Family Childcare Toolkit

Family Childcare Toolkit

Welcome to the Family Child Care Tool Kit, a comprehensive resource page designed to support individuals interested in opening a Family Child Care business or accessing resources in Santa Clara County. This toolkit provides step-by-step guides, forms, contacts, and valuable information on licensing, regulations, business development, insurance, legal considerations, community services, health, safety, wellness, advocacy, and more. We're here to help you navigate the process and succeed in providing quality child care services.

This page was created as a Research and Service Leadership Symposium project by Shaista Soroya. 

Licensing and Regulations 

• PRE-LICENSING READINESS GUIDE - FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME 
•  California Child Care Resource and Referral Network: Become A Licensed Provider
• Family Child Care License Step - by - Step Guide  How to apply for a family child care license by Child Care Resource and Referral Santa Clara County 
•  HOW TO START A QUALITY CHILD CARE BUSINESS  Article on How to start a child care business from Small Business Administration (69 pages) 

California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Family Child Care Licensing Resources

•  Community Care Licensing Division Website
• Community Child Care Licensing

Family Child Care Homes and Child Care Centers 

Department of Social Services State of California

(408) 324-2148

2580 N. First Street, Suite 300, San Jose

• Community Care Licensing

Family Child Care Homes and Child Care Centers

Oakland Childcare South East

Department of Social Services State of California

(510) 622-2631 work

(510) 725-7009 work cell phone

(510) 622-2641 fax

• CDSS Background Check Search:  Fingerprint Status
• Child Care and Development Information and Resources
• Child Care and Development Contact Information on Services and Agencies 

Comprehensive contact directory for child care and development services in California that provides a list of contact information for various organizations and individuals involved in child care and development services.

• Provider Information Notices (PINs) Child Care Licensing Program (CCP)
• Manual of Policies and Procedures COMMUNITY CARE LICENSING DIVISION FAMILY CHILD CARE HOMES
• For licensing updates via email, contact: childcareadvocatesprogram@dss.ca.gov and request to be added to the email list.

Forms and Applications

•  License Application and Instructions For Family Child Care Homes
• Forms / Records To Keep In Your Child Care Home

To report an Unusual Incident Report (UIR), please fax or scan a completed UIR (LIC 624), form found below, to your analyst office.

• FCC Unusual Incident Report 
• Unusual Incident Report 

 The email addresses for San Jose Child Care and Oakland Child Care are as follows:

• • San Jose Child Care email address: cclsjcc@dss.ca.gov
  • Oakland Child Care email address: CCLOaklandSouthChildCare@dss.ca.gov

Grants - more information coming soon 

Business Resources

• Tom Copeland is a renowned tax and family child care business specialist. 
• Tom Copeland's Handouts

• SCORE Silicon Valley offers free resources for entrepreneurs and small business owners that can assist with writing a business plan, providing professional mentoring and advice, and offering marketing classes to help grow their businesses.
• Siliconvalley.score.org

• Santa Clara Resources and Referral to support your family child care 
• Child Care Resources and Referral Business Resources 
• If you cannot find what you are looking for here or need more support, contact the SCC R&R program by calling 669- 212-KIDS (5437) or by sending an email to childcarescc@sccoe.org.

Insurance 

• Tom Copeland - Ten Questions To Ask Before Purchasing Business Insurance 
• Child Care Insurance Directory 

Legal

This section is intended to address any questions related to legal issues, such as how to seek support from your landlord in providing child care in your home or any other legal matters concerning family child care.

• Child Care Law Center https://www.childcarelaw.org/help/

• Landlord/Tenant Counseling by Project Sentinel: If you have any questions about this program, please call 408-615-2900 or email  librarians@santaclaraca.gov For more information about Project Sentinel and their services, please visit this link: https://www.housing.org/ 

• Bay Area Legal Aid- Tenants Rights (San Jose)

Community Services 

• The Department of Family and Children's Services (DFCS) within the County of Santa Clara Social Services Agency aims to provide resources and opportunities in a culturally responsive manner. Their objective is to enhance the quality of life in our community by protecting, educating, and empowering individuals and families.
• California Child Care Resource and Referral Network and The Child Care Initiative Project (CCIP) builds and improves the supply and quality of family child care in California. Contact the network:  California Child Care Resource and Referral Network Contact Information

• The Child Care Resource and Referral Santa Clara County (SCC R&R) Program supports child care providers with various resources, including the following listed below:
  • • CDSS Child Care Advocate Program
    • Community Care Licensing updates
    • Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
    • Tax preparation resources
    • Child care laws and provider rights
    • Policy and advocacy resources

For more information, please visit: https://www.childcarescc.org/

• City of Sunnyvale Youth, Family and Child Care Resources, (408) 523-8150
  

City of Sunnyvale Community Resource Guide 

• Nell Redaniel, CAAEYC -Santa Clara Valley Chapter President and State Director

California Association for the Education of Young Children Silicon Valley Chapter

• Choices for Children: mission is to serve children and their families with high quality programs that enhance and improve their lives, they are a subsidized child care program that helps parents find child care. More information can be found here:  Providers Interested in Offering Subsidized Services

Health, Safety  and Wellness

• Checklist for Family Child Care Health and Safety
•  Calm  may be available for free to educators, offering a range of meditations and grounding exercises. Additionally, it provides various activities specifically designed for kids.

Special Needs 

Sandya Lopez, Director III, Inclusion Collaborative

Professional Learning and Educational Progress Division

Santa Clara County Office of Education

1290 Ridder Park Drive MC 227

San Jose, CA 95131-2304

(408) 453-6554

Fax: (408) 453-6596

slopez@sccoe.org

Child Care Santa Clara Nurse 

• • Marisol Urbina, RN, PHN III

Child Care Health Consultant

Maternal Child and Adolescent Health Program

County of Santa Clara, Public Health Department

1993 B McKee Road| San Jose, CA 95126

Office: 408-937-2253

Email: marisol.urbina@PHD.SCCGOV.ORG

• CDC -Helping children cope with emergencies
•  MyPlate U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Advocacy Organizations and Contacts

Your voice matters and there are organizations to support you as an Early Childhood Educator. 

• Advocacy and Resources for Early Learning
•  Union - Child Care Providers United
•  California Family Child Care Network
• Look up or Contact Your Government Representatives
• • Assemblymember Phil Ting: 916-319-2019
  • Senator Toni Atkins: 916-651-4039
  • Assemblymember Anthony Rendon: 916-319-2062
  • Assemblymember Luz Rivas: 916-319-2043
  • Senator Nancy Skinner: 916-651-4009
  • Governor Newsom's Office: 916-445-2841

Additional Resources 

• Early Educator Engagement and Empowerment (E4) Toolkit - co-created with early educators and ECE advocates, it features key facts and policy solutions to support early educators in their advocacy, power building and engagement with stakeholders. 
• ECHOES Webpage - connects early care and education (ECE) today with its history and activism.
• 2020 Workforce Index - includes national and state data on early care and education workforce pay, working conditions, and policies.
• CA Workforce Study - profiles of the California ECE workforce which includes state-level data on compensation, demographics, education, and experience.

Education

• Check out Child Development classes here at Foothill College, we recommend you start with the ones listed here:

•  
• Free ESL non-credit classes for providers and parents NCEL 401 series, see current schedule
• Foothill College Business and Marketing classes, see current schedule
  
  

 

•  Virtual Lab School - free mini modules on child development  

Educational Professional Development 

• First Five Early Learning Initiative Early Learning Initiative funded by First 5. This initiative focuses on supporting early learning and development in young children. It aims to provide resources, programs, and services that promote a strong foundation for learning and prepare children for success in school and life.
•  Program for Infant Toddler Care   free webinar series for California's infant/toddler care community, emphasizing the crucial role of care providers and teachers in nurturing relationships with children and families to promote social-emotional growth and socialization.

Please feel free to email me with questions, comments, and any feedback  at shaista.scclc@gmail.com

 

Special thanks to Santa Clara County Office of Education Resource and Referral Department and Nicole Kerbey.