One of the most important decisions you will ever make as a parent is choosing quality child care for your child. Every child is special and unique and deserves the best start possible. Studies reveal that a high quality child care program will help prepare a child for school readiness by increasing their chances to succeed. Research also indicates that employers benefit when their employees' children are in quality child care arrangements because parents are more secure and stable in their work environment. This makes parents more productive; thus, making a win-win situation for everyone: parents, children and employers.

Part of making the right decision is understanding the difference between a one star, two star, three star and four star certificate rating

Childcare Resource of Georgia makes every effort to provide information parents need to make the best possible child care choices. Parents should also, get Recommendations from People You Know, Talk to your friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors or others you know about their experiences with different child care programs, Visit Multiple Facilities, Nothing is better than seeing the program first hand, Works with parents, child care providers, businesses, and community organizations to help promote the availability of quality child care services, we will provides parents with child care referrals and information on choosing quality child care, plus resources on various parenting issues

The type of program that you select should be the one that fits you and your child's individual needs. You know your child's personality best. If he or she is most comfortable in a small setting, then a Family Child Care Home may work best for him or her. What is most important is that after visiting and observing in the program, it feels like a good fit for your family.

There are several national accrediting orgranizations for child care programs. Getting accredited is voluntary and usually involves an intensive self assessment as well as outside observation. For Child Care Centers the accreditation process does not impact on their star rated license. For Family Child Care Homes, accreditation can contribute to earning more points in the program standards piece of the star rated license. The web sites for the four national accrediting organizations lists programs that are currently accredited. They can be accessed at:

• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) -- for Child Care Centers
• National Care Child Association (NCCA)-- for Child Care Centers
• National After School Association (NAA) -- for School Age Programs
• National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) -- for Family Child Care Homes
• Family Child Care Home Checklist
• Child Care Center Checklist
• A Parent’s Guide to Choosing Safe and Healthy Child Care