Our Mission

It is the mission of the Fairfield County Job and Family Services Child Care Unit to assist families in removing child care as a barrier to self-sufficiency by linking them to quality child care options and early childhood programs.

Who does the Child Care Unit Serve?

• Parents who are working or in school and need care for children under the age of 13.
• Parents who are receiving OWF
• Family Child Care Providers
• Licensed Child Care Centers
• Local employers working to alleviate child care as a barrier to employment

For more Child Care resources, click here.



Family Child Care Certification

Basic Requirements:

• Provider must be 18 years of age.
• Provider must have a high school diploma.
• Provide three personal references completed by individuals not related to you.
• Provider must have a medical examination and a TB test completed.
• Provider must sign a criminal conviction statement and not have any disqualifying criminal convictions.
• Providers and other adult household members over 18 years of age must be fingerprinted and complete a Fairfield County Sheriff and Lancaster City Police record check.
• Certification may be denied if the potential provider or other adult in the home has an indicated or substantiated history of child abuse or neglect.
• Providers must have an operative telephone in their home (cell phones are not acceptable).
• Providers must have a fire inspection of their home by the local fire department.

Providers must complete 30 hours of training including:

• First Aid
• CPR
• Child Abuse and Neglect
• Health and Safety
• Child Growth and Development
• Communicable Diseases

Orientations are held quarterly for potential providers. Please contact the child care unit to register. The purpose of this orientation is to outline the certification process in more detail and explore the business of family child care. You will receive an application and all the forms necessary to complete the certification process at the orientation. Once you have completed the application paperwork a child care specialist will contact you to schedule an interview and a home inspection.

Additional provider resources including forms for providers.