4C's Referral Policy

4C's of Alameda County believes that parents are the ones who are best able to choose child care that meets their family's particular needs. Our goal is to provide parents with information about a full range of child care services in southern Alameda County. We provide free child care referral services to all persons requesting them, regardless of income level or other eligibility requirements. Information that we receive from parents is confidential. We make referrals to licensed public and private child care centers and family child care homes. Referrals are made to unlicensed child care programs only if there is no requirement that the facility be licensed. We do not charge providers fees for our referrals. Our resource files on various child care options include information on type of care, openings, hours of service, ages of children served, pertinent services, fees, and eligibility. State law requires licensed child day care facilities to make accessible to the public a copy of any licensing report pertaining to the facility that documents a facility visit or a substantiated complaint investigation. In addition, a more complete file regarding a child care licensee may be available at an office of the State Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division. As a parent, you have the right to get information about any substantiated or inconclusive complaints about a child care provider that you select for your child. That information is public and you can get it by calling the local licensing office. You may visit the Community Care Licensing office in Oakland or request this information over the phone by calling 510-622-2614. Although we provide information about child care services as a public service, we do not inspect or make any recommendations about any child care facilities, or make any representation or guarantee about the services of any child care provider. We strongly recommend that before placing a child in care, parents do the following: Visit and interview child care providers before placing a child in care. If a provider is licensed, a) exercise their right to review the provider's licensing information which is available at the facility; and b) contact Community Care Licensing to get a complete licensing history for any licensed provider they are considering. We provide contact information for Community Care Licensing to everyone who receives a referral to a licensed facility from us. For providers that are exempt from licensing requirements, we recommend that parents check all available information and ask about the provider's complaint history, policies and procedures. By accepting our referral services, persons requesting referrals understand and agree that at all times the choice of child care is and remains the parents' responsibility. 4C's of Alameda County assumes and has no responsibility whatsoever regarding any arrangements between parent and provider, or any services that may be provided.