Program Highlights
Child Care
Referrals:
Families may receive free referrals of licensed centers and family child care
homes. Using a comprehensive database of over 3,000 facilities, Referral
Specialists can provide consumer education and referrals tailored to meet
individual family needs.
Referrals may be obtained by calling 1.877.338.CARE or via the internet at www.qualistar.org. Through this service, Child Care Innovations serves an annual average of 6,000 families.
Coordinated Alliance of
Resource Exchange Services (CARES)
Because we believe in the inherent right of all children to reach their fullest
potential, this program provides support to families and early childhood
professionals caring for children who have special needs.
A dedicated staff position, the Inclusion Specialist, is available to provide enhanced child care services, connect families with supportive community services, and broker on site services to early childhood professionals to assist in meeting the care needs of the individual child. The Inclusion Specialist works with the family until care is found or resources are exhausted.
CARES provides on site and technical assistance by phone, with an average of 25 receiving on site Resource Visits by a mental health professional to address the needs of children exhibiting emotional or behavioral concerns.
Professional
Development:
Child Care Innovations provides a variety of workshops, seminars, conferences,
and other educational opportunities.
We offer a "one stop shop" for meeting child care licensing training requirements including pre-licensing, medication administration, universal precautions, First Aid/CPR, and ongoing training related to the Colorado Core Knowledge content areas. Each year over 1,500 early childhood professionals have taken advantage of professional development opportunities conducted or sponsored by Child Care Innovations.
In addition, we operate a Child Care Apprenticeship Program, where participants receive college credit training, on site support, complete the requirements for the Colorado Early Childhood Professional Credential, and receive from the U.S. Department of Labor, a designation as Child Development Specialist. Participants also receive a student support package to assist with the cost of transportation, books, child care, and related expenses.
Child Care Innovations is also available to provide customized on site workshops, seminars or consultation to early childhood programs, community agencies, and employers on a wide range of topics related to child care and work-life issues.
Grants:
Based on local county initiatives, Child Care Innovations manages a variety of
programs to provide grants for start up of family child care homes, program
quality assessments, and related quality improvements.
HUD Homeless Voucher
Program:
Working in partnership with case managers, we pay for up to thirty days of
child care for eligible families meeting the federal definition of
homelessness.
Air Force Quality
Family Child Care Partnership:
Child care Innovations contracts with the National Association of Child Care
Resource and Referral Agencies for replication of the military model of family
child care.
Providers are recruited, trained, supported, and monitored to serve military or civilian employees of the Department of Defense, with a particular focus on those working at Buckley Air Force Base.
Triad Early Childhood Council:Child Care Innovations provides primary staffing for activities of the Council serving the counties of Jefferson, Clear Creek, and Gilpin.
The Colorado General Assembly originally established the Consolidated Child Care Pilots in 1997 and in 2007 expanded statewide the concept of local early childhood councils. These local councils work to coordinate, collaborate, and consolidate programming to improve the access and quality of early childhood serves across the domains of early care and education, health, mental health, and family support.
Helping parents find child
care
We help parents take the guesswork out of choosing care by giving them
referrals to local child care providers, information on state licensing
requirements, availability of child care subsides and other pertinent
information. We provide guidance by phone, in person, fax, mail and
Internet.
Supporting families to raise
healthy children
Through workshops, hot lines and newsletters, we reach out to parents with
trusted, local information that enables them to make informed choices about all
aspects of care for their children.
Building the supply of child
care
We provide an entry point to the child care field, helping providers meet
licensing requirements and become informed on health and safety, business
practices and child development. We also work with local and state governments
and the private sector to leverage resources for building and maintaining the
supply of quality child care.
Improving the quality of child
care
We provide ongoing professional development opportunities to child care
providers and staff. By supporting accreditation and credentialing programs,
helping create financial incentives for education, and advocating for better
compensation for providers, we improve the quality of care for all
children.
Bridging child care and
education
We strive to create child care settings that help children grow and learn.
Educating parents about early learning and the components of quality care is a
major part of our services.
Documenting child care needs
and trends
We are the primary source of information about the local supply and cost of
child care. With our comprehensive, well-maintained database, we are able to
track trends about the changing needs of families.
Engaging new
partners
By reaching out to business leaders, law enforcement, school teachers and
others, we help make child care an issue the entire community care about. We
collaborate with other family support services to promote a holistic vision of
child care that includes health, literacy and special needs.
Telling the child care
story
By providing resources, documenting community needs, and creating new ways to
meet those needs, we bring the voices of children, families and child care
providers to the public.
