CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network

Inspire, inform, and advocate for a quality child care system that supports all families in California.

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

Child Care Aware of America conducts an annual survey of Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) organizations and state agencies to collect information on child care supply and prices across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Here's this year’s report, Child Care in America: 2025 Price & Supply, linked here: https://t.co/2ppTfXcNbX

Our research team contributed to this report by supplying licensed child care supply and price estimates for California.

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

At the Bridge conference earlier this month, one of the keynote speakers was Katie Raher. Read about her experience:

"I got to remind the beautiful humans at the conference that their own well-being is not selfish and doesn't have to be an afterthought. It is the heartbeat of their impact. Every time they regulate themselves, they co-regulate every person they interact with in their work. And then that person more positively impacts the next. And the next. Ripples that reach providers, children, and families in immeasurable ways.

When the world feels heavy and uncertain (pretty much always these days sadly), I remind myself that there are people like this quietly doing the most important work there is. And I was pinching myself that I got to be even a small part of reminding them of their own power and value and leading them in the kind of nervous system nourishment we all need and they certainly deserve.

I'm truly grateful for the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network creating this space and for centering the well-being of the workforce that makes everything else possible."

Thank you, Katie, for your kind words and expertise that helped us all so much!

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

May is mental health awareness month. What can we do to help our littles with their mental health?

1. Help them recognize and name feelings
2. Help them learn how to relax during difficult moments and how to cope with difficult feelings
3. Teach them how thoughts lead to feelings and lead to behavior
4. Help them stay in the moment to improve self-awareness

Read more here: https://t.co/JjHCIbIovj

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

“While this budget does include some measures that will support our communities, such as increased disaster aid, it’s far from what child care providers and families need in California.

This proposal ultimately backslides on key promises to increase subsidized child care spaces and pay providers based on enrollment.

Child care providers cannot continue to operate on thin margins - we need to pay providers equitable wages, and we need to ensure that parents receive child care when they need it. We also need to create a well-funded infrastructure that supports both of them." - Kelly Graesch, Interim Executive Director

https://t.co/dgvEIscnAS

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

Resource Hub For Subsidized Agencies Now Available!!

We are so excited to announce that a new section for Subsidized agencies (R&R, APP, CWD and Tribal Agencies) has been added to the TrustLine website. https://t.co/iQsibvwZQB

This resource is designed to help you find all the information you need in one place. In this section, you will find:

• A complete program overview
• Training videos
• Essential forms
• Information on timelines and delayed results
• What happens when an applicant has a criminal history
• And much more!

The goal of this section is to provide more TrustLine information, support, and resources for subsidized agencies.

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

Alma and Nick, from the Network, attended the 4Cs of Alameda County Children's Fair this past Saturday.

They shared information on TrustLine to help families learn about the background checks they can utilize when making child care decisions.

It was a great event and well attended, with a lot of great resources provided to families.

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

Get ready to read! We have hand-picked dozens of fabulous books for young children to learn about social and cultural topics.

Members of the Network and those providing care and education for children in CA receive FREE access to https://t.co/EZplKBHmnh (a subscription valued at $100 annually, provided by the CA Child Care R&R Network).

Visit https://t.co/mfG2ImGVEj or follow the link in our bio to register today!

#ChildCareResources #EarlyChildhood #ECEProfessionals #CaliforniaChildCare #ECESharedResourcesCA

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

Today is Stand for Children Day, a national day of advocacy and commitment to children. It brings together families and advocates to demand better education, healthcare, and child care for all children, specifically supporting those with limited resources.

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

“This is the person who thinks child care providers have the most important job in the world.”

Grace Hartman - Family Child Care Home Training Coordinator

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

“This is who was held, nurtured, and shaped by FFN care….To every home-based child care provider creating magic every day: thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

-Carolina Castillo Quintero, Manager, Child Care Initiative Project (CCIP)

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

“This is who values the child caregivers who helped to raise us. Every one of them is worthy of a living wage.”

-Disa Lindgren and brother Alan, Technical Assistance & Support Coordinator, Child Care Initiative Project (CCIP)

Happy Provider Appreciation Day!

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

Today was day one of the 6th Annual Bridge Conference, "Together We Heal." We started out our time hearing from Dr. Nicol Russell on "Holding Steady: Purpose, Presence & Power in Practice."

We learned the value of finding what anchors us, our why, and how to navigate utilizing our inner compass to move through difficult moments. We also heard about the importance of finding inspiration and what ignites our joy to hold steady.

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

Today, we are boldly advocating for increased federal investments in child care!
We join advocates from across the country to lift up one unified message: “Every family should be able to find and afford child care so they can work, support their families, and contribute to the economy. Federal investments are essential to make that possible,” … and we know that 'Investments in child care pay for itself.” - Dr. LaWanda Wesley (CCRC).

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

Today, we're highlighting MC3! Marin Child Care Council was founded in 1979. They offer a variety of services for parents, child care providers, and the community that are essential to the delivery of quality child care in Marin County. View their website to learn more about events and trainings: https://t.co/Uud6BXfMt7

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

**Exciting Funding Opportunity from the Dept. of Ed**

Who is it for: County Offices of Education (COEs)

What it provides funds for: The Tobacco-Use Prevention Education County Technical Assistance Funds provide funding to county offices of education to provide leadership, administrative oversight, training, and technical assistance (TA) to all local educational agencies (LEAs) in the county.

Link to apply: https://t.co/5Wbwi1FF6J

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

Leadership in action.

The R&R Network thanks leaders across the R&R field for gathering in Sacramento to help shape our future.

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

On April 15, our Provider Services Department piloted a training focused on Examining Bias in FFN Child Care.

Through this training, participants got an opportunity to identify common explicit and implicit biases related to FFN childcare, understand how bias shows up in policies, practices, language, and interactions, reflect on their own positionality and assumptions when working with FFN providers, apply concrete strategies to disrupt bias at the individual, interpersonal, and systems levels, and strengthen respectful, strengths-based partnerships with FFN caregivers.

This training was facilitated by Dr. Nicol Russell, an early learning professional with over 20 years of experience devoted to caring for, teaching, and advocating for young children. Her educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, a master’s degree in early childhood and early childhood special education, and a doctoral degree in educational leadership.

This project is made possible by a @F5LABestStart grant, which funds an ongoing multi-year FFN bias project.

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

Reflections from Oscar on the CA 211 Disaster Ready and Resilient Conference:

“Yesterday was my first time attending a 211 conference. The people there are deeply passionate about the work they do. During challenging times, staff carry a real emotional load: doing case management, following up, and making sure families get the support they need. That was inspiring to see, given the kind of work we do.

The other thing that stuck with me: people tend to assume recovery is just a matter of time, but what we've seen — after COVID, after the wildfires — is that even as time passes, some things never fully recover. Attending in person gave me a different lens on all of this compared to just watching the news or scrolling social media.

They also spoke about areas impacted by wildfires — how workers coordinated across departments and agencies to put together materials and systems on the fly, because these situations get thrown at you without warning, and everyone is learning and doing at the same time. It was a good reminder of the disparity in resources across regions, and it gave me food for thought about what it means when families face existential issues — sometimes just needing something over their heads for the night.” -Oscar Tang

The R&R Network was pleased to host a panel discussion, “Supporting Families & Child Care Providers in Times of Emergency.”

A big thank you to panelists Tiffany Phovixay & Tran Nguyen, Family Resource Center San Joaquin County, Lana Frisby, Lionheart Safety, and Pamela Arciaga, Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles, and all their expertise and passion in disaster response & recovery efforts supporting children and child care providers.

To find a local 211:
https://t.co/bv0b6bA8fR

To find a local R&R agency:
https://t.co/X9qMuLCiKY

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

Did you know Resource & Referral agencies help build strong, sustainable child care businesses by providing training and support?

[CA Child Care Resource & Referral Network @CARRNetwork]

Beautiful Marketing = Higher Enrollment! Child care businesses can try out these instant, free templates to make flyers and social media posts! Not sure how to use Canva? We got you!! Guidance for all of your materials is here.

Members of the Network and those providing care and education for children in CA receive FREE access to https://t.co/EZplKBHmnh (a subscription valued at $100 annually, provided by the CA Child Care R&R Network).

Visit https://t.co/mfG2ImGVEj or follow the link in our bio to register today!

#ChildCareResources #EarlyChildhood #ECEProfessionals #CaliforniaChildCare #ECESharedResourcesCA