Child Care Answers - Blog

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mindy Bennett, Program Director
Child Care Answers
(317) 636-5727 Ext. 224

INDIANA LAUNCHES FREE ONLINE TOOL TO IDENTIFY HIGH QUALITY CHILD CARE OPTIONS

Indianapolis, Ind., May 10, 2012 -- Hoosier families now have a digital tool to assess child care facilities for quality, safety and other benchmarks, and can take virtual tours of select facilities. Child Care Online is a free, Internet search tool designed so consumers can easily and conveniently compare child care programs and can identify a range of high-quality care choices. Child Care Online is available at http://www.childcareindiana.org starting today. “Finding the appropriate, high-quality child care provider is often a difficult task for Indiana families,” declared Melanie Brizzi, administrator, Indiana Bureau of Child Care (BCC). “Working Hoosiers need high-quality child care to support their children’s development. Research shows that effective early learning experiences prepare children for future success in school, work, and life.”

Mindy Bennett, program director for Child Care Answers Agency states, “Child Care Answers provides free help for families seeking child care. By using the information we have available, they can learn what they want to know most—who can keep their children safe, healthy, and learning. The Child Care Online tool allows users to see actual images of teaching and learning spaces, food service capabilities and toileting facilities, and recreation areas and equipment. Utilizing Child Care Online as a free marketing tool, child care providers can explain, in their own words, what they do and why. Through available text, photos and audio, parents and guardians can read, see and hear what to expect from providers.”

Child Care Online is being launched at simultaneous press conferences throughout the state in conjunction with Paths to QUALITY™, Indiana’s voluntary quality rating and improvement system for child care programs. Indiana is proud to be the first state in the nation to launch Child Care Online. More than 1,145 child care programs have achieved or are working toward the state’s highest level of care— national accreditation. Child Care Online will highlight these programs.

A local press conference to announce the launch and demo this free product will be held at:

Day Nursery- Ruth A. Lilly Center
3522 N. Central Ave.
Indianapolis,IN 46205
Contact Mindy Bennett, (317)636-5727 ext. 224 for more information.