Resource Links

General Child Care Links

• Child Care Aware® - Child Care Aware® is committed to helping parents find the best information on locating quality child care and child care resources in their community. We do this by raising visibility for local child care resource and referral agencies nationwide and by connecting parents with the local agencies best equipped to serve their needs.
• National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies - NACCRRA, the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, is our nation’s leading voice for child care. We work with more than 600 state and local Child Care Resource and Referral agencies nationwide. These agencies help ensure that families in 99 percent of all populated ZIP codes in the United States have access to quality, affordable child care.
• Washington State Child Care Resource & Referral Network - The Washington State Child Care Resource & Referral Network was created to support families and caregivers, shape policy, and build communities that promote the learning and development of children and youth throughout Washington State through a strong statewide network of local child care resource and referral programs.
• 211 - An easy-to-remember phone number for people to call for health and human service information and referrals and other assistance to meet their needs. Call from anywhere in the country to receive referrals to local agencies who can help with everything from food, housing, to pet sitters.
• The Search Institute has lots of good information about raising responsible, caring, resilient children.
• Foundation for Early Learning - This site has information about the values of early learning
• Your local library has children’s’ story hours, summer reading programs, videos, CDs, tapes and much more for children of all ages.
• The Early Learning Benchmarks is a guide to young children’s development.
• The United Way is a wonderful source of information about human service agencies in communities. Here are links to local agencies:
  • United Way of Clallam County
  • United Good Neighbors of Jefferson County
  • United Way of Kitsap County
• Thrive By Five - Thrive by Five Washington is the state’s nonprofit public-private partnership for early learning. We mobilize the long-term statewide commitment to early learning, so that families and caregivers have the information and support they need to help their children succeed in school and thrive in life.
• Lutheran Community Services Northwest

Child Care Provider Links

• Chilcare subsidy information
• Update your provider profile
• Washington scholarships
• Foundation for Early Learning - A public foundation that supports the learning of children, birth through age five. The Early Learning Community is a free resource for families, educators and professionals to connect and discuss the learning of children, birth through age five.

Advocacy

Lutheran Community Services NW, child care providers, parents and other entities all work together to advocate for families, children and communities. To join that effort, please contact your local policy makers to bring awareness to your own family concerns and challenges.

• Lutheran Public Policy
• Contact your local officials
• National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies Public Policy
• Legislative hotline 1-800-562-6000
• For legislative updates and alerts:
  • The Child Care Policy Forum (state and national)
  • United Ways of WA and WA State CCR&R Network weekly updates during the legislative session to subscribe, send your name, organization name and email address to erica.hallock@unitedway.org
  • The Children’s Alliance (range of children’s issues)
  • Legislative web site
  • Governor's web site
  • Washington Learns
• The Children's Alliance - Early Learning Action Alliance - A coalition of organizations in Washington State that believe all children should have the opportunities and support they need in the first five years to be prepared for school and a bright future.
• Washington State Child Care Resource & Referral Network - The child care system in Washington State is dedicated to partnering with parents, child care providers and community partners to improve the early learning outcomes for our children.
• Washington Association for the Education of Young Children - WAEYC advocates for improving early learning and quality care for children in Washington State.
• The Early Learning Action Alliance Legislative Agenda - ELAA is a coalition of organizations in Washington which share that belief that all children in Washington state deserve to have the opportunities and support they need in their first five years of life to be prepared for school and a bright future.
• Washington’s Child Care Policy Forum - Sign up today for Washington’s Child Care Policy Forum to access the latest information regarding child care policy and to talk easy steps to provide your input to elected officials on how to strengthen the child care system.
• Mom’s Rising - Mom’sRising is a network of people, united by the goal of building a more family-friendly America. Although they focus on a range of issues, “Early Care & Education” is a major focus. Visit them at www.momsrising.org 
  

Business Community

• How employers can benefit from quality early learning and school age childcare.