How to Choose Child Care That Fits Your Family's Needs

Choosing child care is an important decision for families. Parents and guardians want an environment where children can learn, explore, build relationships, and receive appropriate care while adults meet work, education, or other responsibilities.

There is no single child care arrangement that works for every family. Understanding your priorities and knowing what questions to ask can make the decision-making process more manageable.

Start With Your Family's Schedule
Consider the hours when care is needed, the location that works best for your household, and whether the arrangement can accommodate your schedule.

Some families need full-day care, while others need part-time or alternative arrangements. Transportation, work schedules, school schedules, and backup plans for unexpected closures may also influence the decision.

Writing down your practical requirements can help you evaluate available options more clearly.

Understand the Different Care Settings
Child care can take place in several settings, including licensed family child care homes and licensed child care centers.

Family child care homes generally operate in a residential setting, while centers typically provide care in a dedicated facility. Programs may differ in group size, daily routines, learning activities, and the ages they serve.

Neither setting is automatically the best choice for every child. What matters is finding an appropriate environment that meets your family's needs and complies with applicable licensing requirements.

Look Beyond Convenience
Location and scheduling are important, but the quality of the care environment deserves careful attention.

When evaluating a provider, consider questions such as:

Are the spaces clean, safe, and appropriate for the children's ages?
How do caregivers communicate with children and respond to their needs?
What are the daily routines for meals, rest, play, and learning?
How does the provider communicate with parents and guardians?
What are the policies for illness, emergencies, supervision, and pickup?
How are children's developmental needs and individual differences addressed?
If possible, observe the environment and ask how the program handles situations that matter most to your family.

Why Early Childhood Experiences Matter
Young children learn through relationships, play, exploration, and everyday experiences. A supportive care environment can provide opportunities to practice communication, develop social skills, explore new ideas, and build confidence.

Children develop at different rates, and their needs change over time. Families can benefit from communicating regularly with caregivers about a child's interests, routines, and development.

Ask About Resources and Financial Assistance
Child care costs can be a significant household expense. Families who need help paying for care may have access to assistance programs, depending on eligibility requirements, available funding, and program rules.

It is important to understand that eligibility does not necessarily guarantee immediate placement or assistance. Families should ask about current requirements, waiting lists, and application procedures.

Solano Family & Children's Services provides child care resource and referral services, information about licensed child care providers, and a subsidized child care program for eligible families.

Find an Arrangement That Supports Your Family
Choosing child care involves balancing practical needs with confidence in the care environment. Taking time to ask questions, understand options, and review available resources can help families make a more informed decision.

The right arrangement is one that fits the family's circumstances while supporting the child's safety, development, and well-being.

LOCATION

421 Executive Court North

Fairfield, CA 94534-4019

(707) 863-3950

Website

Understanding Developmental Milestones in Young Children

Children grow and develop through a series of changes in movement, communication, thinking, and social interaction. Developmental milestones describe skills that many children demonstrate by certain ages. They can help parents and caregivers observe progress and recognize when additional support may be useful.

Milestones generally cover several areas of development.

Communication and language include skills such as responding to sounds, using gestures, learning words, and gradually combining words into sentences.

Physical development includes large-muscle movements such as sitting, walking, running, and climbing, as well as smaller movements such as grasping objects, turning pages, and using crayons.

Social and emotional development involves connecting with familiar adults, expressing feelings, responding to others, and learning to participate in shared activities.

Thinking and problem-solving includes exploring objects, noticing patterns, imitating actions, and discovering how things work.

Development does not follow an identical timetable for every child. Children have individual strengths, and a skill may emerge at a different pace depending on many factors. However, concerns about a child's development should not be dismissed simply because children develop differently.

Parents and caregivers can support development by talking, reading, singing, playing, and giving children opportunities to practice age-appropriate skills. Observing how a child communicates and interacts during ordinary routines can also provide useful information.

If a parent has concerns, discussing them with the child's health care provider is an important step. Developmental screening is designed to identify children who may benefit from a closer evaluation; it does not, by itself, establish a diagnosis.

Solano Family & Children's Services offers family resources that include free developmental screening opportunities and the Help Me Grow Solano program, which connects families with resources that support young children's development.

Paying attention to milestones is not about comparing children or creating pressure. It is about understanding development, celebrating progress, and helping families recognize when additional guidance may be beneficial.

LOCATION

421 Executive Court North

Fairfield, CA 94534-4019

(707) 863-3950

Website

Feelings Thermometer For Kids | Identify And Manage Big Emotions

Does your child struggle to explain how they're feeling until they're already melting down? Do big emotions seem to come out of nowhere, going from zero to a hundred? A Feelings Thermometer is a simple visual tool that helps kids and teens recognize how strong their emotions are, and catch them early, before they boil over. This video teaches children three steps for using a Feelings Thermometer to identify their emotions and choose a coping skill that actually fits how they feel. Great for elementary and middle school students, with concepts that apply to teenagers too.

LOCATION

421 Executive Court North

Fairfield, CA 94534-4019

(707) 863-3950

Website

 

Why Play Is an Important Part of Early Childhood Development

Play is one of the ways young children learn about themselves and the world around them. What may look like a simple game can help a child practice language, movement, problem-solving, cooperation, and emotional expression.

During pretend play, children use imagination to explore everyday experiences. A child pretending to run a grocery store might practice counting, sorting, taking turns, and using new vocabulary. These activities can support early learning without requiring formal lessons.

Building blocks, puzzles, and sorting games encourage children to notice patterns, compare shapes, and solve problems. When a structure falls over, a child has an opportunity to try a different approach and learn through experimentation.

Physical play supports coordination and body awareness. Activities such as walking along a line, tossing a soft ball, dancing, and climbing on age-appropriate equipment give children opportunities to develop movement skills. Safe outdoor play can also encourage curiosity about nature.

Play with other children offers valuable social experiences. Children practice sharing materials, negotiating roles, expressing feelings, and resolving small disagreements. Adults can support these interactions by modeling respectful language and helping children identify emotions.

Not every activity needs to be carefully planned. Simple materials such as cardboard boxes, crayons, blocks, books, and household objects can inspire creative exploration when used safely and with appropriate supervision.

Solano Family & Children's Services supports families and child care providers through resources related to early childhood development, parenting, child care, and developmental screening.

Understanding the value of play helps adults recognize that learning happens throughout the day. By creating safe opportunities for exploration, conversation, movement, and imagination, caregivers can help children develop important skills at their own pace.

LOCATION

421 Executive Court North

Fairfield, CA 94534-4019

(707) 863-3950

Website

Why Developmental Milestones Matter in Early Childhood

Children develop at their own pace, but developmental milestones provide useful ways for parents and caregivers to understand how children are growing.

Milestones can involve communication, movement, social interaction, problem-solving, and other areas of development.

Milestones Are Not a Competition
One child may speak earlier while another may develop physical skills sooner. Comparing children can create unnecessary anxiety.

Developmental milestones are better viewed as general indicators rather than a competition or a rigid schedule.

Why Screening Can Be Helpful
Developmental screening can provide families with information about how a child is progressing.

It can also help identify areas where additional attention or support may be beneficial.

Early Information Can Be Valuable

If a developmental concern is identified, learning about it early can give families more time to understand the child's needs and explore appropriate support.

Parents do not need to wait until a concern becomes severe before asking questions.

Paying attention to a child's development is simply part of supporting healthy growth.

Everyday Activities Support Development
Parents can support development through ordinary activities.

Talking with children, reading together, singing, playing, allowing children to explore safely, and encouraging age-appropriate independence can all create opportunities for learning.

The early years provide an important foundation, and families do not have to navigate that period without information or support.

Building Stronger Families Through Community Resources
Raising children involves more than meeting basic physical needs. Families also benefit from information, relationships, resources, and opportunities to connect with their communities.

That is why family support services can play an important role in community well-being.

Families Have Different Needs
A family may need help understanding child care options. Another may need parenting resources. Someone else may be looking for developmental information or support finding appropriate services.

There is no single definition of what a family needs.

Resources are most useful when they recognize those differences.

Connection Can Reduce Isolation
Parenting can sometimes feel isolating, particularly when families are dealing with new challenges.

Parent engagement opportunities and community programs can give parents opportunities to exchange ideas, learn new skills, and build supportive relationships.

Supporting Children Means Supporting Adults
Children benefit when the adults around them have access to information and support.

That means family-strengthening work can have an impact beyond an individual parent or child.

When families are better connected to resources and communities, they have more opportunities to create stable, nurturing environments in which children can grow.

Strong communities begin with strong connections, and supporting families is an important part of building those connections.

LOCATION

421 Executive Court North

Fairfield, CA 94534-4019

(707) 863-3950

Website

A Color of His Own | Animated Book | Read Aloud

Today we’re reading A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni. While elephants are gray, pigs are pink, and parrots are green, a little chameleon keeps changing color wherever he goes. Wishing for a color that will always be his own, he decides to stay on the greenest leaf he can find. But when autumn arrives, the leaf changes from green to yellow to red—and the chameleon changes too! Then he meets another chameleon who suggests that they travel together. The little chameleon discovers that having a true friend is more important than having one color forever. This gentle classic is perfect for learning color words, seasons, change, friendship, belonging, and self-acceptance while building English vocabulary, listening comprehension, sequencing, and early literacy skills.

LOCATION

421 Executive Court North

Fairfield, CA 94534-4019

(707) 863-3950

Website

 

Too Many Cooks | Learning to Share Roles with Elmo, Abby, and Rosita | Emotional Well-being

Elmo and his friends learn that working together—and sharing roles—helps playtime go more smoothly. 

LOCATION

421 Executive Court North

Fairfield, CA 94534-4019

(707) 863-3950

Website