Child Care Provider Services
We offer local resources and support to child care professionals
We offer local resources and support to child care professionals in Skagit and Snohomish County. Whether you are new to the field or a seasoned child care provider, the children in your care depend on your success as a professional. Child Care Resource & Referral of Skagit and Snohomish County operates to ensure that you have access to the comprehensive child care resources you need. Please feel free to email us at ccrr@voaww.org anytime, or call us at 800.633.3183.
Want to become Licensed?
You can contact Child Care Resource & Referral to find out if opening a child care business would be a good choice for you. We can let you know about the start up costs, whether your facility might be able to be licensed, and help you determine if the market would be favorable for a new child care home or center in your area. Call us at 800.633.3183 ext. 2337. For more information please click on this link.
Already Licensed? Check out the following resources available to you:
- Professional Training
- Resource Center/Lending Library
- On-Site Child Care Consultations
- Free Referral Service
Professional Training
We are an approved State Training and Registry System (STARS) training facility and offers quarterly classes and workshops in Skagit and Snohomish county that apply toward the professional licensing requirements for childcare providers. Additional classes and workshops offer enrichment and curricula that can be immediately integrated into home child cares and centers. Our trainers are industry professionals with many years of experience, bringing both technical skills and practical insight into our classrooms. If you would like to request specific training topics please contact our Professional Development Coordinator at 800.633.3183 ext. 2337 or email your suggestions to ccrr@voaww.org.
Current classes can be found in the Event Calendar section located in the upper right hand corner. Class registration and payments can be made on-line, in-person or over the phone.
*We also provide valuable trainings for providers receiving DSHS subsidies. Please check our training calendar for dates or call (360) 542-8478. Click here for more information about taking the DSHS Subsidies training online.
Online Child Care Professional Education Center
For more information about the Online Child Care Professional Education Center please go to the following link.
Resource Lending Library Membership
Child Care Resource & Referral of Skagit & Snohomish County offers services designed to strengthen the learning experiences available to children and parents. Our lending library and provider work centers are conveniently located in our County Offices and include a large inventory of thematic kits, educational toys, books, videos and much more. Access to the Resource Center is available by membership and is available to family child care homes, centers and caregivers. To apply, simply download the membership form, fill it out and mail it with payment to our PO Box, or stop by to fill out an application in person.
Snohomish/ Skagit County Membership Agreement & Application
Volunteers of America Western Washington
Child Care Resource & Referral
Attn: Resource Center Membership
PO Box 839
Everett WA 98206
On-site Child Care Consultations
Have you ever wished that you had a little more support? An extra helping hand? Words of encouragement and a colleague that you could count on? Child Care Resource & Referral offers FREE on-site resource consultations and mentoring to all child care programs in our area. Through our staff and consultation team, we provide child care programs with objective individual on-site support and guidance that meets your program’s individual needs. The following are just a few resources that our professional team is able to offer:
- Caregiver Support: Consultation regarding caregiver burn-out and how to make sure that your own emotional needs are met so that you can continue to provide quality care services to the children in your care.
- Child Guidance: How best to respond to the behavioral and emotional challenges of children.
- Indoor & Outdoor Environments: Setting up a safe, healthy and stimulating learning environment.
- Parent Communication: How to effectively communicate and enforce Parent Policies.
- Business Practices: Best practices in record keeping, marketing, policies, business procedures and subsidies.
If you would like more information, email us at ccrr@voaww.org or call 800.633.3186 x2487.
Free Referral Service
Let us help you get your name out!
Whether you are a new provider or a veteran looking to market your child care business, Child Care Resource and Referral can include you in our Skagit County child care database. The listing is free to you, and very helpful to the many parents calling us for child care referrals every month. Fill out the online form to update your information in our referral data base. Or contact us at 425-259-2973 or (800) 633-3183.
WRAP!
The
Washington Regional Action Project (WRAP!) is a collaborative partnership to increase the quality and availability of programs for school-age children and youth in Washington State. These programs provide them with safe places to learn, grow and play while their parents are working or going to school.Volunteers of America Western Washington oversees WRAP! in the NW Region, which includes Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom Counties. Our mission is to link communities with out-of-school programs. We work closely with
School’s Out Washington, who is the lead agency for WRAP! throughout Washington State.Volunteers of America Western Washington’s WRAP! Specialists also coordinator with other WRAP! Specialists in give other regional partner agencies across the state. Each supports their own individual community’s efforts by providing professional development opportunities for program staff and by broadening involvement in out-of-school time care. This is done by:Bringing together key individuals to develop a plan for ensuring that young people have safe places to go when they are not in school.Coordinating workshops, conferences and networking opportunities as well as distributing funding information, all of which provides critical support to professionals and improves the quality of the programs.Working one-on-one with new and expanding programs to assist these programs in meeting training goals and implementing a self-study and program improvement process.Educating community members, educations, law enforcement officials, businesses, social service agencies, public health workers and others about the importance of quality out-of-school time activities.For more information about WRAP!, please
email us or call 800.503.0011.
Resources for This Section
Washington State Department of Early Learning is a cabinet-level agency dedicated to children’s earliest years of life. The Department of Early Learning (DEL) works every day to help Washington's children get ready for school and life. Their work focuses on children's earliest years of life. They offer information and resources for children's first and most important teachers—parents—as well as others who care for and teach young children. http://www.del.wa.gov/
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. http://www.childcarenet.org/
NACCRRA's Vision is to promote national policies and partnerships to advance the development and learning of all children and to provide vision, leadership, and support to community Child Care Resource & Referral. http://www.naccrra.org/
Child Care Aware is America’s most trusted Child Care Resource. Child Care Aware, a program of the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA), is partly funded by the Office of Child Care (OCC), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.childcareaware.org/
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides federal funds to nonresidential child and adult care facilities to serve nutritious meals and snacks. http://www.k12.wa.us/ChildNutrition/Programs/CACFP/default.aspx
School’s Out Washington provides services and guidance for organizations to ensure all young people have safe places to learn and grow when not in school. http://www.schoolsoutwashington.org/index.htm
Foundation for Early Learning supports early education across Washington State by bringing people together around early learning. We provide grants, technical assistance and early learning information to help ensure that our youngest learners are ready for school. To learn more, click here. http://www.earlylearning.org/
The Early Learning Community is a discussion forum where you can discover news, events & information to support children birth to five. http://www.earlylearningcommunity.org/forum
Thrive by Five Washington's Vision is that all children in Washington state are prepared to succeed in school and thrive in life. http://www.thrivebyfivewa.org/
Other Resources for this Section
Resources for financing your child care business: There are resources available if you are considering building a new center or if your center or family child care home needs renovation or remodeling to better accommodate the children in your care. http://www.childcarenet.org/providers/business-tools/business-financing
Early Childhood Continuing Education
Everett Community College http://www.everettcc.edu/
Edmonds Community College http://edcc.edu/
Skagit Valley Community College http://www.skagit.edu/
Trinity Lutheran College http://www.tlc.edu/
Washington Scholarships for Child Care Professionals (formerly the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Washington) is a program that helps early childhood professionals pay for a college education through community and technical colleges in early childhood education. http://www.childcarenet.org/providers/scholarships/scholarship-information