ADE Launches New Childcare Website

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Department of Education is pleased to launch a new, user-friendly childcare website that enables families to find licensed childcare providers in their areas .The Childcare Arkansas website, located at childcareAR.com, gives families the opportunity to search for a childcare provider by city, Zip Code, and county. Families also can search for a provider based on the star level, which is a quality rating system used for Better Beginnings programs. The site also allows users to search for specific criteria, such as a facility’s name, hours of operation, and ages of children accepted at the facility. “As a mom, I know how important it is to have access to safe and reliable childcare,” Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. “Through the LEARNS Act, which created the Local Leads program, and tools like this website, we are empowering Arkansas families to make informed decisions and helping set our children on the path to success from early childhood, on. “The LEARNS Act codified a commitment to improve access to quality childcare providers and streamlined education from cradle to career,” Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva said. “This new website helps parents and families quickly search for childcare options in their communities.  ”In addition to robust search criteria, the website displays selected facilities on a map and includes links to early childhood local lead organizations, the Better Beginnings Program, and the School Readiness Assistant portal. For more information about the department’s early learning program, visit https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/office-of-early-childhood.