The web sites listed below are general clearinghouse and individual organizations that provide relevant information on children and families:

Bananas
http://www.bananasinc.org
BANANAS is a non-profit child care referral and support agency serving the diverse families in Northern Alameda County, California.  “We provide free parenting information, workshops and referrals to family child care, child care centers, preschools, babysitters, in-home caregivers, nannies and playgroups.  We provide subsidized child care for parents in need.  We also offer training, workshops, classes and technical support to caregivers and child care programs to assure parents a wide selection of quality care”

California Child Care Health Program
http://www.ucsfchildcarehealth.org/
“Supporting child care programs to be the best they can be.”  Offering information concerning health and safety issues in child care settings.

California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
http://www.rrnetwork.org
A website offering a well-developed system that provide local communities throughout California with information concerning child care Resource and Referral (R&R) agencies.  

California Department of Education
http://www.cde.ca.gov/index.asp
The state of California’s Department of Education official website.

Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning
http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/
 “The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning is a five-year project designed to strengthen the capacity of Head Start and child care programs to improve the social and emotional outcomes of young children. The Center will develop training and technical assistance (T/TA) materials that reflect evidence-based practices for promoting children’s social and emotional development and preventing challenging behaviors. The Center will then work with professional organizations and Head Start and child care T/TA providers to ensure the use of the evidence-based practices in local demonstration sites.”

Office of Child Care
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/occ/
From the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Children & Families.  Dedicated to enhancing the quality, affordability, and availability of child care for all families.

ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education
http://ecap.crc.illinois.edu/eecearchive/books/projcat3/section5/eece.html
“The clearinghouse identifies, selects, and processes the report literature, books, and journal articles on topics related to the development, care, and education of children through early adolescence”. They also provides other products and services, such as newsletters, brochures, camera-ready materials..etc, some at no cost.

Employment Resource
Providers and Centers Please Read!
Do you have job opportunities and want to find well-trained, knowledgeable candidates?  Merritt’s Child Development Department can post or make announcements about job openings. Contact the Child Development Resource Center via email at merrittcollegechdev@gmail.com. Please attach a flyer to be posted in our office and our Facebook page.

First 5 Alameda County – Every Child Counts
http://www.ackids.org
Children & Families Commission is also know as “Every Child Counts.”  “Every child counts ensure that every child from birth to age five reaches his or her developmental potential.”  A large extensive site providing information on family support services, early care & education, and funding opportunities and media.

The Council for Exceptional Children
http://www.cec.sped.org
A website providing information on education, individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted.

Mentor Teacher Program
http://www.ecementor.org/
The Mentor Program provides specialized training for experienced childcare workers desiring to mentor neophyte practitioners.  Following completion of an initial course in mentoring, candidates make formal application to a local Mentor Selection Committee.  Selection is based on professional qualifications and a quality review of the candidate’s classroom.  Mentor Teachers paid stipends to continue in-service training and to supervise the student teachers who are assigned to the mentor’s classroom.  For further information, contact the Mentor Program Coordinator by calling 510-436-2588 and asking for Doris Barnett.

Child Care Aware
https://usa.childcareaware.org/
A national membership-based nonprofit organization that provides information, referrals, tools and resources to families seeking child care.

National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org
 “The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) exists for the purpose of leading and consolidating the efforts of individuals and groups working to achieve healthy development and constructive education for all young children.”  NAEYC’s website.

National Black Child Development Institute
http://nbcdi.org/
An organization dedicated to providing African American families with information concerning early health and education, health, elementary and secondary education, child welfare, and parenting.

National Child Care Association
http://www.nccanet.org/
Website providing professional development information.

National Head Start Association
http://www.nhsa.org/
“The National Head Start Association (NHSA) is a private not-for profit membership organization representing more than 900,000 children, 190,000 staff and 2,500 Head Start programs in America. It is governed by a 49-member Board of Directors composed of a director, staff, parent and friend representative from each of the twelve federal regions and the immediate past president. NHSA provides a national forum for the continued enhancement of Head Start services for children prenatal through age five and their families. It is the only national organization dedicated exclusively to the concerns of the Head Start community.”

National School-Age Care Alliance
http://www.naaweb.org/
“NSACA is the only national membership organization representing the entire array of public, private, and community-based providers of after school programs. NSACA has over 8,000 members and thirty-six affiliated state organizations. NSACA sponsors a national conference for over 2,500 practitioners and advocates. NSACA promotes national standards of quality school-age care for children and youth 5 – 14 years old, and grants accreditation to programs meeting the standards. NSACA is headquartered in Boston and has a public policy liaison located in Washington, D.C.”

WestEd
http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
A nonprofit agency* working at local, state, and federal levels for more than four decades, WestEd also develops intervention strategies, products, and services. Contact Tel: Toll-free (1.877) 4-WestEd | Tel: 415.565.3000 for more information.

Zero to Threee
http://www.zerotothree.org/
“ZERO TO THREE’s mission is to promote the healthy development of our nation’s infants and toddlers by supporting and strengthening families, communities, and those who work on their behalf. We are dedicated to advancing current knowledge; promoting beneficial policies and practices; communicating research and best practices to a wide variety of audiences; and providing training, technical assistance and leadership development. ZERO TO THREE is a national non-profit organization.”

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