Child Care Referral

If you need assistance finding a child care provider: 

• BY PHONE: Call us toll free: (800) 881-5786
  
• BY EMAIL: Complete the Parent Referral Form or Entrada de datos del cliente (Parent Referral Form) and attach as an email to cfr.info@cfresources.org 
  
  
• BY MAIL: Print and mail  the form to us at 115 Fall Street, Seneca Falls NY, 13148
  
  
• BY FAX: Fax the form to us at (315) 568-0978
  
  
• Online: Find child care online

Business hours are 9:00am-4:30pm, Monday - Friday, please leave a message during non-business hours, we will return your call within one business day.

We will provide you, at no charge, an up-to-date list of child care options in your area.

The programs listed are either registered or licensed by the NYS Office of Children & Family Services. You are urged to choose carefully by interviewing several prospective programs, checking references and by visiting the site(s) to determine what is best for your family. 

Our Referral Specialists can also provide information about: 

• Subsidy dollars to help pay for child care

• Parent Education classes and home visiting programs  to assists parents in developing their family strengths and reaching their goals through resource materials and parent education
  
  
• Consumer education on the different types of care available for you to make the best choice for your family
  
  
• Average cost of care information by geographic location
  
  
• Assisting parents of children with special needs to find care to enable the best possible choice for child care
  
  
• Customized referrals for hours, days and programs to meet the demands of ever changing schedules, including non-traditional hours and rotating schedules
  
  
• Adult to Child Ratio: Ask how many children there are for each adult. The fewer the children for each adult, the better for your child. You want your child to get plenty of attention. The younger your child, the more important this is. The lower ratio of caregiver to child allows more time to be spent with each child, which could lead to a higher quality program.
  
  
• Group Size: Find out how many children are in the group. The smaller the group, the more attention your child will receive. Consider a group of 25 two-year olds with five adults, compared to a group of 10 with two adults. Both groups have the same adult to child ratio. Which would be calmer, safer and more family oriented?                                                                  
                                                                                                                           
  
•  We can also assist you with questions to ask care givers during telephone and on-site interviews. "As You Think About Child Care" resources are also available in our Documents & Printables section for parents or at http://www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/childcare/infoforparents.asp
  
  
• Our Referral Follow-up Specialist will be contacting you regarding our services within two weeks of the referral to ensure that our services met quality standards for best practice and advise you in the next step in your search if needed.  Or, if you prefer, complete our writable follow-up form, available in English or Spanish, and email to cfr.info@cfresources.org or mail to any of our offices.