Most day centers in the United States are expensive. Working families find it difficult to provide quality childcare to their children due to the rising costs. Fortunately, there are considerable organizations in the United States that assist low income families in affording the kind of the childcare that every American child deserves.

These associations offer services to children, their families, and child care providers. They ensure that families find child care options they can afford. Most associations are non-profit. Childcare associations offer a range of services.

Some of these include:

• Services that provide parents with referrals and resources that are cheap
• Monetary assistance in the form of child care subsidy to families with low income
• Subsidy in food to children who receive child care but cannot afford their own food
• Additional services for children with special needs such as monetary support, and resources
• Counseling as well as consultation with parents and child care providers pertaining to the child's mental as well as physical development
• License preparation, training, and professional support to child care providers

Given below are some of the most prominent childcare associations in the United States.

• National Association of Childcare Professionals (NACCP) (http://www.naccp.org) -One of the leading organizations in America that unites child care professionals to enhance education and credibility.
• National Assoc. for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) (http://www.naeyc.org) - This organization is dedicated to early childhood education. It provides public policy, child care issues, conferences, and seminars.
• National Association for Family Child Care (NAFF) (http://www.naffc.org) - Provides all kinds of referrals and resources, legal issues, as well as subsidies.
• National Child Care Association (http://www.nccanet.org) - This organization has centers throughout the United States. It provides resources, subsidies as well as educational consultation.
• National Head Start Association (http://www.nhsa.org) - This organization represents children and childcare staff throughout United States.
• National Childcare Information Center (http://www.nccic.org) - NCCIC provides a guide on choosing an early childhood program and information about the US childcare referral agency.

Some of the other associations include:

• USA Childcare (http://www.usachildcare.org)
• The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) (http://www.aafcs.org)
• National Parent Information Network (http://npin.org)
• Professional Association for childhood education (http://www.pacenet.org)
• World Association of Early Childhood Educators (http://www.waece.org)
• National Association of Sick Child Daycare (http://www.nascd.com)

Copyright 2001, 2004. All rights reserved. Any reproduction of this article in whole or in part without written or verbal permission is strictly prohibited. For information about reprinting this article, contact the copyright owner: Vanessa Rasmussen, Ph.D, Starting a Day Care Center, http://www.startingadaycarecenter.com.