Finding Off-Campus Care
Choosing a child care provider can be one of the most important and influential decision any parent makes for their child and family. Navigating all the options can be overwhelming and very time consuming. The information and resources below can help make your journey easier.
Indiana Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning
The Office of Early Childhood and Out of School Learning (OECOSL) provides oversight of all childcare licensing, Indiana’s tiered quality rating and improvement system, Paths to Quality™, and the State’s pre-k initiatives, On My Way Pre-K and the Early Education Matching Grant.
Licensed childcare programs are regulated through regular reporting and on-site visits by OECOSL. Information about each licensed childcare program, including their visit reports, is available to the public through the Carefinder Home Page. Individuals can use this website to search for programs in their area or review information on a specific child care program of interest.
On the home page, enter the county, city or zip code associated with the search area or specific program, confirm understanding of the terms of use and select “Go”. Results of the search will be provided and the user can select the name of the child care program to find additional information such as – address, phone number, hours of operation, ages of care, level of quality, inspection reports and enforcement or complaint reports.
Paths to QUALITY™
Paths to QUALITY™ is Indiana’s voluntary quality rating and improvement system for early care and education. The system provides a simple system to help you identify the level of care a program offers, from basic health and safety standards at Level 1 to the highest standards for early care and education with National Accreditation at Level 4. All programs participating in Paths to QUALITY™ have made a voluntary commitment to improve the quality of child care and early education they provided, meet standards designed to support children’s healthy growth and development, are visited annually and receive coaching and incentives as they advance and maintain their level.
Child Care Referrals
Purdue University employees can call a designated employee-only child care referral phone line. A referral specialist with Indiana Association for Child Care Resource and Referral will provide at least three options for your family to choose from based on your criteria. Employees will then receive referral profiles and consumer education information via email or posted mail.
Simply call 1-800-299-1627, ext. 275 to begin your referral process today.
Need Extra Help with your Search? Enhanced Child Care Referrals
Enhanced referrals, provided by the Indiana Association for Child Care Resource and Referral, are recommended for families needing special need care or infant/toddler care, but are available to any family. These more in-depth referrals include a personal interview to assist in identifying needs and preferences of the family. Once the specialist has an understanding of the family’s needs, they will screen child care options for the family, narrowing the options, including determining if there are enrollment openings. The family will then receive the options as well as consumer education information in order to make the final decision. Continued follow-up consultations by the referral specialist are also included. This enhanced referral process costs the employee $150.
To get more information on the enhanced referral process or to request your enhanced referral, please call 1-800-299-1627, ext. 275
Au Pair Programs
The au pair program is a cultural exchange program offered through the state department and coordinated by State Department Approved agencies. Au Pairs live with a host family and provide up to 45 hours of childcare a week to their host family. For more information visit EurAupair - Find the Best Au Pairs in America or Au Pair International - cultural exchange childcare program.
See the Au Pair Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for more information.
