About Us

WHY WHAT WE DO MATTERS

About Yolo County Child Care Planning Council

Since 1998, the Yolo County Local Child Care Planning Council has provided critical support for both planning and implementation efforts to expand the availability of high quality child care for families in Yolo County. The Council prioritizes the following activities in alignment with state guidance:

• ADVISE the Yolo County Department of Social Services, the Yolo County Office of Education, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, and the California Department of Education/Child Development Division on issues related to the planning and development of child care in Yolo County;
• FACILITATE community dialogue between public and private agencies to further collaborative efforts that expand availability of child care in the county;
• PROMOTE professional development, education and training of the Early Childhood Education workforce;
• ENGAGE community stakeholders in the development of a county-wide child care and development plan;
• CONDUCT a needs assessment at least once every five years to better understand the current child care needs in Yolo County and identify strategies to respond to these needs; and
• ENSURE the availability of high quality child care for participants of the CalWorks program.

Planning Council History

In 1991, a Federal Child Care and Development Block Grant funded the creation of county-level Child Care and Development Planning Councils across the State of California. Overseen by the California Department of Education/Child Development Division, these Councils provide a forum for counties to report to the state on each county’s individual needs while assisting families with childcare and development services. All 58 counties in the state have an active Council, with Councils overseen by the California Department of Education, Child Development Division. Planning Councils are constantly evolving to effectively serve the best interests of children and families to provide a unified integrated system of service for children and families (Education Code, Section 54744).

Investments in quality early childhood care and education have a significant impact on children along with economic and social benefits for communities, taxpayers, and businesses. A wide body of research has found that children enrolled in high quality early childhood education programs:

• Arrive at school ready to learn and with better developed social skills;
• Need fewer costly special education classes;
• Are more likely to graduate from high school and hold jobs; and
• Are at reduced risk for involvement in the juvenile justice system.

Source: Foundation for Child Development, “PK-3: What Is It and How Do We Know It Works?”, FCD Policy Brief No. Four, May 2006