LOOKING FOR DAY CARE; CHILD-CARE OFFICE AIDS PARENTS IN PICKING DAY-CARE CENTER

Getting a job wasn't Nancy Jernigan's only concern when she and her family decided to move from Dallas back home to Cape Girardeau last fall.

She had to find day care for two of her three children.

Jernigan interviewed for the job of executive director for the Area Wide United Way last October, and she immediately began looking for a day care. "I knew it was something I would need right away," said Jernigan, who was hired as United Way director in November.

She turned to the Child Care Resource and Referral office at Southeast Missouri State University for help.

The office provided information on day-care homes and centers in the area.

Nancy and Jeff Jernigan's 9-year-old son, Patrick, is in school all day.

The couple's 5-year-old son, Jeremy, spends mornings in kindergarten and afternoons at a licensed day-care center.

Their 9-month-old daughter, Jenna, spends her days in a day-care home.

"I just have a strong feeling that a home is a better environment for an infant," Nancy Jernigan said.

The Cape Girardeau woman who takes care of her infant isn't licensed, but that doesn't concern Jernigan.

"You just want a nurturing, loving, caring environment," Jernigan said.

Jernigan said she must now search out another day-care home for Jenna because the current care provider is pregnant and getting out of the business at the end of the month.

Jernigan plans to contact the Child Care Resource and Referral office again.

Finding day care for a child can be difficult, particularly when it comes to infants, say officials of the referral service.

Many licensed day-care centers don't take children younger than 2 or take very few, said Dr. Susan Haugland, co-director of the child-care office.

A major reason for that is staffing requirements.

State regulations require a lower staff-child ratio for infants.

In licensed day-care homes, where a provider can care for as many as 10 children, only two children can be younger than 2.

Centers are required to have one care provider for every four children younger than 2.

The referral office, part of a statewide network, keeps information on day-care centers and homes in the 24 counties of Southeast Missouri.

There are about 250 licensed facilities in the region. "We have about 140 in our data base so far," said Maryiln Schlosser, who coordinates the program.

The referral office has encouraged day-care operators to fill out and return information sheets. The information is then entered into a computer.

Parents can call the agency at 1-800-811-1127 to learn names and telephone numbers of day-care centers and homes, as well as information on the ages of children that the various centers and homes serve, approximate costs and whether they have openings.

Parents are referred to at least three centers or homes, depending on their needs.

Cost varies according to the age of the children. "Infants are the most expensive," said Jo Anne Dickerson, parent specialist with the referral office.

In Cape Girardeau County, centers charge from $63 to $120 a week to care for an infant.

Centers charge from $48 to $98 a week per child, ages 2 to kindergarten.

At day-care homes, the cost ranges from $40 to $75 a week for both infants and preschool children.

"A lot of home-care providers keep four children," Dickerson said.

Missouri doesn't require licenses for people caring for four or fewer non-related children. Centers operated by churches or school districts, and programs where children remain less than four hours a day are exempt.

Dickerson said day-care cost is highest in urban areas and lowest in rural areas.

About 70 people have called the referral service since it began last fall.

More than half of the calls have been from parents needing infant care. A majority of the callers have been from the Cape Girardeau and Jackson area, Haugland said.

Cost is a factor, but it typically isn't the first or even second consideration.

Dickerson said parents' first concern is safety. They also want a loving care provider who will pay attention to the children.

"Usually people with an infant want a home and people with preschool children want a center so they can have more educational activities," Dickerson said.