Choosing child care for your child can be very scary.  There are so many options and initially all are strangers to you and your child. Here are a few tips to consider before picking the one you feel best meets your needs.

* You first need to decide if you want your child in a facility or home based child care.  Every child is different so a home-based facility may not provide the needed interaction for some children while others may do better in a smaller, calmer place.

* Ask about ratios.  An infant center can have 1 employee to every four infants while a preschool based center can have 1 employee to every twelve children.  Home child care facilities have different requirements; usually they can have 8 children with one adult and 14 children  with two adults.

* Cost is a big decision maker for many.  Find out not only what the care for your child costs but if there are any other fees you need to be aware of.

* Ask about 1st aid and cpr certifications.  You want to be sure that anyone caring for your child has been certified in cpr and 1st aid.

* Contact Community Care Licensing and ask about the facility that you have chosen.  It is public record to see what kinds of complaints a center or home based facility has against them and the things that they may have been written up for. 530-895-5033.

* You also want to know how the center feels about you dropping in. A parent should have the comfort of knowing they can drop in and check on their child anytime they feel the need (it might not be a good idea if its a huge hardship for the child). Also, do you have to make an appointment to come and see the facility or can you just "come on by"?