to request permission from the group admin to join. Once accepted, you can read posts from others and make your own posts about what kind of child care you’re looking for or what you offer.
Facebook Search Tips for Finding Child Care
When posting, include as many details as possible to help providers know if they’re a good match. This might include:
9 The location where you want care
9 Days and times when you need care
9 The number and ages of your children
9 A general idea of how much you can pay for tuition
9 Any special needs or info about your child
These Facebook groups are especially helpful if you’re looking for care during odd hours, like evenings, early mornings, or weekends.
Care.com
For a small fee, you can create an account on www.care.com to find babysitters, nannies, and other caregivers for short-term or emergency child care. This site is especially helpful if you need care during weekday offhours or weekends, or are looking for someone to help in a special situation that requires more flexible or extended care.
Questions?
Bryan Steinhauser, Business Liaison
The Early Learning Hub of Linn, Benton & Lincoln Counties (541) 917-4914, steinhb@linnbenton.edu
