If you watch someone’s children for at least a few hours each day - in your home or theirs - and you receive payments through the Erie County Department of Social Services, you may be eligible to receive health and safety items - FREE! Items are available even if you are not licensed or are not registered. There are special funds and items available to help you provide safe child care to your clients.

Available safety items include:

*fire extinguishers;
*smoke detectors;
*first aid kits;
*outlet covers; and
*first aid classes.

        There are also special programs to provide you with FREE children’s books, toys, development calendars, and children’s first aid books.

        You may also be eligible to receive a cash reimbursement for any nutritious meals and snacks that you serve to the kids that you watch.

        Although it is not required to be registered or licensed for most of the programs mentioned above, have you ever thought about becoming registered or licensed? Did you know that as a Family Day Care provider, you could earn approximately $30 more per child, per week from the Department of Social Services? Or if you were licensed, even more?

Mindy Marranca
Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc.
295 Main Street, Room 495
Buffalo, New York 14203
(716) 847-0650, extension 226
mmarranca@nls.org