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What do we do? • 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.
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.
Part of a bigger picture 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
Our Services • Families • Child Care Providers • Employers • Communities
FREE Child Care Referrals • Referrals to child care providers 24/7 online at www.iowaccrr.org • Call a Parent Referral Specialist 877-216-8481 • Monday-Friday 8am-4:30 pm • Education on choosing quality child care • Referrals to other services • Advocacy and support
Helping Hands Individualized support with: • Licensing and Registration • Consultation • Technical Assistance • Training • Updating Files • Referrals to other services
How do we put parents at ease? • Data on child care availability • Data on child care costs • Parent education services • Forums on child care issues • Advocacy • Early Childhood Education
What is quality? qual-i-ty [kwol-i-tee]: • Degree of excellence • A distinguishing attribute Source: Meriam-Webster
ChildNet • Registered providers can complete 25 hour series course through CCR&R. • Small business improvements and incorporating best practice into their program • Eligibleto become certified after series • Complete certification visit with Consultant • Must renewevery 2 years
QRS Iowa’s Quality Rating System A five-starhotel means high quality… so does a child care program.
Stars of QRS • 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 Iowa’s Quality Rating System
Accreditation • Programs can become NATIONALLYaccredited. • 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.
Why should you care? Programs that participate in QRS, ChildNet, Accreditation show their dedication and commitmentto providequality child care and are continually working towards improving the quality of care.
