Child Care & Development Resources

Associations

Sonoma County Afterschool Network (SCAN)
(707) 586-9062 | Website

• Promotes the development of quality after school programs throughout Sonoma County and provides workshops and resources to school districts on how to design high quality programs and how best to collaborate with community agencies.

Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC)
Sonoma County (SCAEYC) | Cynara Martin, President | (707) 539-1612 | Website
California (CAEYC) | (916) 486-7750 | Website
National (NAEYC) | (202) 232-8777 | Website

• World's largest organization working on behalf of young children from birth to 8 years of age, focusing on quality educational and developmental services. Membership is open to all individuals who share a desire to serve and act on behalf of the needs and rights of all young children.

Sonoma County Child Care Association (SCCCA)
(707) 237-4911 | Website

• A non-profit organization comprised of family child care providers. Offers support and professional growth services to providers.
  

Child Health and Safety

American Red Cross
(707) 577-7600 | Website

• Offers CPR and first aid classes.

California Childcare Health Program
(510) 204-0930 | Website

• A community-based program of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Nursing, Department of Family Health Care Nursing. Offers support to child care providers regarding healthy and safe practices in child care settings.

California Children’s Services (CCS)
(707) 565-4500 | Website

• A state program providing financial assistance for specialized medical care and rehabilitation for children under the age of 21 with an eligible handicapping medical condition.

Child Health Disability and Prevention Program
(707) 565-4460 | Website

• Provides complete health assessments for the early detection and prevention of disease and disability for eligible children.

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch
(800) 427-8982 | Website

• Provides home inspections and education on lead poisoning.

Safe Kids Sonoma County
(707) 525-5300 x3262 | Website

• Provides safety resources for parents and caregivers.

Sonoma County Victim Assistance Center
(707) 565-8250 | Website

• Provides a variety of services to victims and their families: crisis and emergency assistance, employer/creditor intervention, court support/escort, case status, assistance with victim impact statements, criminal justice system orientation, resource/referral and emotional support.

Early Intervention

Act Early
(800) 232-4636 | Website

• Provides handouts on development milestones and specific developmental disabilities.

Family Resource and Advocacy Center
(707) 524-6600 | Website

• Provides free support to children under the age of 22 facing lifelong disabilities and their families.

Behavioral Consultation Project
(707) 591-0170 | Website

• Provides free on-site consultations to providers and preschool programs serving children 0 to 5 years old to address behavioral, temperamental, developmental or mental health issues, as well as offering staff trainings and workshops on a variety of topics.

Center for Inclusive Child Care
(612) 767-5159 | Website

• A comprehensive resource network for inclusive early childhood, school age programs, and providers, providing resources and online training modules on specific special needs issues.

Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CHADD)
(707) 578-4226 | Website

• A non-profit organization that serves individuals with AD/HD and their families, providing support for individuals, parents, teachers, and professionals.

Community Alliance for Special Education (CASE)
(415) 431-2285 | Website
Local Office, California Parenting Institute | (707) 585-6108 x116 | Website

• A non-profit organization with trained advocates in special education law, providing consultations about special education rights and services to parents and professionals.

Early Start Program
(707) 569-2000 | Website
Early Start Warmline, (800) 646-3268

• A multi-agency effort by the Dept. of Developmental Services and the California Department of Education that encourages partnerships between families and professionals, family support, and coordination of services in providing early intervention for families with children 0-3 years of age who have, or are at risk for, disabilities or developmental delays.

Easter Seals Northern California
(415) 382-7450 | Website

• Provides services that ensure that all people with disabilities or special needs and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities.

Family Village | Website

• A global community that brings together valuable information for parents and caregivers of individuals with disabilities.

Matrix Parent Network & Resource Center
(800) 578-2592 | Website

• Staffed primarily by parents of children with special needs. Provides information, support groups, training and resources for families with children with special needs.

National Dissemination Center on Children and Youth with Disabilities
(800) 695-0285 | Website

• A central source of information on disabilities.

Sonoma County Office of Education’s Special Education Preschool
(707) 524-2710 | Website

• Provides specialized instructional services for preschoolers with physical, emotional, cognitive, or developmental disabilities.

Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention
(813) 974-9803 | Website

• Provides free products and resources to help decision-makers, caregivers, and service providers apply the best practices to improve social-emotional outcomes for young children with, or at risk for, delays or disabilities.

General Resources

Building Child Care Project (BCC)
(888) 411-3535 | Website

• Funded by the California Department of Education. Provides information and services to child care programs interested in doing facility development projects.

Child Development Division (CDD), California Department of Education
(916) 322-6233 | Website

• Provides resources and information for child development contractors, families, and community members regarding child development programs funded by the state.

Child Development Policy Institute (CDPI)
(866) 662-9597 | Website

• A non-partisan, independent organization that works toward establishing sound public policy that benefits the children of California.

Children and Families First Commission: First 5 California
(916) 263-1050 | Website

• Funded by a surtax on tobacco products in California (Proposition 10). Committed to providing a community-based system of care and services aimed at supporting and increasing the health and well-being of young children and their families.

Community Care Licensing Division, Child Care Licensing
(707) 588-5026 | Website

• Licenses, monitors and registers complaints about Child Care Centers and Family Child Care Homes.

First 5 Sonoma County
(707) 565-6680 | Website

• Funds programs and services that promote, support, and improve the early development of children from 0 to 5 years of age and provides small grants to child care homes, centers and preschools who wish to improve the quality of their programs.

Zero to 3
(213) 481-7279 | Website

• A national nonprofit organization that informs, trains and supports professionals, policymakers and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of young children.

Professional Development Services

California Early Childhood Mentor Program
(415) 452-5600 | Website

• Provides resources and support to aspiring and experienced teachers and administrators in programs serving children 0 to 5 years old and before- and after-school programs.
• To be a mentor or be mentored, contact SRJC’s Child Development Department, (707) 527-4315 | Website

Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC)
(415) 289-2300 | Website

• Provides child care providers and preschool teachers with resources and trainings related to early childhood.

Santa Rosa Junior College Tutorial Center
(707) 521-6903 | Website

• Provides free tutors for SRJC students needing assistance with coursework.

Sonoma CARES Program
(707) 524-2639 | Website

• A stipend incentive program for working child care professionals who wish to continue their ECE education.

WestEd
(415) 565-3000 | Website

• A nonprofit research, development, and service agency striving to enhance and increase education and human development within schools, families, and communities.

Research

Alliance for Early Childhood Finance | Website

• Works with early care and education policy activists and advocates to improve the financing of the country’s system of early care and education.

Bay Area Council, Early Childhood Education | Website

• Produced the research report, Key to Economic Success: Investment in Early Childhood Programs (pdf), that supports the business case for investment in early education, promoting early education as an efficiency measure that helps avoid potential costs of grade retention, special education, drop-outs, crime engagement, low skills, and low income levels.

Cost, Quality and Outcomes Study | Website

• Research conducted by the National Center for Early Development and Learning and the FPG Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. A study that found that children enrolled in high-quality child care and preschool programs scored higher on both cognitive and social readiness evaluations than their peers in low-quality programs; includes a discussion of policy implications.

The Carolina Abecedarian Project | Website

• A study of the potential benefits of early education for low-income children who received high-quality child care through age five and were monitored at ages 12, 15 and 21. Children who received high-quality care scored higher on cognitive test scores, and completed more years of education (including college), and have higher overall academic achievement than those who did not receive care.

Economic Impact of Child Care on Sonoma County
Full Report (pdf) | Executive Summary (pdf)

• The Child Care Planning Council and the Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County (4Cs) commissioned the National Economic Development & Law Center in Oakland to produce a study assessing the economic impact of child care in Sonoma County.
• The report found that child care is a $91 million industry in Sonoma County that employs 2,412 people. Our community reaps $7 for every $1 invested in child care, yet our current supply of child care will not meet the growing need without partnerships between businesses, government, and the child care industry.
• Every political leader, developer, and owner of a business – small or large – should take a close look at this study. Research has shown that reliable child care affects a company’s bottom line through increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, and lower turnover. Employers can help by allowing employees to work part-time or flex their hours, or job share. They can also set up systems that allow employees to put pre-tax dollars into tax-free accounts to pay for child care. Employers benefit from employees having dependable quality child care. Parents can bring the ideas and information from the Economic Impact Report to their employer’s attention. Child care providers have the opportunity to inform the parents they serve and any business partners they work with about the impact of child care on Sonoma County’s economy.

Insight Center for Community Economic Development | Website

• A national research, consulting, and legal organization dedicated to increasing the status and self-sufficiency of low-income families through community and economic development programs, supporting programs that address a wide range of topics, including early care and education, workforce development, and community investment.

National Institute for Early Education Research | Website

• Supports early childhood education initiatives by providing objective, nonpartisan information based on research.

Resource and Referral Agencies

California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
(415) 882-0234 | Website

• Links the 61 R&R agencies in each county in California. Provides planning tools and resources to help providers, parents, and communities address child care issues. Sponsors programs such as the California Child Care Portfolio, the Child Care Initiative Project (recruiting, training, and retaining providers), the TrustLine Registry (background checks for license-exempt providers), and Parent Voices (parent leadership development program).

Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County (4Cs)
(707) 544-3077 | Website

• Provides resources, referrals and support services for families and child care providers in Sonoma County.

National Association of Child Care
Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA)
(703) 341-4100 | Website

• A national network for community-based child care resource and referral agencies.

National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC)
(800) 616-2242 | Website

• Part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, providing information and assistance regarding child care to parents, early care and education providers, policy-makers, researchers, and businesses. Information is also available in Spanish.

Resources for Child Care Professionals
Resource List (pdf)

• A printer friendly list of valuable resources for Sonoma County child care professionals.

River to Coast Children’s Services (RCCS)
(707) 869-3613 | Website

• Provides resources, referrals, and support services for families and child care providers in west Sonoma County.