Family Resources

Parent Tip Sheets

Quality Indicators (what to look for & think about as you look for care)

Child Care Options
(basic definitions of types of care & child care terms)

38 Indicators of Quality Child Care Checklist
(a convenient checklist to use when you visit programs)

Checklist for Visiting Centers

Checklist for Visiting Family Child Care Homes

Other resources on seeking & choosing child care

Other Resources

BabySteps Savings Plan - The BabySteps Savings Plan (BabySteps) is a program that jump-starts families into saving for future education, vocational, and apprenticeship costs. The BabySteps Savings Plan offers all children born or adopted in Massachusetts a free $50 deposit into their MEFA U.Fund 529 account. 

Child Care Aware Family Engagement – A listing of tools and resources for families, as well as other opportunities for them to engage with child care providers.

Childhelp (abuse hotline) – The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) is dedicated to the prevention of child abuse. Serving the United States, its territories, and Canada, the Hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with professional crisis counselors who, through interpreters, can provide assistance in 170 languages. The Hotline offers crisis intervention, information, literature, and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources. All calls are anonymous and confidential.

MASS 211 – Helps residents find essential community services, after school programs, food banks, or where to secure care for an aging parent. Call MASS 211 to be placed on the statewide waitlist for financial assistance for child care.

Massachusetts Child Care Resource & Referral Network – Statewide information & assistance on child care issues.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission – charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction.

Tax Credit Resources for Parents – this page is designed to help you while explaining to taxpayers the tax impact of significant life events.

Zero to Three – Information on key issues affecting young children and their families, including child care, infant mental health, early language and literacy development, early intervention and the impact of culture on early childhood development.
 

State Resources

Department of Transitional Assistance

Department of Children and Families

Department of Public Health

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

Child and Adult Care Food Program

Mass Health

Early Intervention

Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Programs

Head Start

Department of Mental Health

Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children

Community Resources

Child Care Circuit offers a community database of local resources available in YOUR community. To include your listing in our database, click here.

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