Types of Child Care in Massachusetts

Partners Employee Assistance Program Top Banner


[+]Addiction How Can EAP Help? Alcohol Abuse Cocaine Compulsive Gambling Compulsive Spending Eating Disorders Internet Addiction Kids and Drugs Quit Smoking Websites [+]Child Care How Can EAP Help? How to Look for Child Care Recommended Readings Related Websites Resources Types of Child Care [+]Domestic Abuse How Can EAP Help? Are You Worried About Someone You Know? Domestic Abuse Facts Domestic Abuse Resources Emergency Shelters for Women Sexual Assault Resources Stalking Resources What Parents Need to Know Why do Women Stay? LGBT Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Resources Abuse in Later Life [+]Elder Care How Can EAP Help? Alzheimer's Disease Caregivers Mental Health Resources [+]Financial How Can EAP Help? Money Management Tips Building Personal Wealth Credit Reports Credit Unions First Time Home Buying Managing Debt Save and Invest Financial Websites Financial Assistance Hotlines Fuel Assistance Resources Winter Heating Help [+]Healthy Living How Can EAP Help? Balancing Work and Family Healthy Eating Healthy Relationships Living Safely Physical Activity Quit Smoking [+]Housing How Can EAP Help? Low to Moderate Income Housing Assistance Emergency Shelter Emergency Shelter for Women Affected by Domestic Abuse Temporary Accomodations [+]Lactation Support Mother's Corner/Location and Contacts Lactation Support Articles Mothers' Corner Lending Library [+]Legal How Can EAP Help? Bankruptcy Child Support Domestic Abuse Resources Elder Legal Resources Helpful Legal Resources Marital Separation and Divorce Tenants' Rights [+]Life Transitions How Can EAP Help? Children and Divorce Grief and Holidays Helping Yourself and Others Through Grief Bulding Your Resilience to Stress [+]Managers and Supervisors What is the Partners EAP? The Manager/Supervisor Role in Working With the EAP How the EAP Works Making an Effective Referral Depression in the Workplace Manager and Supervisor Training Employee Orientation and Educational Programs Supporting Staff During Difficult Times Supporting Employees Experiencing the Illness or Death of a Coworker Domestic Violence [+]Mental Health How Can EAP Help? ADHD Anger Management Anxiety Disorders Bipolar Disorder Child and Adolescent Mental Health Information Depression Eating Disorders Oppositional Defiant Disorder Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Suicide Websites for Mental Health Issues [+]Parenting How Can EAP Help? Activities for Kids Kids and Drugs Lactation Support New Parents Parenting and Grief Parenting Non Traditional Families Parental Stress and Family Crisis Parenting Teens Transition to College Parenting Through Divorce Parenting Young Children Safety Special Needs Children Words Can Work: Knowing the Issues, Talking with Kids Website Resources on Health and Mental Health [+]Relationships How can the EAP Help You? Domestic Abuse Healthy Relationships Seminars and Programs [+]Stress and Resilience How can the EAP Help You? Resilience: Being Able to Bounce Back Building Resilience to Stress Stress Management Balancing Work and Family Parental Stress Resources Strategies for the Holidays Coping Tips During Challenging Times Back To Home

Call Us 866-724-4EAP

Print This Page

Types of Child Care in Massachusetts

There are many different kinds of child care:

Family child care home
Child care center
Nursery school
Head Start
School-age child care
In-home relative care

Massachusetts Office for Child Care Services (OCCS) licenses most child care programs.

At a licensed program, staff has had a criminal background check and meet minimum health, safety, education and training requirements. Licensed programs can also be accredited. This means that the program has met even higher standards set by a national organization.

FAMILY CHILD CARE – HOME
Ages: 8 weeks – 14 years
Site: Home
Hours: Usually full-day, year-round
Groups may have up to 6 children. Large family child care homes have 2 providers and up to 10 children.

CHILD CARE CENTER
Ages: 8 weeks – 6 years
Site: Center
Hours: Usually full-day, year-round
A child care center usually has large groups of children with multiple providers.

NURSERY SCHOOL
Ages: 2.9 – 5 years
Site: School
Hours: Half days, school year only, may have morning and afternoon sessions.

HEAD START
Ages: 2.9 – 5 years
Site: Center or school
Hours: Full and half days, school year only
Head Start is an enrichment program with education, nutrition, health and social services. Early Head Start has similar program for children 8 weeks to 2.9 years.

SCHOOL AGE CHILD CARE
Ages: 6-14 yrs.
Site: School or Home
Hours: Before and after school, sometimes school vacations
Some programs exempt from OCCS licensing

IN-HOME RELATIVE CARE
Ages: All ages
Site: Home
Hours: By agreement
Provided by friend, neighbor, relative or nanny, UNLICENSED

Content provided with permission from the Action For Boston Community Development, Inc. (ABCD)

For more information or to discuss child care concerns please contact Partners Employee Assistance Program at 1-866-724-4EAP.

In case of emergency, please call 911 or your local hospital emergency service.

This content was last modified on: 06/30/2008

Home \| Work & Life Resources \| Seminars & Events \| About EAP \| Search Site \| Contact Us \| Disclaimer \| Site design: MCD Studios
Call Us, Toll Free: 1-866-724-4EAP Offices at: MGH 617-726-6976 \| BWH 617-732-6017 NWH 617-243-6522 \| NSMC 781-598-2643