Finding Child Care
Finding child care can be challenging. There are many factors to consider when deciding upon child care, including:
- The needs of your child
- Type of child care setting
- Provider availability and care history
- Finances
Type of child care settings
The county inspects and regulates in-home family child cares within Dakota County. The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) inspects and regulates all child care centers in the state.
Locating and paying for child care
Minnesota DCYF's Licensing Information Lookup is a simple online search tool. You can search for information about a licensed provider by name, program type, county, or city.
Can help connect you with child care providers who may have vacancies.
Provides individualized referrals reflecting a family's preferences. To inquire about an individualized referral, call Parent Aware at 888-291-9811.
Families - Parent Aware
Parent Aware also can assist with child care funding.
Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) can help make quality child care affordable for families with low incomes.
The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) helps families with low incomes pay for child care so that parents can work or go to school, and children have more opportunities to thrive as learners.