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Child Care Resource and Referral
in the Greater New Orleans, Houma and Northshore Areas
What is it?
Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) serves parents, child
care providers, employers and community groups by providing
information referral, education, training, technical assistance
and resource development. CCR&Rs collect information about
Department of Children and Family Services licensed and registered child care
providers and programs. This information is updated regularly
and used to provide parents with referrals, as well as counseling
on how to identify and select quality child care that best
meets their child’s needs. CCR&Rs offer training,
consultation and technical assistance to child care providers
to maintain and improve the quality of child care programs.
Types of care:
Child Care Resource and Referral agencies refer parents to
a variety of child care options. Each family must assess with
assistance from the R&R specialist which option best meets
their own and their child’s needs. CCR&Rs provide
referrals to programs licensed by the Department of Children and Family Services, as well as parents' day out programs and family child care programs registered with DCFS and/or the Department of Education's Child and Adult Care Food Program. Programs in the CCR&R database
include:
- Class A and Class B child care: center based programs
for infants, toddlers and preschoolers
- Family Child Care: offered in an individual’s
home for infants and children through school age.
- School Age Care: before/after school and vacation
care for kindergartners through age 13.
- Part Time Care: includes nursery schools, private
kindergarten, Head Start programs.
All programs may offer care to children with disabilities
through age 16.
Information Available:
Licensed and registered child care providers are included in the CCR&R database. CCR&Rs then collect
information about hours, fees, education and training of providers,
experience working with children with disabilities, environment,
pets, meals and snacks, curriculum and philosophy, languages
spoken and any relevant information providers choose to give.
Updates are performed on an ongoing basis so that parents can feel
confident they are receiving reliable and recent information.
Parents
using the service must contact and screen providers on their
own.
Families may call for further
assistance if their needs change or if they would like to learn about additional child care options. CCR&R also provides information
to families about financial assistance, available subsidies
and income eligibility.
Extent of Service:
Child Care Resource and Referral agencies refer to child care
providers and programs. They do not make recommendations.
They collect information form providers over the phone or
by mail to be passed on to consumers. CCR&Rs do not verify
the veracity of information provided or screen programs. Child
care specialists will counsel parents on what to look for
in a program, questions to ask, staffing ratios, ideas about
curriculum, materials and best practice. The final decision
about child care remains the choice of the parents.
Starting the Process
- Contact Child Care Resources: (504) 586-8509 or fill out a Child Care Referral Form and email it to information@agendaforchildren.org.
- Our trained referral specialists will then use the information provided to locate child care that meets your families' specific needs. Referrals can be emailed, mailed or faxed to you.
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