1. Resource & Referral: A Provider’s Best Friend
Riverside County Office of Education
Division of Early Childhood Education Services
Children’s Services Unit
Resource & Referral

2. What is R & R
Funded by California Department of Education (CDE) since 1976
Local resource and referral agencies:
Help parents find licensed child care that best meets their family needs
Document parents' requests for child care services
Maintain comprehensive databases of child care providers in their communities, including licensed family child care homes and child care centers
Track providers' licensing status, the languages they speak, the age groups they serve, the schedules they offer, and the number of spaces available in centers or family child care homes
Work with providers to improve the quality of child care and to maintain and expand the supply of child care in each county
Provide training and other services that help providers stay in business
Compile and disseminate information & data on the statewide supply and demand for child care
Educate local communities and leaders to understand child care issues and to plan effectively to address child care needs.
R&R services are free and available to all parents and child care providers

3. What About MY R & R R & R agencies in every county in the state
Some larger counties have multiple R & R agencies
Within the scope of funding, agencies have freedom to provide services as they determine
Each county R & R will look different
Some may have varying levels of funding, so may not provide the same services
Child Care Initiative Project (CCIP)
Health & Safety

4. My Child Care Plan
Parents can call and get a free, customized plan to assist them in identifying, selecting, & securing child care that best meets their needs
Discuss options (State Preschool, Center-base child care, Head Start, etc.)
Provide other resources, as necessary (food, shelter, counseling, summer camp program, utility assistance, etc.)

5. Resource Lending Library
Free service available to all licensed centers & family child care homes
Curriculum items to enrich learning environments both inside & outside the classroom
Borrow items for a period of time much like a library book
Some R & R agencies have a van to bring items into the community

6. Child Care Initiative Project (CCIP)
Designed to build & improve the supply of quality licensed child care
Minimum of 30 hours of training that includes: navigating the licensing process, environmentally- healthy child care, social & emotional competence in children, ages & stages of child development, and character education
Also works to assist providers with expanding slots (small to large & center slot expansion)
Pre-licensing inspections

7. Navy & Airforce Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)
Respite care for special needs children and their siblings
Assistance with selection of child care provider
Training for provider
Parent support
No Income restrictions

8. R & R Activities Holiday Drive Domestic Violence Campaign
Purple Ribbon Month
Back Pack Drive
Shoes That Fit

9. State Preschool and Infant Programs
Direct operated Teen Infant Programs
Subcontracted Preschool and Infant programs
Trustline
Database of in-home caregivers in Riverside County that have cleared criminal record check.
Resource and referral network administers the program

10. Alternative Payment Programs
Programs for parents who are:
Current or recent (last 24 months) CalWORKs recipients (Stage 1 & Stage 2)
Past the 24 months past their cash aid termination date (Stage 3)
Currently on the Eligibility List (EL) at programs receiving CDE funding (California Alternative Payment Program -CAPP)
Need & eligibility based programs
Parent required to recertify annually & report all need & eligibility changes

11. Partnership with Community Care Licensing
R & R has a strong partnership with Community Care Licensing (CCL) at the state & local level
All Type A violations, Non-Compliance Conferences (NCC), suspensions, & Temporary Suspension Orders (TSO) are reported within 24 hours to local R & R office
Non-Compliance classes may be offered by the local R & R to cover Title 22 & best practices for licensed providers who have received serious or concerning violations or have recently had an NCC

12. Training & Professional Development
Health & Safety
Small funding to provide CPR/First Aid training
Many R & R agencies provide on-going coaching, mentoring, and/or training to providers
Partnership with local community colleges & higher learning institutions
Child Care Associations

13. Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS)
CDE funded
Approach to rating early childhood program settings
Currently funding State Preschool Programs
New funding for Infant Toddler Programs
Uses a tiered-matrix (Tiers 1-5) to identify & assign a quality rating based on 3 core elements of program quality:
Child development & school readiness
Teachers & teaching
Program & Environment

14. Core Elements of Quality
Child development & school readiness
Desired Results Developmental Profiles (DRDP)
Alignment with California Frameworks & Foundations
Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ & ASQ-SE)
Teachers & Teaching
Minimum Staff Qualifications: Education, Experience, & Child Development Permits
Program & Environment
Ratios & Group Size
Program Environment Rating Scale (ERS)
Director Qualifications (centers only)

15. Improve & Maximize Programs so All Children Thrive (IMPACT)
First 5 CA initiative to be a companion to QRIS funding
For all non state funded programs
Combines Early Learning & Development, Child Health, & Family Support & Strengthening
Combines:
Quality standards
Process of supporting quality improvements
Provision of incentives
Process for monitoring standards
Dissemination of information on quality to parents & the public

16. Improving Quality
Key focus of the State of California to improve quality in early childhood program
Each county that is awarded funding structures their QRIS/IMPACT funding differently
Not every county is funded for QRIS or IMPACT
Tiered ratings will be published by R & R agencies
Each county must determine how those ratings will be published

17. Jill Johnson, Coordinator jjohnson@rcoe
Jill Johnson, Coordinator Laura Weeks, Program Specialist Priscilla Dade, Program Specialist