• The mission of the Child Care Planning Council (CCPC) of Sonoma County is to convene and inspire the community through collaboration, leadership, and advocacy to promote and plan for quality child care and development for the benefit of all children (birth to 18), their families, and Sonoma County.

Sign up for the CCPC LISTSERV To receive meeting agendas for the Child Care Planning Council of Sonoma County and/or the weekly CCPC e-news with articles, training information, and more, email Carol Simmons, RN, CCPC Coordinator at csimmons@scoe.org.

CCPC is a member of the Sonoma County Partnership for Children, a community movement promoting “children-first” in politics, policies, and investments. Please become a member of Partnership for Children and support the campaign! There is no cost to join, but there’s a huge benefit to our community when we put children first. Learn more...

CCPC Purpose

The Council was established in 1991 in accordance with state law Assembly Bill 2141 to provide a forum for the identification of local priorities for child care and to develop policies to meet the needs identified within these priorities. Increased funding and expanded mandates were awarded in 1998 during the implementation of CalWORKS and Assembly Bill 1542. These mandates include:

• Conducting a local child care needs assessment
• Submitting a countywide comprehensive child care plan to the County Superintendent of Schools, County Board of Supervisors, and State Department of Education
• Establishing local priorities for child care funding, according to State policy and guidance
• Enhancing collaboration and partnerships in the child care community to meet local needs
• Linking part-day programs to provide full-day care

The Child Care Planning Council is sanctioned by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools, and is governed by State mandates, Council by-laws (pdf), and the Brown Act. CCPC endeavors to convene all those concerned with child care issues in community forums and meetings in order to improve and sustain valuable, quality child care programs and opportunities for families.

Current Issues in Child Care and Development

Diversity
Early Violence Prevention
Leadership Development
Quality Child Care
Partnership for Children
Recognition of the Importance of Child Care and Development
Role of Child Care and Development in Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse

CCPC Programs

Sonoma CARES Program

—Sonoma CARES Plus is an Upstream Investments Tier 2 Program—

Administered by the Child Care Planning Council of Sonoma County, the Sonoma CARES program rewards and encourages continued education and professional development by providing monetary stipends to qualified individuals working in early care and education programs. More…

Gateway to Quality Mini-Grant Program

—Gateway to Quality is an Upstream Investments Tier 3 Program—

First 5 Sonoma County's Gateway to Quality Mini-Grant Program is open to child care providers and early childhood educators who have previously received a First 5 Sonoma County mini-grant. The Child Care Planning Council administers the validation component of the program. More…

CCPC Internal Strategic Plan

In September of 2012, the Child Care Planning Council of Sonoma County developed a three-year Strategic Plan, 2012-2015 (pdf) that identifies three priority areas for the Council focus:

• Education and Awareness
• Advocacy—Funding and Infrastructure
• Best Practices in Child Care Development