October 11, 2022

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAN FRANCISCO, October 11, 2022 – The California Child Care Resource & Referral Network, a non-profit organization helping to make reliable child care more affordable and accessible for families in California, has launched MyChildCarePlan.org, a new website specifically developed to provide California's parents with the information they need to make the best possible child care choices for their families.

Using the site's search tool, parents and families are able to learn what child care providers are in their neighborhood, which have space and availability, their approaches to care, languages spoken, experience in meeting medical and special needs, and more. Data is collected through state records and by local child care specialists, meaning the information on the site is reliable, unbiased, and free to use for both parents and providers.

California Child Care Resource & Referral Network Executive Director Linda Asato hopes this resource can dramatically change parents’ child care search experience. "We are proud to support MyChildCarePlan.org as a new website and resource for all of California. We understand how challenging it can be for families to find affordable quality child care, and are pleased to launch this site to help ensure they have access to a trustworthy, easy-to-use platform to alleviate these challenges."

In addition to a search tool, the site offers information and support resources. Parents can learn how to get financial help to pay for child care, check on licensing information about providers, get expert tips on how to support their child's learning and development, and much more. Families can get personalized, one-on-one support offline, too, via the child care consumer education hotline or by contacting their county's local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency (R&R), where they can speak to a local specialist who can provide personalized support in their journey to find the right child care for them.

Asato says that this new site is different from other resources out there because it puts the power in the hands of families. "We're different because we are working to build genuine trust with families. We are empowering the user. Parents now have better and more up-to-date information, and providers have a free way to promote their services and share real-time availability. For such a long time, finding child care was an ongoing burden to families who have had to navigate a complex web of information. Now there is a better way to find child care in California."

For more information, visit: MyChildCarePlan.org.

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The California Child Care Resource & Referral Network is a non-profit membership organization of 58 of California’s child care resource and referral agencies (R&R), dedicated to promoting affordable, quality child care through research, education, policy, and advocacy. MyChildCarePlan.org is a project of the California Child Care Resource & Referral Network.

MyChildCarePlan.org is a search and support website designed to provide California’s families with the information they need to make the best possible child care choices for their children. The site offers a highly customizable child care search tool and live support from local experts to help parents to find child care that meets their family’s unique needs. With MyChildCarePlan.org, families can access the information they need to find child care they can trust, and providers can easily promote their services to families who need them. Now there is a better way to find child care in California.

CONTACT:

Gretchen Howard

Digital Project Manager, California Child Care Resource & Referral Network

ghoward@rrnetwork.org

(415) 494-4665