Find Child Care

Finding Child Care

Finding the right child care for your family doesn’t have to be challenging. Our Parent Consultants are here to help.

We take the guesswork out of choosing quality child care. Our experienced Parent Consultants are available to provide a free, customized list of child care referrals. In a simple step-by-step process, a Parent Consultant will assess your needs, customize a list of potential programs, and provide the information you need to make an informed decision.

The First Steps

The process of finding quality child care is simple.

  1. Contact us: Call 312.823.1100 and press option 3, or email referrals@actforchildren.org
  2. Discuss your needs: Do you need care daily or a few days a week? For how many children and how many hours? What setting works best for your family? What is your preferred area/location? Talk to your Parent Consultant about your needs and preferences. They will help you find an arrangement that works for your family. All information is confidential.
  3. Review your options: Your Parent Consultant will send you materials, including a personalized list of referrals to programs, child development fact sheets and guidelines to help you choose the best child care option for your family.
  4. Visit: Parent Consultants provide a list of referrals, not recommendations. We recommend that you visit several child care programs before you make a final decision, to make sure that you are comfortable with the child care setting and caregiver(s).

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Understanding Your Options

What’s right for you depends on what your family needs. There are three types of child care settings to consider. Each has its own benefits and limitations. Learn more about your child care options here, or download our First Steps brochure | Primeros pasos: opciones de cuidado infantil (Spanish).

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What to Ask

Not sure what questions to ask when choosing a provider? Our Child Care Tips and Checklists identify characteristics of quality child care that you should look for.

Create a Better Future for Your Family with CCAP

Let us help you find reliable and quality child care. Someone you trust. Someone who gives your child the loving attention you would give.

If you would like for a Parent Consultant to contact you directly to assist with your child care search, fill out the Child Care Referral Request Form.

Resources for Finding Child Care

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Child Care Options

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Online Child Care Search

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Policies and Disclaimers