CHILD CARE PROGRAMS 



How to Locate Child Care Near You 

To find child care providers near your home or 
workplace, simply go to the Online Child Care Pro-
vider Search at https://www.compass.state.pa.us/
Compass.Web/ProviderSearch/pgm/PSWEL.aspx or 
call the Office of Child Development and Early 
Learning (OCDEL) at (717) 346-9320. 


Keystone STARS 
Keystone STARS promotes, supports, and recognizes 
the quality improvement efforts of early learning 
programs in PA. Keystone STARS emphasizes the 
following in qualifying early learning programs: 

 


. Standards 
. Training/Professional Development 
. Assistance 
. Resources 
. Support 


 
Child Care Works 
Child Care Works is a subsidized child care program 
that helps eligible, low-income working families pay 
their child care fees. State and federal governments 
fund this program, which is managed by the Child 
Care Information Services (CCIS) office that serves 
your county. If you meet eligibility guidelines: 


. The CCIS will pay part of your child care cost. This 
is called a subsidy payment. 
. You will pay part of the cost. This is called the 
family co-payment. 
. The subsidy payment and the family co-payment 
will go directly to the child care program. 


To find out if your family is eligible, contact your 
local CCIS office through the Child Care Works Help-
line at 1-877-4-PA-KIDS (1-877-472-5437). 



Facility Safety Regulation 


To keep your child safe, the Pennsylvania Depart-
ment of Human Services (DHS) regulates daycare/
childcare programs in Pennsylvania to ensure that 
they meet minimum health and safety standards. 
It conducts annual inspections of providers to deter-
mine if they meet regulatory requirements for their 
license. DHS will perform other investigations if a 
complaint about the facility is filed. For a helpful 
checklist to use as you consider which child care 
provider will best fit your family, go to http://
www.dhs.pa.gov/citizens/childcareearlylearning/
fivestepstoselectingachildcareprovider/
index.htm#.VkI04b-L6z4 . 


Types of Child Care Providers 
The types of Pennsylvania child care providers that 
are regulated by DHS are: 


. Child care centers (seven children or more) 
. Family child care homes (four to six children) 
. Group child care homes (seven -12 children of 
various ages or seven through 15 children from 
4th grade through age 15) 


 
For FAQs on PA child care, go to http://
www.dhs.pa.gov/citizens/searchforprovider/
childcareprovidersearch/index.htm#.VkI1Rb-L6z4 . 

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION 

Phone: Child Care Works Helpline, 
1-877-4-PA-KIDS (1-877-472-5437) 
Child Care Information Services (CCIS) 
Contact Numbers by County: 

 http://www.dhs.pa.gov/learnaboutdhs/
helpfultelephonenumbers/
childcareinformationservices/
index.htm#.VkIdyL-L6z4 


 Websites: To locate a Keystone STARS facility near 
you, visit http://www.pakeys.org/pages/
stars_centers.aspx 


 Age Range: Child Care Works - Birth to 13 years 

Eligibility: For eligibility guidelines, call 
1-877-4-PA-KIDS (1-877-472-5437) 





Tom Wolf, Governor