SAVE THE DATE: February 23 - 24, 2027 Strong Families. Strong Economy. Stronger California. Join @TFC_advocacy, the Network, and a coalition of organizations and advocates from across the state for a powerful day of action on February 24 at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. Together, we'll bring the voices of businesses, families, parents, providers, community-based organizations, and statewide advocates to the Capitol to meet with legislators and California’s state leaders and make the case for policies and investments that help families and our economy thrive. To prepare for the day, all Advocacy Day participants are invited to join us on February 23 for advocacy training and preparation for legislative meetings. Our message is simple: Families make California work, so California should work for families. Child care, food, housing, transportation, and family support services aren’t extras—they are critical economic infrastructure that helps families work, businesses thrive, and communities grow. Together, we’ll bring the voices of families and the organizations that serve them directly to the Capitol. February 23–24, 2027 California State Capitol | Sacramento, CA More details coming soon. Join us!

The Network is looking for a CEO! The CEO will lead the organization while helping shape its future by strengthening its organizational capacity, membership model, statewide partnerships, policy influence, communications, governance, and financial sustainability. Learn More & Apply: rrnetwork.org/ceo

On the final day of our Joint Annual Conference with @TFC_advocacy, we connected with our people, were informed about hot topics and tips on how to improve our work, and were inspired to participate in creating a culture of fun. We can’t wait for next year! #RRAP2026

On day two of our joint annual conference with @TFC_advocacy, we had a powerful plenary about the forces shaping the state’s political landscape and what it could mean for child care and other priorities affecting working families. We heard how storytelling and data can show impact to policymakers, and we discussed the implications of Prop 98. We had three rounds of workshops and wonderful self-care opportunities, including use of the calm room, gentle yoga by the pool, massage chairs, and a breath session before breakfast. #RRAP2026

On day one of our annual joint conference with @TFC_advocacy , @KevinKileyCA addressed the crowd on his efforts to improve the state of child care across the county and his initiatives to protect Head Start. He thanked everyone for attending and committing to improving the lives of children and families. We heard our opening keynote speaker, Paul J Long, talk about the power of presence and showing up for each other, with our shared happiness in mind. We had so much fun outside on a warm night, complete with twinkle lights for an incredible atmosphere at our welcome reception. It was a great time catching up with old friends and meeting new people. #rrap2026

We are doing our final preparations for our conference that starts tomorrow! A huge thank you goes to our setup team (pictured here are Anthony & Anitra)! We also want to thank our sponsors and @TFC_advocacy. For those of you joining us, we look forward to seeing you soon! #rrap2026

Did you know there is a free website where you can find everything you need to support dual language development? We have got you covered! Visit eceresourceca.org and search for POLL Strategies to find videos and tools for families and early care and education providers who care for our youngest language learners. Members of the Network and those providing care and education for children in CA receive FREE access to eceresourcesca.org (a subscription valued at $100 annually, provided by the CA Child Care R&R Network). Visit ECEresourcesCA.org to register today! #ChildCareResources #EarlyChildhood #ECEProfessionals #CaliforniaChildCare #ECESharedResourcesCA

CCIP Fiscal Year 2025 - 2026 Capacity Building & Quality Improvement Impacts. Since its launch in 1985, the Child Care Initiative Project (CCIP) has been implemented by Child Care Resource & Referral (R&R) programs across California to strengthen the home-based child care workforce. CCIP has been available in all 58 counties of our state since 2002—helping to recruit, support, and provide professional development opportunities for home-based child care providers. CCIP proudly serves both Licensed Family Child Care Home (FCCH) providers and License-Exempt/Family, Friend, and Neighbor (LE/FFN) caregivers—especially those caring for infants, toddlers, and children in subsidized care. Data points were extracted from R&R FY 25-26 year-end reports and compiled by the Network. CCIP is a project of the California Department of Social Services. #CCIP #ChildCareInitiativeProject #californiachildcare #childcare #EarlyChildhood #ECEProfessionals

We're excited to introduce our opening keynote speaker for our annual joint conference, Paul J. Long! He brings exceptional experience helping family-serving organizations show up and respond in ways that foster a flourishing culture. #rrap2026

Today, we are celebrating the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the heritage, history, traditions, and cultural diversity of Hispanic Americans whose heritage is rooted in 20 countries and territories: Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic, and Spain. Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15-October 15 to uplift the independence of many countries. Today, September 15, five Latin American countries celebrate their independence from Spain: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Honduras! The celebration began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon B. Johnson and was expanded to a full month by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. Today, Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to recognize the lasting impact of Latino figures in fields such as politics, art, music, and science, and to celebrate the vibrant cultures that continue to shape the U.S. in meaningful ways.

We are looking forward to our annual joint conference coming up next month with @TFC_advocacy! New this year is a grouping of workshops called "Training & Tools for Today's Workforce." We hope this will be a helpful addition. We received so many innovative workshop submissions this year, and we're so excited to bring them to the conference this year. See you soon!

Last Thursday, Gretchen Howard, from the Network, went to the CCDF State Plan Input Session in LA. Here are some points addressed: • R&Rs are often the communicators to child care providers about training requirements and how to meet those requirements. • Many R&Rs provide preventative health practices and disaster training resources. As we saw during the pandemic, because they are local and embedded in the child care community, they can help providers to be able to respond to disasters There are a couple more input sessions, and we'll keep you updated on any developments.

For child care providers: It’s a great time to make plans for the kids in your care and to think about goals. Here are some steps you can take to move through the planning process. Step One: Reflection Go over the last year and think about what went well and what needs improvement. Consider the following categories: arrival and departure, parent communication, indoor and outdoor environment, snacks and meals, nap time, arts and crafts, and any other parts of your program. Step Two: Goal Setting Create a few goals and specific steps to complete them based on what you want to improve. Step Three: Planning Map out routines, food, themes, and craft projects. Check out the ECE Shared Resources platform, eceresourcesca.org, for classroom activities, business resources, and helpful templates that are free for all CA child care providers. Step Four: Checking In Every few months, look at your goals and plans to see how it’s going and what you can do to continue to move toward achieving them. You can also view your profile on mychildcareplan.org and update any information that has changed. We hope this is helpful for you as you envision what your program can look like for the school year and move toward making that a reality.

SB 1051 is now on Governor Newsom’s desk, bringing us one step closer to expanding access to critical emergency child care for children in foster care and their caregivers. Join us in urging the Governor to sign SB 1051 and help strengthen support for California’s most vulnerable children. "We are thankful for the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program and Senate Bill 1051. Let's continue to support our children in foster care with access to child care and trauma-informed care resources for our child care providers and families!" -Candy 📢 Take action now! #SB1051 #SupportFosterYouth #childcareaccess

Rural, suburban, and urban, the Regional Meetings have convened R&Rs in various regions of the state! So exciting to conclude in downtown Los Angeles at Pathways LA, where the Southern agencies engaged in peer discussion, valuable networking, and collective problem-solving, enhancing services for children, families, and the early childhood workforce.

Build your own cheap air filter! Our field is so good at health and safety! Take advantage of these wildfire resources for ECE providers and young children. Our Wildfire Health & Safety page has: • Emergency plan templates • Trauma-informed disaster support for children and providers • How to create a clean air room • Air quality and fire monitoring • Sesame Workshop (English and Spanish) • How to build your own inexpensive box air filter Members of the Network and those providing care and education for children in CA receive FREE access to eceresourcesca.org (a subscription valued at $100 annually, provided by the CA Child Care R&R Network). Visit ECEresourcesCA.org or follow the link in our bio to register today!

Hot weather and hot topics! It may have been over 100 degrees in the Central region of California this week, but it was a cool discussion for child care resource and referral members joining together for peer discussion and collaborative problem-solving at Community Action Partnership of Madera County: licensing updates, state and federal budget changes, disaster preparedness, as well as best practices supporting programs, families, and providers. Thank you to our hosts and participants for a fruitful time together.

The California Child Care Resource and Referral Network has partnered with the Office of Water Programs (OWP) and the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) to offer FREE water testing for child care centers built BEFORE Jan. 1, 2010. • Free Initial Water Testing for ALL licensed Child Care Centers. • Free re-testing for centers if your 5-year re-test date is before July 1, 2027 • A reimbursement of up to $450 per outlet will be provided for lead exceedances of 5.5 ppb or higher. *Reimbursement Request must be submitted after your fixture is replaced and BEFORE retesting* • Free Consultation Assistance. Apply now for free testing of your center’s drinking water. Visit the Assistance Program website at ab2370assistance.owp.csus.ed… to fill out the Eligibility Form; it only takes 5 minutes to apply ~ Child Care Centers ONLY!