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Advocating for children, families and communities facing barriers to high quality child care. | |
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Advocating for children, families and communities facing barriers to high quality child care. | |
Keep apprised of the latest developments in child care law. Essential reading for parents, advocates, attorneys and child care providers.
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Here are some National and California-specific sites about Child Care, Child Development, Early Childhood Education, Legal Advocacy on Behalf of Children, and other resources on the World Wide Web that we recommend:
Law and Legal Research
Disability
Welfare
Child Care Subsidies
Child Care (and related) Policy
Legal Momentum
Legal Momentum advances the rights of women and girls by using the power of the law and creating innovative public policy.
Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
The Shriver Center is a national communications hub for legal services and other public interest law advocates.
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
DREDF is a national law and policy center dedicated to protecting and advancing the civil rights of people with disabilities through legislation, litigation, advocacy, technical assistance, and education and training of attorneys, advocates, persons with disabilities, and parents of children with disabilities.
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
NICHCY is a national information center that provides information to the public on disabilities and disability-related issues with a special focus on children and youth (birth to age 22). Their website includes information on: specific disabilities, special education and related services for children in school, individualized education programs, parent materials, disability organizations, professional associations, education rights and what the law requires, early intervention services for infants and toddlers, and transition to adult life.
U.S. Department of Justice, Disabilities Division
The US Department of Justice is the agency that enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This website provides general information about the ADA in all different contexts.
National Center for Law and Economic Justice
NCLEJ advances the cause of economic justice for low-income families, individuals and communities across the country.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, TANF
The Office of Family Assistance (OFA) is located in the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families and oversees the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program which was created by the Welfare Reform Law of 1996.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Bureau
The Child Care Bureau supports low-income working families through child care financial assistance and promotes children's learning by improving the quality of early care and education and after-school programs.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Bureau, Instructions and Guidance
The Child Care Bureau supports low-income working families through child care financial assistance and promotes children's learning by improving the quality of early care and education and after-school programs. This link goes directly to information on Current Instructions/Guidance/Allocations for States and Territories.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Head Start Bureau
Head Start and Early Head Start are comprehensive child development programs that serve children from birth to age 5, pregnant women, and their families. They are child-focused programs and have the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in low-income families.
Administration for Children and Families
ACF is responsible for federal programs which promote the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities. The site links you to ACF's Child Care Bureau and ACF's Head Start Bureau.
Center for Law and Social Policy
CLASP’s mission is to improve the economic security, educational and workforce prospects, and family stability of low-income parents, children, and youth and to secure equal justice for all.
Center for the Child Care Workforce
CCW is a nonprofit research, education, and advocacy organization committed to improving child care quality by upgrading the compensation, working conditions, and training of child care teachers and family child care providers.
Child Care Bureau
The Child Care Bureau administers Federal funds to States, Territories, and Tribes to assist low income families in accessing quality child care for children while parents work or participate in education or training. The Child Care Bureau is part of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families in the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
Child Care and Early Education Research Connections
An effective tool for researchers and policymakers that facilitates access to current research and findings, datasets, statistics, instruments, and other analytic tools related to child care and early childhood education.
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Formerly the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, Child Welfare Information Gateway
is a service of the Children's Bureau, within the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Clearinghouse can help you find research, statistics, State laws, and resources on such topics as prevention, child protection, out-of-home care, and permanency planning.
Child Welfare League of America
CWLA's 1,000 plus public and private nonprofit member agencies serve 3 million abused and neglected children and their families each year. The Programs area of the CWLA website includes a section dedicated to Child Day Care. This section includes information about quality child care, positive parenting and family child care systems.
Children's Defense Fund
The mission of the Children's Defense Fund is to Leave No Child Behind®. The CDF website includes a child care section called Child Care Now, with information about child care advocacy and policy, parenting, and CDF reports and resources.
Economic Success Clearinghouse
A project of The Finance Project, is a clearinghouse for information, policy analysis and technical assistance related to welfare, workforce development, and other human and community services.
Families and Work Institute
Families and Work Institute is a non-profit organization that addresses the changing nature of work and family life.
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids is a bipartisan, nonprofit anti-crime organization led by more than 2,000 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors, victims of violence and leaders of police officer associations. Among the strategies proven to be effective at keeping kids from becoming criminals are early care and education programs for preschoolers, good schools, after-school programs and prevention of child abuse.
The Finance Project
The Finance Project’s Information Resource Center provides easy access to a wealth of information on policies, programs, and financing strategies for initiatives striving to improve the lives of children, families and communities.
Head Start Bureau
Head Start and Early Head Start are comprehensive child development programs that serve children from birth to age 5, pregnant women, and their families. They are child-focused programs and have the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in low-income families.
Insight Center for Community Economic Development
Formerly, National Economic Development and Law Center, The Insight Center focuses on assisting communities with economic development initiatives. The Child Care Program conducts research, produces Child Care Economic Impact Reports, and offers technical assistance to counties, regions, and states about integrating child care into economic development planning.
National After-School Association
NAA is a national membership organization whose mission is to support quality programs for school-age children and youth in their out-of-school hours.
National Association for the Education of Young Children
NAEYC is the nation's largest organization of early childhood professionals and others dedicated to improving the quality of early childhood education programs for children birth through age eight.
National Association for Family Child Care
The focus of NAFCC is to provide technical assistance to family child care associations. This assistance is provided through developing leadership and professionalism, addressing issues of diversity, and by promoting quality and professionalism through NAFCC's Family Child Care Accreditation.
National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies
NACCRRA is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the most up-to-date and useful information to parents seeking child care, child care professionals, NACCRRA members, and child care advocates.
National Black Child Development Institute
NBCDI promotes and protects the well-being of all African American children. NBCDI programs assist children and families who are experiencing challenges in the areas of early care and education, health, parenting, education, and child welfare.
National Center for Children in Poverty
NCCP’s mission is to identify and promote strategies that reduce the number of young children living in poverty in the United States, and that improve the life chances of the millions of children under age six who are growing up poor. Child Care and Early Education is one area of the site and includes NCCP's policy papers on child care issues.
National Child Care Information Center
NCCIC activities include: dissemination of child care, outreach to the child care community, publication of the Child Care Bulletin. The NCCIC also develops and disseminates publications on key child care issues.
National Child Care Association, Inc.
NCCA is a professional trade association focused exclusively on the needs of licensed, private child care and education programs.
National Head Start Association
NHSA is a private not-for profit membership organization representing children, staff and Head Start programs in America. NHSA provides a national forum for the continued enhancement of Head Start services for poor children ages 5 to five, and their families.
National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care
The National Resource Center’s primary mission is to promote health and safety in out-of-home child care settings throughout the nation.
Policy Analysis of California Education
PACE is an independent policy research center whose primary aim is to enrich education policy debates with sound analysis and hard evidence.
QUILT (Quality in Linking Together Early Education Partnerships) Project discontinued but materials still available.
QUILT is a national training and technical assistance project funded by the federal Head Start and Child Care Bureaus. QUILT’s purpose is to support full-day, full-year partnerships among child care, Head Start, pre-kindergarten, and other early education programs.
Stand for Children
Stand for Children is a nationwide grassroots voice for children.
Tufts University Child and Family WebGuide
The Child & Family WebGuide strives to describe trustworthy websites on topics of interest to parents and professionals. There are five main categories of information: family/parenting, education/learning, typical child development, health/mental health, and resources/recreation.
United States Department of Education
The U.S Department of Education administers a number of programs to ensure equal access to education and promote educational excellence for all Americans, and to make sure that no child is left behind.
United States Department of Labor: Women's Bureau
The Women's Bureau is the single unit at the Federal government level exclusively concerned with serving and promoting the interests of working women. The website includes an area dedicated to child care, including information about child care policies for employers, child care tips for working parents, child care data, and information on current WB programs and resources.
Zero to Three
Zero to Three is a national nonprofit charitable organization whose mission is to strengthen and support families, practitioners and communities to promote the healthy development of infants and toddlers.
Law and Legal Research
Disability
Welfare and CalWORKs Child Care Subsidies
Child Development and General Child Care Subsidies
Child Care (and related) Policy
Bay Area Legal Aid
BALA’s seven regional offices work together to provide high quality legal assistance to low-income people regardless of their location, language, or disability.
California Department of Consumer Affairs, Small Claims Court
The mission of the California Department of Consumer Affairs is to protect and serve consumers while ensuring a fair and competitive marketplace.
California Office of Administrative Law
The Office of Administrative Law is responsible for reviewing administrative regulations proposed by over 200 state agencies for compliance with the standards set forth in California's Administrative Procedure Act, for transmitting these regulations to the Secretary of State and for publishing regulations in the California Code of Regulations.
California Public Interest Clearinghouse
PIC promotes justice by supporting organizations that make our legal system more accessible and responsive to people who are traditionally excluded. The primary mission of the Clearinghouse is to provide information, support, and statewide coordination to the legal services community in order to enhance the delivery of legal services to the indigent.
California Rural Legal Assistance
CRLA works to show farm workers and other rural poor people that the law can be a friend and that those responsible for enforcing the laws can and should be called to account.
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
LAFLA is LA’s frontline law firm for low-income people, they promote access to justice, strengthen communities, combat discrimination, and effect systemic change through representation, advocacy, and community education.
Legal Aid Society of Orange County
LASOC provides free, civil legal services to low-income persons and seniors who live in Orange County, California and southeast Los Angeles County.
Legal Services of Northern California
LSNC works to provide quality legal services that empower the poor to identify and defeat the causes and effects of poverty. Their priorities include: support for families, enhancing economic stability, safety, stability and health care, civil rights and serving populations with special vulnerabilities.
Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County
NLS-LA provides free legal services to low-income residents. NLS-LA serves all of Los Angeles County, including the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys, the neighboring communities in the Pomona, Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys, and the cities of Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena.
Public Counsel
Public Counsel is the largest pro bono law office in the nation. A staff of twenty-seven attorneys along with thousands of volunteer lawyers, law students and legal professionals assist over 26,000 low income children, youth, adults and families, as well as eligible community organizations each year.
San Francisco Law Library
Provides information on library hours, collection and events.
Western Center on Law and Poverty
WCLP advances and enforces the rights of low-income Californians in health, housing and public assistance by working statewide for systemic change.
California Department of Fair Employment and Housing
The mission of the Department of Fair Employment and Housing is to protect the people of California from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations, and from the perpetration of acts of hate violence.
Child Care Inclusion Challenge Project (CCICP)
The Child Care Inclusion Challenge Project (CCICP) supports efforts to provide quality, inclusive child care for children who have special needs, helping their families find information and resources as well as child care arrangements that best meet their requirements and preferences. The project also offers free technical assistance, on-site consultation and training to providers in child care centers and homes, after-school programs and classrooms to assist in creating quality inclusive child care settings. A variety of trainings are available to providers, including: CCICP services, Defining Inclusion and Special Needs, Communicating with Parents, the Americans with Disabilities Act – Rights and Responsibilities, Understanding and Managing Challenging Behaviors, and others as requested. Support is available in English, Spanish and Cantonese. All CCICP services are free, confidential, and available to families and providers who live or work within San Francisco.
Protection and Advocacy, California
Protection and Advocacy is a non-profit disability rights advocacy organization dedicated to “advancing the human and legal rights of people with disabilities”.
Special Needs Inclusion Project (SNIP)
The DCYF Special Needs Inclusion Project (SNIP) provides agencies funded by the Department of Children, Youth and their Families (DCYF) with free training, resource, free on-site technical assistance, and the support they need to successfully include children & youth with disabilities into their agency’s programs. In addition, the SNIP Interagency Council provides a sustainable foundation of collaboration and problem solving that will enable San Francisco’s DCYF partners to better serve all children and youth.
Welfare-to-Work Home Page
Current welfare rules ensure that individuals who work are better off financially than if they do not work. California's Welfare to Work (WTW) program is designed to assist welfare recipients to obtain or prepare for employment.
California Department of Social Services
Their mission is to serve, aid, and protect needy and vulnerable children and adults in ways that strengthen and preserve families, encourage personal responsibility, and foster independence.
California Department of Social Services, All County Letters, All County Information Notices, Other Letters
California Department of Social Services Manual of Policies and Procedures
Regulations contain the CDSS Manual of Policies and Procedures.
California Department of Social Services various departments
Links to various departments in DSS.
California Department of Social Services, Welfare-to-Work Division, has TANF Plan, County CalWORKs Plans, and Other Plans
Their mission is to serve, aid, and protect needy and vulnerable children and adults in ways that strengthen and preserve families, encourage personal responsibility, and foster independence.
Click here for county and local information on CalWORKs child care.
A partial listing of links to county CalWORKs agencies:
Alameda County Department of Social Services
Butte County Department of Employment and Social Services
Contra Costa County Department of Employment & Human Services
Fresno County Human Services System
Kern County Department of Human Services
Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services
Monterey County Department of Social Services
Orange County Social Services Agency
Riverside County Department of Public Social Services
San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency
San Mateo County Human Services Agency
Santa Clara County Social Services Agency
Santa Cruz County Human Resources Agency
California Department of Education, Child Development Division
Resources and information for child development contractors, families, and community members regarding child development programs funded by the state
California Department of Education, Child Development Division, CCDF Plan
The federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is an aggregate of several funding sources that is distributed in block grants by the federal government to the states and territories.
California Department of Education, Child Development Division, Funding Terms and Conditions Funding Terms and Conditions for Child Development Contracts for 2006-07.
California Department of Education, Child Development Division, Management Bulletins
The Child Development Division periodically issues Management Bulletins to provide legal and regulatory information to child development contractors and other interested parties.
California Department of Education, Child Development Division, Title 5 Regulations
Division 1, Chapter 19 and 19.5, sections 18000 through 18434. These regulations define the program operations requirements for a recipient of child care services funds made available by the CDE.
Action Alliance for Children
Action Alliance for Children, publisher of the Children's Advocate news magazine, is a key information, education, and communications link among people committed to the well-being of children and families in California.
BANANAS Child Care Resource and Referral Agency
BANANAS is a non-profit child care referral and support agency serving the diverse families in Northern Alameda County, California. They provide free parenting information, workshops and referrals to family child care, child care centers, preschools, babysitters, in-home caregivers, nannies and playgroups. They provide subsidized child care for parents in need. They also offer training, workshops, classes and technical support to caregivers and child care programs to assure parents a wide selection of quality care.
The Building Child Care Collaborative
This website provides considerable information on facilities development and financing for child care providers.
California Association for the Education of Young Children
CAEYC acts on behalf of the needs and rights of young children by focusing on the provision of educational services and resources to adults who work with and for children birth through age eight. The website includes information about CAEYC, child care program accreditation, upcoming conferences and events, local CAEYC associations, public policy, and CAEYC membership.
California Budget Project
CBP serves as a resource to the media, policymakers, and state and local constituency groups seeking accurate information and analysis of a range of state policy issues.
California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
The R&R Network coordinates services that assist local child care resource and referral agencies in providing child care information and services to parents, child care providers, policy makers, and business and community leaders in every county in the State.
California Children and Families Commission (First Five)
First Five California funds projects on a community-by-community basis, to ensure that all children prenatal to five years of age have access to a comprehensive, integrated system of early childhood development services.
California Community Care Licensing
The Child Care Licensing Program licenses and monitors Family Child Care Homes and Child Care Centers in an effort to ensure that they provide a safe and healthy environment for children who are in day care.
California Department of Education - Child Development Division
The Child Development Division'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 CDD website includes information about CDD, child care and development funding opportunities, and California's state-funded child care system.
California Department of Social Services
The mission of the California Department of Social Services is to serve, aid, and protect needy and vulnerable children and adults in ways that strengthen and preserve families, encourage personal responsibility, and foster independence. The website includes information on all CDSS programs and activities. The site links you to the Community Care Licensing website.
California Paid Family Leave
California workers may receive up to six weeks of paid leave per year to care for a new child or seriously ill family member. The website outlines the law, includes publications on the benefit as well as about other California labor issues.
California School-Age Consortium
CalSAC's mission is to promote the welfare of school-age children and enhance the quality of family and community life. The website includes information on training opportunities, advocacy, membership, and CSAC services.
Child Care Inclusion Challenge Project
CCICP supports efforts to provide quality, inclusive child care for children who have special needs, helping their families find information and resources as well as child care arrangements that best meet their requirements and preferences. In addition, they offer child care providers on-site consultation, technical assistance, and training on topics related to working with children with disabilities.
Child Development Policy Institute (CDPI) and Child Development Policy Institute Education Fund (CDPI Ed Fund)
The mission of the CDPI is to promote policies that enhance the quality, basic infrastructure and accessibility of child care and development services. The mission of the Child Development Policy Institute Education Fund is to conduct research and analysis, and to disseminate information, on issues of child growth and development. The CDPI website includes information about CDPI, CDPI's legislative agenda, and CDPI publications.
Children Now
Children Now is a research and action organization dedicated to assuring that children grow up in economically secure families.
Children’s Advocacy Institute
CAI works to improve the status and well-being of children by representing their interests and right to a safe, healthy childhood. In addition to its academic program, which trains law students to be effective child advocates, CAI represents children in the state legislature, in the courts, before administrative agencies, and through public education programs.
Children's Defense Fund--California
CDF works toward reducing the numbers of neglected, sick, uneducated, and poor children in the United States.
The Gateway to Quality Project
The Gateway to Quality Project is a collaborative effort among San Francisco agencies, community-based organizations, child care providers, early childhood educators, and private foundations to improve the quality of early child care and education in San Francisco.
Judicial Council of California, English Version
The California Courts Online Self-Help Center. This website will help you find assistance and information, work better with an attorney, and represent yourself in some legal matters. Use these resources to find free and low-cost legal help and information regarding specific court issues such as families and children, divorce, child support, guardianship, small claims, domestic violence, restraining orders, conservatorship, elder abuse, traffic court, and more.
Judicial Council of California, Español Versión
Al Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California. Este sitio Web le ayudará a encontrar ayuda e información, trabajar mejor con un abogado y en algunos asuntos legales le ayudará a representarse a sí mismo.
On The Capitol Doorstep
Focusing on child care and development programs, OTCD follows current legislative efforts relative to child protection; child safety; education; health, mental health and disabilities; nutrition and public assistance.
Policy Analysis for California Education
PACE provides analysis and assistance to California policymakers, educators, and the public, as well as issues of national significance.
Preschool California
Preschool California is a broad-based, multi-year advocacy campaign to achieve voluntary preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds in California.
Public Policy Institute of California
The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public policy in California through independent, objective, nonpartisan research.