---
title: "Family Child Care: There’s No Place Like Home"
description: "Family Child Care: There’s No Place Like Home"
image: https://info.teachstone.com/hubfs/Family-Child-Care-Theres-No-Place-Like-Home.jpg
---

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- The CLASS Framework
  
    - [What is CLASS](https://teachstone.com/class/)
    - [CLASS 2nd Edition](https://teachstone.com/class-2nd-edition/)
    - [For Leaders](https://teachstone.com/leaders/)
    - [For Observers](https://teachstone.com/for-observers/)
    - [For Coaches](https://teachstone.com/for-coaches/)
    - [For Educators](https://teachstone.com/for-educators/)
    - [For CLASS Affiliates](https://teachstone.com/for-class-affiliates/)
    - [For Head Start](https://teachstone.com/headstart/)
    - [Research](https://teachstone.com/research/)
- Products and Trainings
  
    - [Getting Started with CLASS](https://teachstone.com/getting-started-with-class/)
      
          - [CLASS® 2nd Edition Infant-Toddler](https://teachstone.com/class-2nd-edition-infant-toddler/)
          - [CLASS® 2nd Edition Pre-K-3rd](https://teachstone.com/class-2nd-edition-pre-k-3rd/)
          - [CLASS Overview for Leaders](https://teachstone.com/a-class-overview-for-leaders/)
          - [CLASS 2nd Edition Intro to Interactions for Educators](https://teachstone.com/intro-to-interactions-for-educators/)
    - [CLASS Environment](https://teachstone.com/class-environment/)
      
          - [CLASS Environment Observer Training](https://teachstone.com/class-environment/#environment-observer-training)
          - [CLASS Environment Overview for Educators](https://teachstone.com/class-environment/#environment-educator-training)
    - Observer Training & Certification
      
          - [CLASS Train-the-Trainer Affiliate Program](https://teachstone.com/class-train-the-trainer/)
          - [CLASS Affiliate Trainer Recertification](https://store.teachstone.com/trainer-recertification-new/)
          - [CLASS 2nd Edition Measurement Trainer Program](https://teachstone.com/class-2nd-measurement-trainer/)
          - [CLASS Observer Recertification](https://store.teachstone.com/observer-recertification-new/?showHidden=true)
          - [CLASS Observation Certification Training](https://teachstone.com/class-observation-training/)
    - [Transition Supports](https://teachstone.com/class-observer-supports/)
      
          - [CLASS Group Coaching Transition Training](https://teachstone.com/class-group-coaching-transition-training/)
          - [CLASS 2nd Edition Observer Transition Training](https://teachstone.com/class-2nd-observer-transition-training/)
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          - [CLASS Observation Services](https://teachstone.com/class-observation-services/)
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          - [CLASS Group Coaching](https://teachstone.com/class-group-coaching/)
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          - [Banking Time: Investing in Relationships](https://teachstone.com/banking-time/)
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# Family Child Care: There’s No Place Like Home

 January 21 2014 by [Mary-Margaret Gardiner](https://info.teachstone.com/blog/author/mary-margaret-gardiner)

- [FAQs](https://info.teachstone.com/blog/topic/faqs)
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![](https://info.teachstone.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Family-Child-Care-Theres-No-Place-Like-Home.jpg?width=519&height=300&name=Family-Child-Care-Theres-No-Place-Like-Home.jpg)

My [last blog post](https://info.teachstone.com/blog/2014/01/06/what-makes-fccs-different/?hsLang=en-us) kicked off a series of posts about how to use the CLASS™ measure in family child care (FCC) settings. From research, discussion with, and observations of FCC providers, we’ve identified four basic challenges to observers who are more familiar with center-based care.

**FCC Challenge #1: Coding Across Multiple Age Levels**

FCC homes include children across multiple age levels, anywhere from birth to age five, and often including school-aged children in *wraparound care*—care for children before and after school and days when school is not in session. The CLASS observation tool has specific measures for each of those ages:[Infant](http://teachstone.com/infant-toddler-class-resources/) (birth–18 months); [Toddler](http://teachstone.com/infant-toddler-class-resources/) (15–36 months); and Pre-K (3–5 years). When we see multiple age groups in a single setting, the question becomes: “Which tool should I use?"

Here are a few recommendations:

- **Choose a single age level and use it across all settings.** This may be the simplest option, but it doesn’t account for all age levels.
- **Use the age level that corresponds to the majority of the children in the setting.** Observers need to be trained across age levels and be prepared to use whichever age level is most appropriate; however, with inconsistent enrollment and small numbers of children, this may not capture the information the observer is trying to capture.
- **Alternate between two age levels.** Observers should be trained across age levels and then do alternating cycles aiming for at least three cycles per age group.

Based on my experience using the CLASS in FCCs, I would adhere to this last recommendation. This is particularly helpful as there is some data to show us that there can be variation in terms of effectiveness for different ages. The other benefit is that the cycle chosen can be adjusted based on the age levels represented., to capture the experience of each age group. Use of different age levels through several cycles, helps to gather enough data to see the level of interactions in the setting.

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