Richmond nonprofit organization launches online tool for easier child care search

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A new resource tool is helping Central Virginia parents narrow the search for affordable childcare.

Richmond nonprofit organization Thrive Birth to Five (TBF) launched Child Care Finder, an online tool designed to simplify the search for safe, cost-effective childcare from birth to age 5. Families can search by work, home address, ZIP code, child age, travel route and financial assistance options, helping them quickly identify programs that meet their needs.

“Families have a hard time just trying to find out, you know? Where do I go? Where can I find the program that suits my family, whether it's a family childcare or whether it's a preschool program in the school system,” said TBF Senior Manager Kellie Alarcon.

The resource tool gives parents more than 400 programs and providers to choose from. This includes family childcare, private centers and school-based preschool programs. Each group is certified by the Virginia Quality Birth to Five (VQ85), which measures the quality of infant, toddler and preschool teaching and learning based on interactions and curriculum -- two nationally recognized quality indicators.

“All of our licensed childcare centers are operating at full capacity because they're also small businesses themselves,” Alarcon said. “We want to make sure that they have all of their available slots going.”

Child Care Finder also indicates which programs accept tuition assistance for families to pay for childcare.

“I hope that families utilize it," Alarcon said. "They find it helpful. They tell their friends about it because we know that's oftentimes how [the] word gets out. Having it be a robust system would be successful in my eyes.”