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Types of Child Care There aze severs] types of licensed child care available; the type of care appropriate for one faznily may not be the best for another, A child care home is licensed to care for five or fewer preschool age children, and an additional three school age children. Licensing as a center is required when six or more children are cared for in a residence or when three or more children are in care in a budding other than a residence.. Additionally, many schools, both public and private, offer before and after school care. In order to increase the quality of child care in North Cazolina, in September 2000, the Division of Child Development issued star rated licenses to all eligible Child Caze Centers and Family Child Caze Homes.' The staz rated license is a voluntary licensing system where a child care program can earn poims in three different azeas: ^ Program Standards ^ StaffFducation ^ Compliance History with Child Care Regulations Programs that aze meeting higher standards can receive recognition for their efforts, and families can use this information to search for a child care program., (For more information on the star system see Attachment 2) Orange County Child Care Resources to Orange County there are 54 licensed ceders and 51 licensed homes, providing care for over 2,000 children.. Roughly 89°/n are enrolled in child Caze centers, and 11%aze enrolled in family child care homes. Of the 105 total licensed programs in Orange County, 86% of them are 3, 4, or 5 staz rated, compazed to the statewide average of 68%. Of the total, 55%aze four or five staz rated. Ninety- three percent ofpreschool children enrolled in child care are in 3, 4, or 5 staz rated programs. Sin~y-eight percelrt aze enrolled in 4 or 5 star programs.2 These numbers accentuate the high quality of care found in Orange County's child care centers. Quality child care is very expensive to provide. In a good program there are low child to staff ratios. The environment is clean, safe and stimulating, with many fun, child-oriented and age- appropriate toys and activities, and lots of space for children to move azound, Well-trained and compensated teachers, toys and equipment, space and nutritious meals add up to high costs. Families can spend over $1,000 a month per child for full time day cares In our society, most of the responsibility of paying for childcare falls on pazents. Orange County has the highest rates for child care of any county in the state.. Many families cannot afford the cost of care on their own. ~ Religous-sponsored child rare programs may contivue to operate with a aolice of compliance and would then not receive a slat ~g Division of Child Developmem, 10/2004 ~ Child Cme Services Association 3