Program areas at Connections for Children
Subsidy programs - Connections for Children administers subsidy programs to assist low-income families in our communities, including those moving from welfare to work, to achieve financial independence. Partial or full payment towards child care enables parents to work, attend school or receive job training with the assurance that their Children, up to age 12, are in the child care arrangement that best suits their family needs. Parents may choose care in licensed centers, family child care homes, or with relatives, friends, or neighbors. Our program specialists work with each family to certify eligibility and make arrangements to pay childcare providers for their services. 1,292 families (1,909 Children) received assistance for child care costs.
Quality start - this program provides training and coaching services to assist child care providers with the skills to build expertise in best practices for child care. It provides one to one mentoring and technical assistance to child care professionals and early childhood educators. Professional development coaches worked with 101 teachers and administrative staff across 73 center-based programs and family childcare homes to provide 456 customized coaching hours.
Santa monica program - Connections for Children provides a variety of services to residents of santa monica under a contract with the city's human services division. Staff worked with 197 families to help them select child care programs in santa monica that meet their needs. The program provided financial assistance for 82 santa monica Children from 67 low-income families to attend child care programs within the city. Weekly early learning play groups were conducted for an unduplicated total of 430 Children and 165 adults, including parents, other relatives, and caregivers.
Other child care programs consists of: (a) emergency child care bridge program provided enhanced referrals and child care subsidies to 77 families to support 101 Children in the foster care system. (b) preventive health and safety programs facilitated 35 trainings, for a total of 112 hours. 411 participants attended. C) resource and referral program helps parents find child care that best suits their family needs and helps child care providers improve quality of care. 6,376 parents/caregivers received child care information and referrals. D) Connections for Children facilitated an early care and education professional development training series. 66 trainings for a total of 132 hours. 527 participants attended.