Parents can face a daunting task when looking for child care, often relying on other parents, word-of-mouth and tours to help make their decisions. Now Washington parents will be able to log onto an online child care referral service for help.

On Tuesday, the Washington State Child Care Resource & Referral Network will offer online connections to licensed child care providers in Washington’s 39 counties.

“Washington families will have the option to start their child care search from the convenience of their computer, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Online referrals will give them the freedom and flexibility that so many people need during what has proven to be a huge challenge for many families – finding child care that fits their specific needs,” the network’s executive director, Elizabeth Bonbright Thompson, said in a statement.

The new online service isn’t simply a list of licensed child care. A local agency will work to match a family’s needs with a local provider, the group said in its announcement. King County parents already have been able to check online for child care because the local branch was the first to offer that option a decade ago.

"We know the importance of helping families find the right child care arrangement - accessible, affordable care where parents can feel comfortable their children are safe, healthy and having fun," Bette Hyde, head of the Department of Early Learning that oversees child care licensing and helps fund CCR&R’s referral work, said in the announcement.

Check out the new service at www.childcarenet.org. You can also call (800) 446-1114.