Looking for child care in Akron? What you need to know

Akron has 178 licensed child care providers, and with around 11,500 kids under age 5 living in the city, each family looking for care has their own needs.

Experts from the Early Childhood Resource Center, the clearinghouse for parents in Summit County and five surrounding counties looking for child care and other family resources, and United Way of Summit and Medina gave tips for finding care that is the best fit for children and their parents' schedules.

Here's what they said:

What are the different types of licensed child care providers?

In Akron, 88 of its child care options run as in-home programs, and 90 are traditional centers, according to data from the ECRC.

Type A in-home care providers (there are 24 in Akron) can take up to 12 kids at a time; Type B (64 in Akron) can have up to six. All programs licensed by the state have either a bronze, silver or gold (best) rating.

Hours of care vary per provider. Just 30 providers in Akron offer overnight care. All are in-home care providers, and a majority can only accept six or fewer children at a time.

How do I know if a daycare is good for my child?

When deciding on child care options, the ECRC, a state-funded resource and referral agency, suggests people look for options with:

• A clean, safe environment.
• An open-door policy.
• Knowledgeable, trained staff.
• Age-appropriate activities and environments.
• Appropriate supervision.
• Written policies and procedures.
• Warm, responsive teachers.
• Licensing inspection results posted.

“Things to look for are the smell and the sounds,” ECRC Regional Coordinator Elizabeth Schilling said. “It's the body language, it’s the sound that's in the background of the environment. It's the sound in the conversation that you're having with whomever is in charge. It’s the evidence of learning if there's artwork, if there's learning materials in the classroom.”

How can I find child care in the Akron area?

The ECRC's database compiles all centers and family child care providers licensed through the Ohio Department of Children and Youth in the areas it serves. There, people can filter out the hours they need and other information. The center takes calls Monday through Friday at 877-691-8521.

United Way of Summit and Medina offers social service support for those living in their counties through its 24/7 211 hotline.

According to Summit and Medina County 211’s 2023 Annual Summary, 4,865 of its 81,084 total calls received last year were related to individual, family and community support services, including child care. One in three callers last year had children in their home.

“We have people that call us all the time that are like, ‘I've never called before. I've never been in this situation. I don't really know where to start,'" 211 Director Brittany O’Neil said. "You're talking to a true empathetic individual when you're talking to a call specialist, so that person is going to say, ‘OK, start wherever you want. Let's figure this out together.’”

What help is available to pay for child care?

Parents working or in school can utilize the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services' Publicly Funded Child Care program, Title XX, which can cover the cost of child care for those who qualify. Out-of-pocket pay is also usually available, and hourly rates vary from program to program.

For those looking for expense assistance, 211 refers parents to the Department of Job and Family Services, which can help people find out if they're eligible for publicly funded child care, in addition to other information.

United Way also has a Financial Empowerment Center to help build financial stability and family resource centers in schools for caregiver support. It offers job training that could help parents move up from entry-level positions, which can ease the burden of child care expenses.

“I know people personally that one parent’s entire check goes toward child care so both parents can go to work," O'Neil said. "But not everyone has that luxury. For a lot of people, that would be a luxury.”

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Looking for child care in Akron? What you need to know