Regulated child care means that the caregiver has been licensed by the Maryland State Department of Education’s Office of Child Care (OCC). In order to be licensed, child care providers must meet minimum health, safety and program requirements including the following:

• The child care facility must pass an inspection to show that it is safe, clean and appropriate for child care.
• There must be an adequate supply of safe and age-appropriate activity equipment and materials for children.
• The caregiver and program staff must undergo criminal background checks, child abuse and neglect clearances, physical examinations and have substantial training in child care.
• For added protection, the Office of Child Care checks the Sex Offender Registry to ensure that registered sex offenders are not working in a child care facility.

Only regulated care guarantees that the minimum legal requirements are met. Ask to see a child care provider’s license or certificate of registration to show that they are regulated. Using unregulated care can be dangerous and put children at risk because the provider has not met the health, safety and professional standards required of regulated providers.

Maryland has two kinds of regulated child care facilities: licensed child care centers and registered family child care homes. In both cases, the facilities are initially authorized to operate for two years. After that, they may apply for a non-expiring license or registration. Unannounced inspections are conducted annually to ensure the facilities meet the legal requirement for regulated child care.

Licensed Child Care Centers

Licensed Child Care Centers are professionally staffed facilities which generally serve large groups of children. While centers vary greatly in size, each one must remain within the maximum child capacity established for it by Office of Child Care. This means that no more than a specified number of children may be present in a given center at one time (see below). Centers operate for part or all of a day at least twice a week on a regular basis.

• Some centers primarily provide care for infants and toddlers. Other centers care only for preschool or school-age children. Most centers provide care for a range of ages.
• In many centers, children are usually grouped with others of the same age. Other centers use mixed-age groups (for example, infants or toddlers grouped with pre-school age children, or pre-school age children grouped with school age children).
• Small group centers have a maximum capacity of 12 children and may be located in private residences.
• School-age child care centers offer programs before and/or after school hours and during school holidays, vacations and out-of-school programs for inclement weather. 
• Nursery schools are educational programs for children two years through four years old. These programs are approved by the Maryland State Department of Education. Most are also licensed by Office of Child Care as child care programs.

Registered Family Child Care Homes

Registered Family Child Care Homes are also operated by professional caregivers, but within private residences, usually the primary caregiver’s home. Some of the legal requirements around these facilities include:

• There cannot be more than eight children present for care in the home at one time.
• No more than two of those children – including the caregiver’s children – may be under two years old unless there are additional staff members present.
• There may never be – under any circumstances – more than four children under the age of two, regardless of how many staff members are present.
• Family child care homes typically operate for at least eight hours per day and usually offer flexible scheduling.
• Like child care centers, some family child care homes provide care for mixed groups while others focus on particular age groups.

You play the most important role in your child's growth and development. Deciding on the right kind of child care for you and your child is difficult. But it is a decision that only you can make.

Here are some of your responsibilities as a consumer of child care:

• When you find a facility that fits your needs and feels right for your child, talk with the provider again. Good communication with your provider is important right from the start. Tell the provider about your child and the kind of care you would like for your child. This is especially important if your child's care will require any particular conditions. It will also help the provider know what you expect for your child.
• Work out arrangements with the provider before your child begins the program. Be sure to discuss who is responsible for providing meals and snacks, when fees are due, what happens if fee payment is late and the days that the facility is closed. Signing a contract or service agreement will help to settle these arrangements. But first, read the contract or agreement carefully to make sure it covers all the items that you believe it should. Please be aware that any dispute that may arise later over details of the contract or agreement must be resolved between you and the provider -- child care regulators have no jurisdiction in contract disputes.
• If you are unhappy with something about the facility after your child has started there, discuss the situation with the provider as soon as possible. Doing so may make it easier to work out a solution.
• You can help the provider care for your child by telling him or her if something unusual happened at home the previous night or weekend. That way, the provider can plan to be on the lookout for differences in your child.

The federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that all child care providers make reasonable efforts to accommodate individual needs of children with disabilities. Examples of services include:

• Schedule adjustments for children who take medication
• Having staff who are trained in sign language
• Putting signs in Braille on the belongings of children who are blind
• Removing physical barriers or offering alternative means of access for disabled children.