Resources
For Parents
For Parents![]()
Finding Child Care
Choosing child care is one of the most important decisions families make, but all too often they must rely on word-of-mouth. Child care resource and referral organizations (R&Rs), located throughout the country, help parents take the guesswork out of choosing care – arming them with referrals and information about the elements of quality care and state licensing requirements, as well as the availability of child care subsidies.
The nonprofit Contra Costa Child Care Council is in the business of ensuring that Contra Costa’s children are nurtured, healthy and achieve their full potential. As the only child care resource and referral agency serving all of Contra Costa, the Council is at the center of the child care delivery system.
Child Care Resources
Bay Area Crisis Nursery
The purpose of the Bay Area Crisis Nursery is to prevent abuse and neglect of children by providing support to families who are in stress or crisis. Their primary service is providing a warm, loving, homelike environment for children birth through five years of age by offering 24-hour residential care. Their services are free, confidential and voluntary. Bay Area Crisis Nursery recently opened the Dahlstrom House for children ages 6 – 11 years old.
First 5 Contra Costa has defined long-range goals and desired outcomes for children and their families in Contra Costa, including: improved child health, improved child development, improved family functioning and improved systems for families.
The mission of the California Alternative Payment Program Association (CAPPA) is to make sure that all parents have access to affordable quality child care in the State of California.
Provides information about early childhood development and about resources for parents and care-givers, including information on the first three years of a child’s life, brain research, parent questions, lists of books and other resources, and advice from experts.
This non-profit fosters a network of people around the country who are concerned about the needs of infants, toddlers, and families. It also functions as an Early Head Start National Resource Center and develops and conducts training for the birth-to-3 programs that are part of Head Start. The ZERO TO THREE site describes issues and programs and provides resources, suggestions, and a contact list.
This site provides links to such resources as children’s books online, children’s book awards, and movies based on children’s books. The site also has lists of resources for teachers, parents, and storytellers.
Health and Nutrition
CA Child Care Health Program
The California Child Care Health Program (CCHP) focuses on bringing knowledge about health and safety issues to the child care provider and to link the health, safety and child care communities.
The California Child Care Health Program (CCHP) focuses on bringing knowledge about health and safety issues to the child care provider and to link the health, safety and child care communities.
The website for the bimonthly magazine, Healthy Child Care, which features articles on nutrition, safety, staff wellness, medicines, illness, health education, and more
Healthy and Active Before 5 is a countywide collaborative effort to address early childhood obesity. The goal of Healthy and Active Before 5 is to create a healthier Contra Costa by increasing options for healthy eating and active living in our county by focusing on supportive environments and positive parenting.
Advocacy for Early Childhood
Child Care Law Center
The Child Care Law Center uses legal tools to foster the development of quality, affordable child care–for every child, every parent, every community. CCLC works to expand child care options, particularly for low-income families, and to ensure that children are safe and nurtured in care outside the home.
The Child Care Law Center uses legal tools to foster the development of quality, affordable child care–for every child, every parent, every community. CCLC works to expand child care options, particularly for low-income families, and to ensure that children are safe and nurtured in care outside the home.
Association for Childhood Education International
Provides information about the ACEI, the ACEI’s two journals and various publications, membership in the ACEI, and conferences and workshops. Their mission is to promote and support in the global community the optimal education and development of children, from birth through early adolescence, and to influence the professional growth of educators and the efforts of others who are committed to the needs of children in a changing society.
CDF provides a voice for America’s children. The CDF website includes information on the Black community, Crusade for Children, gun control, ways to help children, statistics on the status of children today and ordering information for CDF publications.
For Providers
California Department of Justice
Child Development Training Consortium
For Providers![]()
Professional Development Training Calendar
Child Development Permits
California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
The CTC website provides up-to-date information on Child Development Permits as well as other California teaching credentials. Application information and documents, online renewal process, and credential searches are available.
The CTC website provides up-to-date information on Child Development Permits as well as other California teaching credentials. Application information and documents, online renewal process, and credential searches are available.
This site includes a list of available Live Scan/Fingerprinting stations.
CDTC provides services, training, technical assistance, and resources to students and professionals working with and for children. CDTC promotes high quality early education to California’s children and families by providing financial and technical assistance to child development students and professionals. Services include processing of available funds for permit processing and reimbursements of fingerprinting fees. Resources include Child Development Permit Applications, Professional Growth Manual, Curriculum Alignment Project, and Competencies Integration Project.
Health and Nutrition
CA Child Care Health Program
The California Child Care Health Program (CCHP) focuses on bringing knowledge about health and safety issues to the child care provider and to link the health, safety and child care communities.
The California Child Care Health Program (CCHP) focuses on bringing knowledge about health and safety issues to the child care provider and to link the health, safety and child care communities.
The website for the bimonthly magazine, Healthy Child Care, which features articles on nutrition, safety, staff wellness, medicines, illness, health education, and more.
National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care
Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Department of Health and Human Services, this site has the child care licensure regulations for each state. Also available are health and safety tips and full-text resources.
Quality Early Childhood Education
Child Development Division California Dept of Education
CDD’s mission is to provide leadership and support to all individuals and organizations concerned with children and families by promoting high-quality child development programs. The Division undertakes to educate the general public about developmentally appropriate practices for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children in a variety of safe and healthy child care and development environments. They fund a variety of child care programs and serve as the lead agency for federal child development funds. The website provides information about current projects and funding opportunities.
CDD’s mission is to provide leadership and support to all individuals and organizations concerned with children and families by promoting high-quality child development programs. The Division undertakes to educate the general public about developmentally appropriate practices for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children in a variety of safe and healthy child care and development environments. They fund a variety of child care programs and serve as the lead agency for federal child development funds. The website provides information about current projects and funding opportunities.
Children’s Literature Web Guide
This site provides links to such resources as children’s books online, children’s book awards, and movies based on children’s books. The site also has lists of resources for teachers, parents, and storytellers.
Desired Results for Children and Families Training and Technical Assistance Project
The California Department of Education (CDE), Child Development Division (CDD) has established the Desired Results System to improve program quality in early care and education programs across the state.
A non-profit national resource for family child care providers, the website provides information on quality and training for providers.
WestEd is a nonprofit research, development, and service agency. As one of the nation’s Regional Educational Laboratories, WestEd serves Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. Their work also extends throughout the rest of the United States, as well as internationally. WestEd is committed to improving learning at all stages of life — from infancy to adulthood, both in school and out. Their work is far-reaching because our purpose is ambitious: success for every learner. Ambitious as it is, this goal is within reach.
Advocacy for Early Childhood
Child Care Law Center
The Child Care Law Center uses legal tools to foster the development of quality, affordable child care–for every child, every parent, every community. CCLC works to expand child care options, particularly for low-income families, and to ensure that children are safe and nurtured in care outside the home.
The Child Care Law Center uses legal tools to foster the development of quality, affordable child care–for every child, every parent, every community. CCLC works to expand child care options, particularly for low-income families, and to ensure that children are safe and nurtured in care outside the home.
Association for Childhood Education International
Provides information about the ACEI, the ACEI’s two journals and various publications, membership in the ACEI, and conferences and workshops. Their mission is to promote and support in the global community the optimal education and development of children, from birth through early adolescence, and to influence the professional growth of educators and the efforts of others who are committed to the needs of children in a changing society.
CDF provides a voice for America’s children. The CDF website includes information on the Black community, Crusade for Children, gun control, ways to help children, statistics on the status of children today and ordering information for CDF publications.
General Resources
Disaster Resources
Guides and activities provided for teachers and other child-care youth workers that help prepare them for working with children who have been through a disaster.
This site provides information for all who share an interest in improving the education and general life experiences of young children. It’s a place for getting advice from experts in the early childhood field, expanding your collection of creative projects, and sharing ideas and questions with the early childhood community.
Families Act of 1998 (Prop 10) was passed to provide to all children prenatal to five years of age with a comprehensive, integrated system of early childhood development services. Services are provided in each county and also at the state level.
National Institute on Out-of-School Time
Formerly the School-Age Child Care Project (SACCProject), this site includes a collection of resources on school-age child care provided by the Center for Research on Women at Wellesley College.
Provides information about early childhood development and about resources for parents and care-givers, including information on the first three years of a child’s life, brain research, parent questions, lists of books and other resources, and advice from experts.
This site offers useful child care data, including information on child care costs and use of various child care arrangements.
This non-profit fosters a network of people around the country who are concerned about the needs of infants, toddlers, and families. It also functions as an Early Head Start National Resource Center and develops and conducts training for the birth-to-3 programs that are part of Head Start. The ZERO TO THREE site describes issues and programs and provides resources, suggestions, and a contact list.
