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Child Care Resource is a nonprofit organization serving Chittenden County families since 1984. Originally called Child Care Resource & Referral, we were founded as the result of a United Way Task Force study on child care needs. At that time, nationally and in Vermont, women were entering the work force in large numbers. With parents at work, more and more children needed programs that would provide nurturing care and learning opportunities. Families needed help finding programs, including after-school care and summer camps. Employers recognized that it was in their interest to assist employees with the child care needs. Our original and current funders include employers who wanted to assist their employees with their child care needs and to support the development of quality child care in our community. Also during our first year of operation, Child Care Resource began to address children’s nutrition by becoming the Chittenden County sponsor for family child care homes wishing to participate in the federal Child Care Food Program. Child Care Resource now sponsors child care centers as well. We bring over $450,000 in federal dollars into our community to feed hungry children in our child care community each year. In 1997, CCR began to help parents gain access to financial assistance from the State of Vermont to pay for child care making us a one-stop shop for all of their child care needs. Then, in 2004, CCR expanded once again by adding our own child care center, the Williston Children’s Center, which became NAEYC accredited in 2008. Unfortunately, it doesn't take much to disrupt the delicate balance that makes child care it work. For Williston Children's Center, multiple changes in too short a period made it impossible to continue to operate and stay true to our mission. So, it was with great sadness that we announced its closing on October 19th, 2012. In 2008, CCR developed the first family child care pre-kindergarten education partnership in the State of Vermont supported by public education funds through Act 62. CCR now works with up to 8 family child care programs per year supporting publicly qualified pre-kindergarten education for up to 24 children per year. In 2011, CCR, collaboration with the the South Burlington School District, created Growing Kids South Burlington. GKSB brings the South Burlington community together to generate energy, ideas, and practices that make South Burlington one of the greatest places to raise a family. In 2012, CCR began a collaboration with the Association of Africans Living in Vermont and the Opportunties Credit Union to assist New American women interested in developing child care businesses in their homes. Nine women are now in the learning and development process. Since 1984 we have helped more than 30,000 families find child care. Today there are about over 6,000 children enrolled in some form of child care or after-school program in Chittenden County.
Child Care Resource continues to provide our core services for parents - helping them find child care and helping them access help paying for it. We are behind child care everyday helping providers develop knowledge and skills and helping them access resources all to support the children in their care. Child Care Resource provides critical information to decision-makers such as community planners, legislators, school administrators, and human resource managers who are interested in addressing systemic community child care needs and challenges. By tracking trends in child care supply and demand and keeping abreast of new approaches, we help communities create solutions that increase access, quality, and sustainability. Learn more about what we do each year by reading our annual reports below: Annual Reports |
