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Child and Adult Care Program
The Child and Adult Care Program (CAC) protects the health and safety of children in child care centers and homes, and adults in supervised residential treatment facilities.
Child care centers and homes are routinely inspected throughout the year. Between inspections, they can correct noted problems and demonstrate that they can comply with applicable standards and ordinances. Centers receive an average of three inspections a year. In addition, time is spent working with centers which receive complaints or which are operating out of compliance.
Adult facilities generally receive one to two inspections a year.
Working with other agencies, such as Fire Prevention, Building Safety, Land Use Enforcement and Alaska Department of Health and Social Services continues to be a major function of CAC to help facilities operate safely and be good neighbors.
CAC provides these child care functions:
- Assisting parents to select child care centers;
- Investigating complaint reports;
- Providing licensing information regarding existing centers;
- Coordinating with Fire Prevention, Building Safety, and Land Use Enforcement;
- Licensing new centers;
- Monitoring and renewing center licenses; and
- Providing center staff with training and technical assistance
Licensing and Permitting:
Licenses or permits from the MOA Department of Health and Human Services are required to operate a:
- Child care facility for persons wishing to care for five or more children unrelated to the caregiver;
- Quasi institutional house for adults in residential treatment facilities; and
- Correctional community residential center serving prisoners in private facilities.
Applications and guidelines for becoming licensed or permitted are available from the CAC program at 825 L Street, 3rd floor, (907) 343-4758.
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Child Care Homes or Child Care and Educational Home:
Child care facilities serving eight or fewer children unrelated to the caregiver are called Child Care Homes. These fall into two categories:
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MOA Licensed Family Child Care Homes are inspected for Health and Safety Regulations prior to becoming licensed. The homes are monitored and licensed by the MOA Department of Health and Human Services Child And Adult Care Program, which also investigates complaints. Licensed Child Care Providers must display their Family Child Care Home License in their home. A Child Care & Educational Home License is not the same thing as a State of Alaska Business License. To obtain a Family Child Care Home License, the applicant must meet the Anchorage Municipal Code AMC 16.55To begin the application process, call CAC at (907) 343-4758 or 343-6536.
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Approved Homes - Approved Homes are processed and monitored by the State of Alaska’s Division of Public Assistance with the Department of Health and Social Services. To begin the application process contact 269-4500.
There are two categories of Approved Care Homes. Approved Care and Approved Relative Care.
* An Approved provider can provide care for up to five children, with no more than four children unrelated to the caregiver and no more than two children under the age of 30 months. Approved Care providers must become Licensed providers within one year of the effective date of becoming an Approved provider.
* An Approved Relative provider can provide care for 5 children related to the provider, with no more than two children under the age of 30 months. Approved Relative providers are not required to become Licensed providers.
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Parent’s Guide to Choosing Child Care:
When you entrust the care of your children to another person, you are making an important decision. Selecting the appropriate type of care is very important to their health and well-being. The Municipality of Anchorage Child & Adult Care Program encourages all parents to visit, ask questions and carefully compare several programs before making a final decision. Your choice depends on what you want and need for your child. You can contact our office to ask questions about providers regarding previous licensing visits or any possible complaints. You can review the list of Licensed Child Care Homes by clicking on the following link. (Listing of Licensed Child Care Homes) Updated January 25, 2008 To verify a facility is still licensed call (907) 343-6536.
A licensing specialist visits and inspects the facility and investigates complaints. The goal of licensing is to reduce preventable risk of harm to children. Licensing cannot guarantee that a facility meets all requirements at all times. Parents are responsible for choosing and monitoring their child’s care. You visit each time you take your child. You are the person best able to decide whether child care meets your standards for safety, health and quality.
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Child Care Centers or Child Care and Educational Centers:
If nine or more children unrelated to the caregiver are served, the facilities are called "centers" or "child care and educational centers" and are licensed by CAC in the Municipality.
Requirements for Licensing:
A complete procedural guide is available at the CAC Office. There are plan review and annual fees for child care centers based on the size of the center. Plan review fees range from $25 to $100, while annual fees are $100 to $300.
To qualify for a child care center license, a program must meet the requirements of Anchorage Municipal Code 16.55. These standards have been developed through community task forces. They were passed as Municipal code by the Anchorage Assembly following extensive hearings. Persons wishing to assist with future code development can contact CAC.
AMC 16.55 state that the administrator must have a specified number of college credits in child development and management. General staff requirements include TB clearances, in-service training, physical examinations, references, and some staff need certification in CPR and first aid. The physical plant must meet licensing requirements along with Fire, Building Safety, and Land Use standards.
Adult Care:
Quasi Institutional Houses serve adults in residential treatment due to physical, mental, or emotional health problems. Often major issues for clients involve recovery from alcohol and substance abuse.
Correctional Community Residential Centers serve adults who are serving part or all of their sentences for breaking the law. They are often known as "halfway houses."
Both types of adult facilities are regulated by AMC 16.80. Further information is available by calling CAC.
For Additional Information:
The Child and Adult Care Program is open to serve the public at no cost from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 825 L Street, 3rd floor, Anchorage, AK 99519-6650. The public is welcome to review adult facility and child care center information, such as inspection reports, complaint summaries, parent policies, and staff qualifications. A child care center directory is available. Phone the program at (907) 343-4758 or 343-6536.
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