The Network began its long and rich history in 1980, as the first statewide resource and referral organization in the U.S. Most states have since established R&R as a critical part of a comprehensive child care system, and have relied on The California Child Care Resource and Referral Network as a model to which they adapt their particular needs.
Decade One: The 1980s
- Child care resource and referral (R&R) services expanded to every county in California
- Employer-supported, enhanced child care referral program implemented in California by the Network
- Public-private partnership (California Child Care Initiative Project) created with the Bank of America Foundation, to recruit, train and support licensed family care providers; more than 19,000 new licensed providers recruited, 73,000 new child care slots
- Child abuse prevention training program for child care providers - Partners in Prevention - developed with support from California Department of Social Services; more than 9,000 new providers trained in two years
Decade Two: The 1990s
- Trustline, criminal history and child abuse background check for license-exempt providers, implemented state-wide; 226,164 child care providers registered
- Parent Voices and Stand for Children Day, introduced thousands of parents to the legislative process, enabling unique perspectives to be heard at the Capitol; maintained accessibility and affordability of child care for low-income working parents
- California Child Care Portfolio (produced biennially since 1997) documents child care supply and demand, county-by-county, providing insight to child care issues in the state
- El Comienzo and Cuatro Pasos a Una Profesion, created to meet needs of Spanish speaking child care providers
Decade Three: The 2000s
- Spearheaded efforts to increase accessibility to child care programs for children with special needs; expansion of inclusion support services for children and families with special needs
- California Exempt Care Training Project, Growing, Learning, Caring, developed and implemented
- First statewide Early Care and Education Workforce Study completed in collaboration with the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment; provided comprehensive information on licensed child care providers
- Workshops for more than 69,000 parents and providers, and responses to more than 400,000 requests for community assistance, by R&R in 2008-2009
