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Great Start Regional Child Care Resource Center/4C of the UP only refers families to child care providers who are licensed or registered by the State of Michigan Office of Adult and Children Licensing Division.

Anyone in the State of Michigan that cares for unrelated children in their home for more than 4 weeks in a year needs to have a license.

There are three types of licensed providers available through the referral service:

1. Family day care homes are registered to care for up to six children in the provider’s own home.

2. Group day care homes are licensed to care for up to twelve children in the licensee’s home.

3. Child care centers are licensed facilities other than a private residence and generally described as a child care center, day care center, day nursery, nursery school, parent cooperative preschool, pre-kindergarten, drop-in center, or school age before/after school programs.

Great Start Regional Child Care Resource Center/4C of the UP Regional Resource Center is available for support to all potential providers. We can assist with obtaining the appropriate paperwork for the State of Michigan, as well as assist with the process for filling out the paperwork by answering questions. The State of Michigan Division of Child Day Care Licensing & Consultation licenses all child care facilities, other than tribally licensed, in the State of Michigan. The Great Start Regional Child Care Resource Center/ 4C of the UP's goal is to support both the licensing division and the licensed providers. For more information, please refer to our Provider Page by clicking the link provided: Great Start/4C of the U.P.

Great Start has developed an online referral service for parents! You can now access a list of licensed child care directly by going online to Great Start Connect and click on “Early Learning” to be connected directly.

If you need child care, you want the very best setting for your child. When choosing child care, you should visit more than one program. If possible, take your child with you when you visit. A good child care setting respects children, parents, and caregivers; has open and on-going communications; and a shared plan for the well-being of children. For more information, please refer to our Parent Page by clicking the link provided: Great Start/4C of the U.P.