Referral Services
We are Committed to Parental Choice
The Family Resources Office is here to assist you in selecting child care arrangements for your family. We are not a placement service. We are a resource to facilitate your choice by identifying available child care providers and offering resources to help you appropriately assess these providers based on your needs. Our goal is to provide you with information so that you can make the most informed decision for your child and for your family.
How We Can Help You
As the parent, you are best able to evaluate child care providers and select the one that best fits your child’s needs and your family values. You will feel the most comfortable with a situation that you yourself chose. We support you, as parents, in making your own personal decisions regarding child care by providing information about available care and by offering you the opportunity to become acquainted with the issues involved in choosing child care.
Your Responsibility
Responsibility for selecting and employing a provider for your child rests with you. It is of the utmost importance that you carefully interview and check references of each prospective child care provider. The Family Resources Office gives no guarantee as to the quality of any child care provider nor does it recommend any program or provider.
Looking for child care is hard work. No one can do it for you. We urge you to be comparison shoppers and to give yourself time to visit each facility, and interview and evaluate providers carefully. Only then can you make an informed choice and feel good about your decision.
Remember that choosing a child care arrangement is a tedious and time consuming process, so you must plan ahead. Even after you have settled into an arrangement and think your child care needs have been met, you may find yourself considering a change due to a change in your personal life or because your child has grown and, as a result, has different needs. In the beginning, you may want the consistency of one adult in a familiar setting. As your child grows, you may feel the need to expand their environment. Depending upon your child’s disposition and personality, you may decide on a small group or a large group setting. There is no one way to make your decision. The right way is based solely upon the needs of your family. You must educate yourself, explore what is available, and then trust your instincts.
Contact Us
Once you have an idea about the type of child care arrangement you might want to pursue for your child, you can contact the Family Resources Office. In order for us to provide resource and referral information to members of the Boston University community, families must complete and submit the Referral Statement Form.
Please note that you must be currently affiliated with Boston University and you must provide proof of affiliation (e.g. BU ID number) before the Family Resources Office can provide you resource and referral information.
Complete and submit the online Referral Statement Form.
Once you have completed and submitted the Referral Statement Form, we will contact you to further discuss your child care needs.
Family Resources Office
10 Lenox Street
Brookline, MA 02446
Email: familyre@bu.edu
Phone: (617)353-5954
Fax: (617)353-2333