Who? What? Why?

Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) is a program to support quality child care throughout the State of Iowa. CCR&R is available to assist families in selecting child care providers who best meet the needs of a child and their family. Child Care Consultants provide on-site consultation to licensed preschools, centers, non-registered home providers, and Child Development Home providers. Our Mission: Iowa Child Care Resource and Referral provides resources, education and advocacy to support quality child care. What do we do?

Iowa Child Care Resource & Referral 5 Regions serving 99 counties *Funded by the Department of Human Services (DHS) Child Care Division, the regulatory agency for child care.

Iowa Child Care Resource and Referral is part of a larger organization, Child Care Aware of America. Child Care Aware of America is our nation’s leading voice for child care. They work with more than 600 state and local Child Care Resource and Referral agencies to ensure that families in every local community have access to quality, affordable child care. To achieve our mission, we lead projects that increase the quality and availability of child care, offer comprehensive training to child care professionals, undertake groundbreaking research, and advocate for child care policies that positively impact the lives of children and families. Since 1987, Child Care Aware® of America has been working to improve the system of early learning for children by: 1.Providing training, resources and best practices standards to local and state CCR&Rs that support high-quality, accountable services 2.Promoting national policies and partnerships that facilitate universal access to high quality child care 3.Collecting, analyzing, and reporting current child care data and research, including child care supply and demand trends 4. Offering child care and parenting information and resources to families and connecting families to local CCR&R services Part of a bigger picture

Our Services Families Child Care Providers Employers Communities

Families

Referrals to child care providers 24/7 online at Call a Parent Referral Specialist – Monday-Friday 8am-4:30 pm Education on choosing quality child care Referrals to other services Advocacy and support FREE Child Care Referrals

Child Care Providers

Individualized support with: Licensing and Registration Consultation Technical Assistance Training Updating Files Referrals to other services Helping Hands

Employers/Communities

Data on child care availability Data on child care costs Parent education services Forums on child care issues Advocacy Early Childhood Education How do we put parents at ease?

What is quality? qual-i-ty [kwol-i-tee]: 1.Degree of excellence 2.A distinguishing attribute Source: Meriam-Webster

How do we identify quality?

ChildNet Registered providers can complete 25 hour series course through CCR&R. – Small business improvements and incorporating best practice into their program Eligible to become certified after series – Complete certification visit with Consultant Must renew every 2 years

Iowa’s Quality Rating System QRS A five-star hotel means high quality … so does a child care program.

Stars of QRS Iowa’s Quality Rating System 1 Star Program meets the Iowa standards for licensing and registration 2 Stars Program has made steps toward improving quality of care 3-5 Stars Program has earned points in the quality indicators of: Health & Safety Environment Family and Community Partnership Leadership and Administration Professional Development

Programs can become NATIONALLY accredited. – Accreditation requires programs to meet a specific set of standards – National Association of Education of Young Children, National Afterschool Association, National Association of Family Child Care and more. Accreditation

Why should you care? Programs that participate in QRS, ChildNet, Accreditation show their dedication and commitment to provide quality child care and are continually working towards improving the quality of care.

Because this little guy cares.

Questions?