WHAT IS “REGULATED CHILD CARE”?
The Maryland State Department of Education’s Office of Child Care (OCC), is responsible for all child care licensing and regulation in Maryland. OCC’s main goal is to make sure that safe child care is available to all Maryland families. Regulated child care means that a caregiver has been licensed to operate by OCC and meets the minimum child health, safety, and program requirements set by Maryland law. A regulated caregiver must continue to meet those requirements in order to maintain licensure. The caregiver’s compliance with licensing regulations is monitored by OCC through regular on-site inspections of the child care program. You may choose to have a friend or a relative come to your home to provide care for your child. Or you may wish to have a relative care for your child in the relative’s home. These are informal kinds of child care, and they are exempt from regulation under Maryland law. A friend or neighbor who occasionally “babysits” your child in her home for short periods
