Resources to help you establish and grow your child care business or find professional early childhood education development services and programs.
The Starting Strong Toolkit
Step-by-step guides for opening and expanding child care programs in the City of LA:
English version Spanish version Korean versionArmenian version Chinese Simplified version One Page Overviews
Discover the New CDSS Early Learning & Care Platform
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS), in partnership with WestEd, has launched the California Early Learning and Development website, a free, interactive platform created to support educators working with infants and toddlers (birth to 36 months).
Built on research-backed early childhood practices, this new hub offers real-world video footage and evidence-based guidance to help you refine educators’ observation strategies, enhance responsive interactions, and support key developmental milestones in the care settings. Resources are available in English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.
Explore the tools and videos today at californiaearlylearninganddevelopment.org.
Share Your Input on California State Preschool Program Title 5 Regulations
The California Department of Education (CDE), Early Education Division (EED) is hosting virtual input sessions via Zoom to gather feedback on updates to California State Preschool Program (CSPP) Title 5 regulations. Executive Directors, Program Directors, and all interested parties are invited to participate and help inform regulatory updates by sharing field-based perspectives on enrollment burdens, eligibility rules, and compliance challenges.
This is not an informational webinar; it is an opportunity for the public to actively participate in providing input on changes to regulations.
Sessions are scheduled for the following dates and times:
- Friday, August 28, 2026: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, September 2, 2026: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, September 22, 2026: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Friday, October 16, 2026: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Friday, October 30, 2026: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Register for a session here. Participants should register for one session only. For questions, please contact EEDTitle5@cde.ca.gov.
Support Young Children with Special Needs with this Free Online Course
Calling all QSLA early education providers! Expand your skill set with a free, six-week self-paced online course on Universal Design Strategies. This training equips you with fundamental best practices for inclusion and practical tools to build an accessible classroom. You'll gain strategies for adapting activities, supporting children with unique needs, and building stronger partnerships with families and community agencies—all on your own schedule.
The course is 100% virtual and self-paced and will be open from October 5 to November 15, 2026. Participants must live or work in LA County.
REGISTER by September 28, 2026. Once full, additional registrants will be waitlisted and auto-enrolled as spots become available.
Questions? Contact Ruby Velasco, Head Start Disability Services Consultant, at (562) 922-6815 or Velasco_Ruby@lacoe.edu.
Help Inform Food Access and Nutrition Programs and Policies
Calling all Home-Based Early Educators! The Los Angeles Food Policy Council has developed a survey to examine food access, dietary patterns, and food-related practices among home-based child care providers in Los Angeles County.
The purpose of this study is to better understand providers’ personal eating habits, food security status, and the financial, time, and resource constraints that shape the foods they purchase and serve to children in their care. Findings will be used for evaluation and reporting purposes to inform programs, policies, and supports aimed at strengthening food access and nutrition in home-based child care settings.
Participation is voluntary, and responses are anonymous. No personally identifying information will be collected, and individual responses will not be linked to names or identifiable providers. All data will be reported in aggregate form only in public-facing reports or research summaries.
Surveys are available in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Click on your preferred language to take the survey. For questions or more information, please contact Ana-Alicia Carr at anaalicia@goodfoodla.org.
Reach More Families Through LA County’s Free Digital Marketing Bootcamp
The Shop Local LA County Marketing Lab is a free Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) resource designed to help small business owners build their brand and reach new families. The 6-week hands-on Digital Marketing Bootcamp reviews how to optimize your Google presence, build an effective website, master social media outreach, and map out a local marketing strategy to connect directly with parents in your community. To enroll, businesses must be located in Los Angeles County, have 100 or fewer employees, and generate $19 million or less in annual gross receipts. Non-profit organizations are ineligible.
Marketing Lab offers two different tracks to choose from. Both tracks meet weekly for two hours and include advisor office hours.
- Basic Track (Foundation Building): Ideal for newer centers (less than 1–3 years) needing a defined logo, a functional website, SEO, and social media setup.
- Cohort 1: Starts August 11, 2026 (Tuesdays, 11 AM–1 PM)
- Cohort 2: Starts August 26, 2026 (Wednesdays, 3 PM–5 PM)
- Advanced Track (Scaling & Growth): Built for established programs (3+ years) ready to implement paid ads, advanced market analysis, and AI marketing tools.
- Cohort 1: Starts August 13, 2026 (Thursdays, 11 AM–1 PM)
Learn more and enroll by visiting the Marketing Lab website.
Give Your Feedback and Enter to Win $250 Prizes
Over the past three years, First 5 LA and its partners have implemented a county-wide communication campaign in six languages to raise awareness of the benefits of multilingualism. To understand how well the campaign has worked and how they can better support young, multilingual children, First 5 LA is inviting child care providers to complete a 20-minute survey. They are especially seeking feedback from Korean, Khmer, Armenian, and Vietnamese speaking providers and community members.
As a thank you, they will also be holding a drawing for four $250 prizes. Survey completion is not required to enter the drawing. To enter the drawing without completing the survey, contact Sergio Martinez at sergio_martinez@spra.com.
Have an Innovative Idea? Apply for the Imagine Award Today!
The Promise Fund, created by Promise Venture Studio, provides flexible grants and tailored coaching to leaders developing innovative solutions for early care and education. It provides capital to community-rooted entrepreneurs with the goal of providing more young children and their families equitable support from the very start of life.
The Imagine Award, one of two awards offered by the Promise Fund, offers $20,000 in flexible funding and a six-month cohort-based learning experience for community-centered, early childhood leaders ready to pilot a transformative idea. Award recipients will launch a pilot, test their solutions with real users, and build the partnerships needed to sustain the work.
Want to learn more? Join a free workshop this summer to learn about what it means to build and pilot an idea and how to draft a pilot proposal. Click here to register for a workshop.
Learn more and apply by visiting the Imagine Award website. Applications are open now through August 28, 2026!
Protect the Children in Your Care
California leaders have taken important steps to protect the health and well-being of all children from recent attacks directed at immigrant communities. Law AB 495 - The Family Preparedness Plan Act - requires certain early care and education (ECE) providers to adopt and enforce policies that protect the rights and safety of children in their care.
All In for Safe Schools and Bringing Up California created a guide and a webinar that walk providers through what AB 495 means for their programs, what the law requires and how they can build safe, welcoming spaces for children and families, regardless of immigration status.
Providers can access the guide in eight languages and watch the recording of the AB 495 webinar for providers English and Spanish.
Support Your Staff Through Paid Family Leave
California’s Paid Family Leave (PFL) program is currently accepting applications from small businesses for grants up to $2,000 per employee taking paid family leave. The program is intended to help small businesses pay for costs that occur when employees take leave, including hiring and training to cover the employee’s absence. To be eligible, small businesses must have between 1 and 100 employees and at least one employee using PFL on or after June 30, 2026. The grant period will be from June 30, 2026 to May 31, 2028, or until funds run out.
To find more information and apply, visit the Paid Family Leave website.
Accessible Loans for Family Child Care Programs
The Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) has partnered with nonprofit lenders Ascendus and Working Solutions to provide accessible loans up to $100,000 to Family Child Care providers looking to:
- Renovate or improve their child care space
- Add furniture, toys, or equipment
- Expand their program with advertising, educational materials, or new staff
- Strengthen their program by offering professional learning opportunities
To learn more, visit LIIF’s website or email ChildCareCapital@liifund.org with any questions.
Know Your Rights as a Child Care Business
Public Counsel, a nonprofit law firm that supports Early Care and Education and other community interests, has developed a new resource for child care providers who may be experiencing or feeling anxious about harassment due to federal immigration efforts or unwarranted claims of fraud. The short brochure explains the legal right to enter and actions you can take to enforce those rights. It also documents additional legal actions that protect yourself, your staff, and the children and families you care for.
Please review the resource brochure and contact Public Counsel’s Early Care and Education Law Unit if you need legal assistance. Fill out an intake form or call 213-385-2977, extension 300.
Apply for a Paid Child Care Internship
Applications are open for the City Pathways to Childcare Internship, a paid childcare internship opportunity with the Department of Recreation and Parks. Interns will work with children aged 2-5 while learning about developmentally appropriate practices, early care and education topics, and classroom management. Interns may be eligible to apply for a part-time position upon program completion.
For details, including eligibility criteria and wage, view the Parks Department informational flyer. Sign up for the Intern Virtual Orientation now. Spots are limited!
Get Informed About Child Care Programs’ Rights
Early childhood programs are considered “protected areas” under U.S. federal policy, which restricts immigration agents from enforcement actions. However, related policies have not always been consistently followed or enforced. Creating “safe space” policies for your program can help to safeguard the children and families in your care. Explore the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)’s resource to develop a “safe space” policy today.
Public Counsel, a nonprofit law firm, is training nonprofit and business owners on their rights when interacting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel, which can help programs get prepared. The training recordings and slides are available online: English recording, English slides, Spanish recording, Spanish slides. Public Counsel also has an FAQ document that includes sample policies.
Explore the links below for more helpful resources.
- Guide for Employers
- Red Card Examples – free constitutional rights in multiple languages and portable formats
- National Immigration Help Search
Access Capital through the Entrepreneurs of Color Fund
The Entrepreneurs of Color Fund (EOCF) helps small business owners who may not qualify for traditional capital to access capital through local community lenders. EOCF supports small business owners of color and small business owners serving communities of color through small business loans and technical support. EOCF’s small business loans range from microloans to commercial real estate acquisition loans and can be used for expenses such as hiring staff, renovations, and acquiring a location.
Visit the EOCF website and read more about getting matched with lenders.
Find Professional Development on Caring for Infants and Toddlers
In partnership with the Los Angeles Education Partnership, the Office for the Advancement for Early Care and Education (OAECE) has released the Caring for Los Angeles County’s Youngest Learners: Infant and Toddler Professional Development Catalog. The Catalog contains professional development resources for infant and toddler child care educators in LA County, including information on training, educational units, and services and incentives available at resource and referral agencies.
Find the catalog in English, Armenian, Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Spanish on the OAECE website.
Support Dual Language Learners in Your Program
First 5 LA and Quality Start Los Angeles (QSLA) have launched “Two Languages, Twice The Opportunities,” a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of multilingualism for children. Helping children learn their home language supports greater cultural awareness, fosters more meaningful connections with friends and family, and helps them enter kindergarten ready to succeed. Being multilingual can lead to improved academic, social, financial, and career outcomes.
Learn how to create impactful learning opportunities for dual language learners in your early learning program.
You can also point families with dual language learners to resources available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Armenian, Khmer, and Korean.
LA County's Infant and Toddler Toolkit for Child Care Providers
The LA County Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education (OAECE), in collaboration with Public Counsel, has released Child Care for All: Information for Child Care Providers on Expanding Infant and Toddler Care in Los Angeles County. The free toolkit guides family child care homes and community-based child care centers in serving more infants and toddlers. The online resource reviews topics such as staffing ratios, changes to physical space, and business model considerations.
The toolkit is also available in Armenian, Chinese, Korean, Russian and Spanish versions. A recorded webinar on expanding child care programs to serve more infants and toddlers is also available online in English and Spanish. These resources, as well as upcoming trainings and free professional development opportunities, can also be found on the OAECE website.
Retirement, Health Care, and Training Benefits for Home-Based Care Providers
Child Care Providers United (CCPU) is a union of over 40,000 home-based child care providers (family child care and family, friend, and neighbor care) in California. Provider benefits include a first-in-the-nation retirement fund, health care fund, and training fund.
To learn more about CCPU’s benefits, check out their benefits flyer, contact the CCPU Provider Resource Center (888-583-2278 or PRC@ccpuca.org) or explore the websites below.
Retirement Fund
CCPU’s Retirement Fund has $80 million annually to provide retirement benefits to licensed family child care providers. Eligible providers are automatically enrolled in the program, and contributions are made by the State and vest immediately. To be eligible for retirement benefits, licensed providers must have been paid for work with a subsidized child for at least 6 months of the previous year. Visit the CCPU website to learn more and access your portal.
Health Care Fund
CCPU’s Health Care Fund has $100 million to help eligible providers access free core benefits (such as dental, vision, life insurance, and mental health support) and enroll in an optional Reimbursement Program that offsets out-of-pocket medical expenses and insurance premiums for providers and their dependents. Eligible providers must be serving at least one child receiving child care subsidies in 3 of the last 12 months. Visit CCPUhealth.org to learn more and apply.
Training Fund
CCPU’s Training Fund provides tuition assistance (up to $5,000 each year) and free, high-quality professional learning courses specifically designed to support home-based child care providers. Eligible providers must serve at least one child receiving child care subsidies. Visit CCPUtrainingfund.org to learn more and register for opportunities and benefits.
Become an Associate Teacher through UCLAExtension
Earn an Early Childhood Education-Associate Teacher Certificate at low or no cost through the UCLAxCareerBridge Initiative! The ECE Associate Teacher Program prepares individuals to become Associate Teachers in preschool or child care settings for children ages 0–5. After completing this 12-month, part-time program, participants will be eligible to apply for an Associate Teacher Child Development Permit through the State of CA. The first cohort will be offered fully in Spanish for Spanish-speaking students.
To qualify for the program, you must:
- Be a resident of the State of California
- Meet the minimum qualifications: High school diploma/GED, eligibility to work in the U.S., and comfort with basic computer functions
- Attend an information session and the student orientation
- Complete the prerequisite course
Those with financial need will be given priority. For more information, visit the UCLAxCareerBridge website. You can also email careerbridge@uclaextension.eduor call 310-206-2560. To learn about other state and local stipends for ECE courses, visit the Early Care and Education Workforce Registry website.
Free Virtual Behavioral Health Services
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has launched the Behavioral Health Virtual Services Platform, which offers free web- and app-based behavioral health services, including care navigation, moderated peer communities, and crisis and safety resources. The platform has two web- and app-based applications: Brightlife Kids, for parents or caregivers of children ages 0-12, and Soluna, for teens and young adults ages 13-25.
Brightlife Kids offers behavioral health coaching for parents, caregivers, and kids. Learn how to build non-verbal communication skills, navigate milestones, teach toddlers how to share, manage separation anxiety, and more.
Services are cost-free and do not require insurance or referrals. To learn more and download the app, visit CalHOPE.