What is Child Care Resource and Referral?

We are a parent’s source for child care and parenting related needs. We are affiliated with and are funded through the Office of Early Learning, Child Care Resource and Referral Network.

There is no charge for our services to parents or providers.

The list you receive is a referral, not a recommendation.

All information gathered by the staff of Child Care Resource and Referral, (CCR&R) including names of parents and their children, addresses, income and any private details pertaining to any family members applicable to serving the parent’s needs, is kept private and confidential. No parent information is shared verbally or in writing with any outside party.

Why Should You Call Us?

Because your child’s early learning years will lay the foundation for his or her future. Children who have a good early education are more likely to be successful in school and earn a higher income. Our goal at Child Care Resource and Referral is to help you prepare to select the early learning program that is right for you and your child.
Click here for more information about choosing developmentally appropriate child care: http://www.childcareaware.org/en/tools/parentsguide/

How can we help?

CCR&R will assist you with the information you need to make a careful and informed choice of an early learning or child care provider. Which curriculum is right for your child’s learning style? How do you know a provider is offering age appropriate activities? What are indicators of quality programs? These questions and others you may have are answered with a call to one of our caring and experienced Family Services Specialists. The information also includes a referral listing of licensed or approved providers operating in Duval County. Your provider listing is based on your needs and matches those with the provider’s services. The search details can also include location, care-schedule, curriculum offered, the program’s environment and other services the provider offers, such as transportation. If you need more than just child care, your Family Services Specialist can assist with referrals to other services. Whether you need to find information on parenting, financial aid or area social service agencies we are ready to help. We can also assist parents with child care and related services for children with special needs.

Most importantly, we suggest that you choose child care based on its quality. Our parent-friendly checklist offers practical tips for evaluating programs. And always remember to check licensing histories at: www.dcf.state.fl.us/childcare.

Let us help!

Contact the CCR&R Department for referrals or child care information:
Contact Us and choose Child Care Resource and Referral

If you have a complaint or concern while requesting a list of providers from Child Care Resource and Referral, or if you have a complaint about a child care provider, please use the attached complaint form.

Child Care Resource and Referral is required to implement and enforce the procedures that direct the complaint process. For a full description of these, please see our Complaint Policy and Procedures.

Click here for more news about Florida’s Child Care Resource and Referral program.

What About After School?

What children do after school is just as important as their school time activities. After school programs play a significant role in the lives of children and can offer more than a place to go when school is out.

The Jacksonville Children’s Commission details the state of our city’s children in The 2006 Profile Report, A Snapshot of Jacksonville’s Children and Youth. The report takes a thorough look at all aspects of our children’s lives including their emotional and physical health, school performance, their safety and their home life. The full report is on the Jacksonville Children’s Commission’s web site at: http://www.coj.net/Departments/Childrens+Commission/
How+Are+Our+Kids+Doing/default.htm. Our children are at risk if they have no or little supervision, or nothing to do after school. Some of the report’s findings are:

• In 2002 and 2003, 21% of juvenile arrests were for very violent crimes such as murder, rape and assault. Most violent crimes by juveniles occurred after school was dismissed.
• If youths smoke cigarettes, use alcohol or other drugs, they are more likely to be involved in violent incidences at school. Also, children exposed to violence are more likely to smoke and take other health risks. The Report sites the 2004 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey, (in Duval County, 1,555 children in grades 6-12 were interviewed) that shows 27% of students in the survey were suspended from school.
• The school drop-out rate in Duval County is 5.1%; the state’s is 2.9%. A high school drop-out is more likely to break the law than a graduate.

These statistics are not unique to Jacksonville but is a national problem. How then, can we prevent children from risky behaviors? One way is to offer them good role models and a safe place to go after school. Students who have good relationships with their parents, are more likely to do well in school, have better social skills, are less likely to be involved in risky sexual behaviors and less likely to get into trouble with law enforcement. If students have no adult or non-parental role models at home a good after school program is essential to their well-being. This will:

• Help them develop the social skills they will need to succeed in school and in life. Youths who graduate are also more likely to earn a better income than non-graduates.
• After school programs that give students the chance to meet a caring adult offers them a positive role model. Students who have a healthy relationship with a compassionate non-parental adult are more likely to become contributing members of society and less likely to get into trouble.

Nationally, PTA members polled in 2003, believe the biggest advantage of after school programs was for safety and supervision.

The quality of your child’s after school time is central to his/her emotional health. Children are more likely to do better in school, graduate and go on to higher education if they have an adult who cares about them.

It takes time to find the right after school program. Not enough programs are available and for most low income and single parent homes, is difficult to afford. Also future funding for child care programs for children of all ages is uncertain. Programs for child care are funded in part through the Child Care and Development Block Grant. The Grant was supposed to be reauthorized in 2002 but was not approved. As a result for the last four years funding for child care programs has not increased to keep up with the cost of living and the funding sources are not secure.

If funding for after school programs is important to you, let your lawmakers know. In Duval County, these are the members of Congress to contact:
Senator Bill Nelson (D), Senator Mel Martinez (R), Representative Ander Crenshaw (R) and Representative Cliff Stearns (R).

Let them know you want them to vote to reauthorize the Child Care Development Block Grant. Also funds need to be increased so that children in care today will still be funded in five years. For more details about this and other legislation before Congress, visit the National Association for Child Care Resource and Referral, (NACCRRA), http://www.naccrra.org/policy/keylegislation.php.

For more information about after school issues, visit these web sites:
The National Institute on Out of School Time, http://www.niost.org/links/index.html.
The National After-School Association: http://www.naaweb.org/.
The After School Alliance: www.afterschoolalliance.org.