All child care centers and family child care homes must be licensed by the State of California. Licensing is intended to assure minimal standards of health and safety protection for children. Licensing, however, does not guarantee the quality of a child care center or home. You, the parent, are the best judge of whether the child care services provided will be satisfactory for your child. Parents are strongly encouraged to visit the homes or center and talk to those who will be involved in their child’s care. Material listed is for information only and in no way constitutes a recommendation. Parents are encouraged to make follow-up calls to Community Care Licensing to check status of licensed facilities. Please visit the Child Care Resources page for a Choosing Child Care Checklist. Visit the Family Child Care page for information on Family Child Care Providers.
	Child Care Centers, nursery schools, head start programs, parent cooperatives and preschools are center-based programs that will care for your child in groups of twelve or more. These programs vary in the number of hours children are in care, the types of learning environments they offer, and the specific goals of the programs. State law requires at least one adult per twelve preschool age children or every four infants. When selecting a center for your child, consider the ratio of children to adults and the qualifications of the staff. Choose a program whose philosophy meets the needs of your child.
		Child Care Center Listings   Infant/Toddler/Preschool  (PDF, 84 KB) School Age  (PDF, 80 KB)
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	How to open a Child Care Center   Child Care Centers must be licensed by the State of California. The licensing division in Orange County is through the Department of Social Services’ Community Care Licensing Office, located at 750 The City Drive, Suite 250; Orange, CA 92868. The Community Care Licensing office conducts monthly orientation trainings. Community Care Licensing telephone numbers are:   ·         Main Office – (714) 703-2800 ·         Orientation Recording – (714) 703-2827 ·         Directions to Orientation – (714) 705-6024   There is also an information notebook located at the City of Irvine’s Child Resource Center on how to start a Child Care Center in Orange County. Please call (949) 724-6721 or visit the Child Resource Center at 14341 Yale Avenue for more information.   A City of Irvine Conditional Use Permit (CUP) is also required to operate a child care center in Irvine. A City’s CUP application may be obtained in the Community Development Department, Irvine Civic Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza on the corner of Harvard and Alton, or on-line access to the form is available through the Community Development web pages.
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