Child Care - Organizations

Annotation: The American Montessori Society (AMS) works to spread the use of the Montessori teaching approach in private, publicly funded, and public schools. The society issues teaching credentials, assists in start-up of Montessori schools, maintains a consultation service, and sponsors professional development activities and conferences. Services to consumers include referrals, publications, and reference information. Publications include directories, books, pamphlets, surveys, reports, and a magazine.

Keywords: Child care, Early childhood education, Schools

Annotation: The Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) is a not-for-profit professional educational organization whose mission is to promote and support in the global community the optimal education and development of children, from infancy through middle childhood, and to influence the professional growth of educators, and the efforts of others who are committed to the needs of children in a changing society. The association provides publications for consumers; some of the information is in Spanish. Publications include a catalogue, a newsletter, a journal, and several books. The association conducts conferences and workshops.

Keywords: Child care, Children rights, , Early childhood education

Annotation: The Canadian Child Care Federation (CCCF) is a national, nonprofit, service-based organization that links the Canadian child care community from coast to coast. The purpose of the federation is to improve the quality of child care services for Canadian families by implementing services to the child care community. The organization's objectives are: to support the development and activities of provincial/territorial child care associations; to provide information to and facilitate communication among members of the child care community, government, and others interested in supporting quality child care services; to develop models, standards, and guidelines for quality child care, professional development, and organizational design; and to promote research related to all of the above. Services to consumers include referrals, publications, and reference information. Publications include a journal, Interaction ( a quarterly newsletter), a directory of Canadian Child Care organizations, resource sheets, and research reports. Materials are available in French. The organization sponsors conferences, workshops, and training seminars.

Keywords: Child care

Annotation: The Center for Health Training/James Bowman Associates (CHT/JBA) is a nonprofit agency that provides training and technical assistance for early childhood program staff, parents of children in child care, health care providers, other professionals, and community members nationally. The curricula and training programs focus on child health and safety, and women's health. Some materials produced by the center are in Spanish or are designed for people with low literacy skills.

Keywords: Child care, Child care workers, Child health, Family child care, Health, Infection control, Safety, Training

Annotation: The Center for the Child Care Workforce, a project of the American Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation, is a policy, advocacy, and research organization dedicated to enhancing the compensation and working conditions of child care teachers and family child care providers. Their mission is to improve the quality of early care and education for all children. CCW/AFTEF publishes a newsletter and provides referrals, publications, and reference information for consumers

Keywords: Child care, Advocacy, Child care workers, Compensation, Family child care, Policy, Training

Annotation: Child Care and Education Research Connections (CCEERC) is a tool for researchers and policymakers that facilitates access to current research and findings, datasets, statistics, instruments, and other analytic tools related to child care and early childhood education. It is a partnership among the National Center for Children in Poverty at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health; the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research; and the U.S. Administration for Children and Families' Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation. Research Connections highlights current research; develops and disseminates materials designed to improve child care policy research; provides technical assistance to researchers and policy makers; synthesizes findings into policy research briefs; and facilitates collaboration in the field. Services to consumers include referrals, data sets, inquiry responses, publications, reference information, and searchable databases. The organization also sponsors conferences, training seminars, and workshops, and provides an online discussion list and an electronic announcement list.

Keywords: Child care, Early childhood education, Public policy, Research, Statistics

Annotation: The Child Care Law Center (CCLC) is a national non-profit legal services organization that focuses exclusively on complex legal issues concerning the establishment and provision of child care services. The Center's primary objective is to use legal tools to foster the development of quality, affordable child care programs. CCLC combines expert legal services with policy development, advocacy, training, and technical assistance education. The Center publishes a newsletter and sponsors workshops and training seminars. Referrals and publications are provided to consumers. Some materials are available in Spanish and Asian languages.

Keywords: Child care, Legal aid, Legal issues, Policy, Special health care needs

Annotation: Child Care Plus is a federally funded project that provides technical assistance, written materials, and training for families, child care providers and others who support inclusion of young children with disabilities in early childhood programs.

Keywords: Child care, Children with special health care needs

Annotation: The Council for Professional Recognition works to improve the status of early childhood educators nationwide. The Council administers the Child Development Associate (CDA) National Credentialing Program, a collaborative effort between the early childhood profession and the Administration on Children and Families. The CDA Program establishes national standards for the evaluation and credentialing of center-based teachers, family child care providers, and home visitors. The Council's CDA Professional Preparation Program, a national one-year training program, will provide uniform and accessible training for people interested in becoming CDAs. Interested users may download a variety of free publications from the website. Many materials are available in Spanish. Anyone can subscribe to the council's electronic newsletter.

Keywords: Child Care, Child health, Early childhood education, Training

Annotation: The Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) is an internet-based digital library of education research and information sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education. ERIC provides access to bibliographic records of journal and non-journal literature from 1966 to the present. ERIC also contains a growing collection of materials in Adobe PDF format. ERIC's mission is to provide a comprehensive, easy-to-use, searchable Internet-based bibliographic and full-text database of education research and information for educators, researchers, and the general public. Activities that fulfill the ERIC mission are broadly categorized as collection development, content authorizations and agreements, acquisitions and processing, database and website operations, and communications.

Keywords: Continuing education, Curricula, Education, Educational programs, Evaluation methods, Online databases, Professional education, Teachers

Annotation: The Families and Work Institute is a nonprofit organization that explores ways to balance continuing workplace productivity demands and the changing needs of families. The institute conducts research on issues related to the changing demographics of the workforce; child and elder care demands, services, and impacts on work; as well as workplace research that helps employers respond to identified needs. It provides information dissemination, strategic planning, technical assistance, and management training services for decision makers in business, communities, and government. It is conducting the I am Your Child Early Childhood Public Engagement Campaign, and also has a Fatherhood Project.

Keywords: Child care, Child health, Families, Fathers, Infant health, Working parents

Annotation: Healthy Kids, Healthy Future is a partnership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, and Nemours that works to advance research, policies, and practices that promote obesity prevention in child care. The website, hosted by the Nemours Foundation, is designed to help child care providers promote healthy habits. Contents include proven tools, promising practices, policies, and presentations on topics such as healthy eating and physical activity.

Keywords: Child care, Disease prevention, Health promotion, Model programs, Nutrition, Obesity, Physical activity, Public private partnerships

Annotation: The National AfterSchool Association (NAA), formerly the National School-Age Care Alliance, is an organization for professionals in the field of after school programs. NAA promotes national quality standards and has a voluntary program accreditation system. Information on accreditation is available in Spanish. The organization has a national network of 36 state affiliates and over 8,000 members and advocates for public policy that supports quality programs. The organization hosts annual national conference and publishes a professional journal.

Keywords: Public policies, School age child care, Training

Annotation: The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) promotes quality child care by strengthening the profession of family child care. The website provides information on association membership, annual conference, accreditation, and training.

Keywords: Child care, Child health, Family child care

Annotation: The National Association for Sick Child Daycare (NASCD) is a nonprofit educational organization that works to establish quality sick child care programs nationwide. It substantiates and quantifies the need for new sick child care programs and assists in community planning for child care needs. The association gives referrals, researches issues, and disseminates information through a quarterly newsletter, a clearinghouse, and educational events, including conferences.

Keywords: Child health, Mildly ill children, Sick child care

Annotation: The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is the nation's largest membership organization of early childhood professionals and others dedicated to improving the quality of services for young children and their families. The Association hosts an annual conference, maintains searchable databases,provides policy-related information and legislative analyses, and administers the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs (a voluntary national accreditation system) and the National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development. Publications include brochures, books, videotapes, posters, a catalog, a newsletter and the bimonthly journal Young Children. Some materials are available in Spanish.

Keywords: Child care, Child health, Early childhood education

Annotation: The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA), works with state and local child care resource and referral agencies (CCR&Rs) nationwide to ensure that all families have access to high-quality, affordable child care. NACCRRA's programs and services include training and technical assistance; the Quality Assurance Program, a national, voluntary certification system for CCR&Rs; Child Care Aware, a national toll-free information line and website for families available in English and Spanish; and an annual policy symposium. Products and resources include Early Childhood Focus, a website featuring daily news clippings about child care and child welfare issues; field studies and trend reports; and NACCRAware, an Internet-based child care referral and reporting software program that manages family, child care program, and community data. NACCRRA also hosts the Provider Appreciation Day website. NACCRRA changed its name to Child Care Aware of America in 2012.

Keywords: Child care, Child health, Online databases, Public policies, Referrals

Annotation: The National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS/SDE), is a national organization for the state education agency staff members with major responsibility in the field of early childhood education. The association promotes quality services to young children and their families through improvement of instruction, curriculum, and administration of programs. Specific purposes of the organization include: strengthening communications and coordination among states; influencing and supporting policies and legislation that affect the education, health, and welfare of children and their families; offering assistance and leadership in researching analyzing, and recommending standards for quality early childhood and teacher preparation programs; and promoting communication and coordination between state departments of education, and other agencies and professional organizations serving young children.

Keywords: Child care, Early childhood education

Annotation: The National Child Care Association (NCCA), is a national membership organization of licensed private child care centers, child development staff, and state affiliated associations. It focuses on the education, training, experience, and effectiveness of child care professionals in providing comprehensive services to children and their families. The association offers an education program which awards qualified professionals with national credentials, Certified Child care Professional (CCP) Early Childhood Education Specialist and the National Administrators Credential (NAC). Services to consumers include referrals, publications, and reference information. Publications include National Focus, a quarterly newsletter featuring information on federal legislation, national and state initiatives, trends, and successful ideas. The organization also sponsors conferences.

Keywords: Child care, Early childhood education, Professional personnel

Annotation: The National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC), established by the Child Care Bureau, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), DHHS, is a national resource that links information and people to complement, enhance and promote the child care delivery system, working to ensure that all children and families have access to high-quality comprehensive services. NCCIC's activities include dissemination of child care information in response to requests from states, territories and tribes, other policy makers, child care organizations, providers, business communities, parents, and the general public; outreach to ACF child care grantees and the broader child care community; publications on key child care issues; and coordination of National Leadership Forums, which provide an opportunity for experts from across the country to participate in one-day conferences on critical issues affecting children and families. Working closely with ACF Regional offices, the NCCIC also provides technical assistance to states through a network of state technical assistance specialists. Many materials produced and distributed by NCCIC are available in Spanish. The center also publishes a newsletter and sponsors conferences. The National Child Care Information Center Online Library contains summaries and availability information for publications of interest to policymakers, administrators, practitioners, parents, researchers, and other members of the child care community. The Online Library includes records of publications from the NCCIC Child Care Library and selected records from the ERIC Clearinghouse system. Links are provided to publications available on the Internet. Subject areas include: literacy and school readiness, center and family based child care, child development, curricula, child care funding, health and safety in child care settings, child care workforce, child care for children with special needs, the Head Start program, prekindergarten, issues related to family and child well-being, families and work, and impacts of welfare reform on child care. The Online Library contains records for documents dating from the 1970s to the present and is updated weekly.

Keywords: Child care, Access to health care, Child health promotion, Conferences, Family centered care, Federal agencies, Health care financing, Information services, Licensing, Outreach, Publications, State agencies, Statistics

Annotation: The National Coalition for Campus Children's Centers (formerly the National Coalition for Campus Child Care) promotes quality campus child care programs and advocates for the needs of children and families in education and public policy. Services to consumers include publications and reference information. NCCCC sponsors conferences and publishes a newsletter.

Keywords: Child care

Annotation: The National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA) recognizes licensed early care and education programs that meet its developmental, health, and safety standards. The accreditation process includes a self assessment, an on-site visit, surveys of parents and staff, and study and consideration by the National Accreditation Council and the NECPA Commission. The accreditation is valid for three years with the submission of approved annual reports. Standards relate to the program's administration, working environment, developmental program, health and safety provisions for children and staff, parent and community relations, and faculty. Services to consumers include referrals.

Keywords: Accreditation, Child care, Early childhood education

Annotation: The National Head Start Association (NHSA) is a private, nonprofit membership organization of parents, staff members, directors, and representatives from each of the 12 federal regions. The association represents 750,00 children, 139,000 staff members, and more than 2,050 Head Start programs. Services to consumers include referrals, publications, and reference information. NHSA publishes a catalog, newsletter, and journal and sponsors conferences and training seminars. The Association also advocates policies. Some materials are available in Spanish.

Keywords: Child care, Child health, Early childhood education, Head Start, Nuvee

Annotation: The National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education (NRC) at the University of Colorado Denver promotes health and safety in out-of-home child care settings throughout the nation. NRC collaborates with the American Public Health Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau to produce national health and safety performance standards guidelines for out-of-home child care programs. The center's website provides resources for child care providers, parents, health consultants, regulators, and early childhood systems leaders including a database of state licensure regulations.

Keywords: Child health, Child care, Child care workers, Child safety, Consumer education, Information sources, Injury prevention, National MCH resource center, Online databases, Regulations, Resource centers, Spanish language materials, Standards, State programs, Technical assistance, Training

Annotation: The National Training Institute for Child Care Health Consultants has developed and implemented a national standardized training program based on "Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards: Guidelines for Out-of-Home Child Care Programs." The Institute works with child care and child health organizations to deliver the training program to child health and early childhood professionals nationwide, and monitors and evaluates the training program at the state and national levels.

Keywords: Child care, National MCH resource center, Resource centers

Annotation: Quality Care for Children works to improve the quality, accessibility, and affordability for early care and education in Georgia. The organization works with parents to find appropriate child care for their children and with providers to improve the quality of their programs. This assistance includes providing training and educational brochures in Spanish; serving as a sponsor for the Federal Child Care Food Program; assisting families in crisis with child care needs and case management; and advocating on behalf of Georgia’s children for higher standards in child care. The organization publishes a newsletter and sponsors workshops and training seminars.

Keywords: Child care, Child health, Infant health

Annotation: The Southern Early Childhood Association (SECA), formerly the Southern Association on Children Under Six, serves the interests of professionals and paraprofessionals through its affiliates in 14 southern states. Members include university researchers and teacher educators, Head Start teachers and administrators, school administrators, proprietors of nursery schools and child care centers, and kindergarten, nursery school, and child care teachers. Publications include a quarterly journal, Dimensions of Early Childhood, a newsletter and a catalog. Some materials are available in Spanish. The association also provides training sessions and sponsors an annual conference.

Keywords: Child health, Child care, Information services, Young children

Annotation: SpeciaLink, the Canadian National Center for Child Care Inclusion, serves as the hub of a 4,000 person network of Canadian advocates for early intervention, inclusive child care, and education. The organization provides resources, and referrals and promotes inclusive practices, policies, and programs. Some materials are available in French. Publications include: a video, excellent for training, staff development, public education and parent guidance; five books- In Our Way: Child Care Barriers to Full Workforce Participation Experienced by Parents of Children with Special Needs and Potential Remedies, The Specialink Book, Charting New Waters, Integration of Children with Disabilities into Daycare and Afterschool Care Systems, and A Matter of Urgency: Including Children with Special Needs in Child Care in Canada. Specialink also publishes an occasional newsletter, and engages in research related to inclusion, effects of parenting a child with a disability on family well-being, and related topics. Services to consumers include inquiry responses, reference information, and searchable databases. A list service is available for professionals and parents through the organizations web site.

Keywords: Child care, Children with special health care needs, Listservs

Annotation: The U.S. Administration for Children and Families (ACF) administers programs focusing on the well-being of children and the self-sufficiency of families. Some services at ACF include programs involving persons with developmental disabilities, child care, child welfare services, prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect, runaway and homeless youth, Head Start, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and child support enforcement issues. ACF also supports an Healthy Marriage Initiative which focuses on low-income married couples with children, the Fatherhood Initiative, and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Program. ACF provides consumers with referrals, publications, and reference information. Some materials are available in Spanish. The agency also publishes newsletters, and sponsors conferences and training seminars.

Keywords: Child abuse, Child care, Child support, Domestic violence, Family centered care, Family economics, Family relations, Family support programs, Fathers, Head Start, Spanish language materials, Training materials, Young children

Annotation: The U.S. Office of Child Care administers the Child Care and Development Fund, also known as the Child Care and Development Block Grant; supports states in establishing child care policies and programs; funds policy-related research and evaluation and disseminates findings; and offers technical assistance and professional development. In partnership with the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research at the Institute for Social Research, the University of Michigan; and the National Center for Children in Poverty at Columbia University, it provides the Web resource Child Care and Early Education Research Connections. Prior to September 2010 it was known as the Child Care Bureau.

Keywords: Child care, Early childhood education, Federal agencies

Annotation: The Office of Head Start (OHS) advises the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families on issues regarding the Head Start program (including Early Head Start). The Office develops legislative and budgetary proposals; identifies areas for research, demonstration, and developmental activities; presents operational planning objectives and initiatives relating to Head Start; and oversees the progress of approved activities. OHS provides leadership and coordination for the activities of the Head Start program in the ACF Central Office including the Head Start Regional Program Units. The Office represents Head Start in inter-agency activities with other Federal and non-Federal organizations. Early Head Start promotes healthy prenatal outcomes, enhances the development of infants and toddlers, and promotes healthy family functioning.

Keywords: Child care, Child development services, Child health, Early childhood education, Federal agencies, Low income groups, Preschool children

Annotation: The mission of USA Child Care is to bring the voice of direct service providers to national and state child care policy dialogue in order to ensure that quality services are accessible to low and moderate income families. In pursuit of this mission, USA Child Care advocates for a strong economic base and infrastructure for effective child care programs that serve low and moderate income families; facilitates the development of statewide, regional, and national child care provider networks; educates providers regarding national and state policy direction trends; and supports the development of child care leadership.

Keywords: Child care, Early childhood education