Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) is a program to support quality child care throughout the state of Iowa. Child Care Consultants provide on-site and virtual consultation to licensed preschools, Child Care Centers (CCC), nonregistered Child Care Home (CCH) providers and registered Child Development Home (CDH) providers. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the regulatory agency for early childhood care and education. CCR&R supports providers in complying with state regulations. Training in a variety of topics is offered to child care providers to not only meet licensing/registration requirements but to also improve the quality of care. CCR&R facilitates many types of professional development opportunities for the adults who care for our youngest citizens.
CCR&R agencies are community-based programs staffed by early care and education professionals that work to connect families with quality child care services. CCR&R has a free, confidential service that offers parents customized referrals to child care programs along with several educational tools to aid in their search for quality child care. Click here to begin your child care search.
CCR&R also works to build the supply of quality child care options in communities and collects data that impact local decisions and solutions to child care needs. CCR&R's collaborate with other community partners regarding child care issues in Iowa.
Iowa CCR&R is part of a larger organization, Child Care Aware of America (formerly the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA)). NACCRRA began in the mid 1970's because of a community need for a system to assist families in finding quality child care. Visit Child Care Aware of America's site for more information by clicking here.
Iowa Child Care Resource and Referral’s roots go back to 1989, when across the nation, 60 percent of working women were mothers to infants or toddlers. Iowa saw a need to establish an agency dedicated to addressing the needs of children in care. Below is a timeline to show how Iowa Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) has grown and responded to the growing needs of the child care industry.
Social-Emotional Behavior Mental Health Specialists added for each CCR&R Agency
Statewide Online Professional Development Specialist added
Released Point-in-Time tool on the website for county data to be viewed with the most current data
Practice-based Coaching offered
Continuous Quality Improvement training offered
Iowa Quality For Kids was introduced
Statewide Social Emotional Behavior Mental Health Specialists were added
IQ4K Specialists were expanded to include 2 for each region
Second Statewide Curriculum Specialist was hired
NDS 2.0 database was released
Texting platform released
CCR&R assisted Department of Human Services in implementing the Investing in Iowa's Child Care response strategy for COVID - funding encouraged child care business start-ups and expansions
ChildNet 3.0 in both online and in-person formats released
Child Care Ready released
All our Kin Virtual Business Training Released
Statewide Curriculum Specialist was added
Parent Referrals became centralized in Region 5
i-PoWeR Professional Workforce Registry released
IQ4K Specialists were added to each region
Early Childhood- Positive Behavior Intervention Supports for Family Child Care – Iowa was the first in the nation to offer training and consultation
Child Care and Development Block Grant of 2014 (CCDBG) passed and focused on strengthening child care to better support the success of both parents and children
Created a statewide Website
Statewide Communication Specialist position added
Community Development Specialists were added
Department of Human Services implemented a new statewide service model to serve families better
i-Consult Credential required for all Child Care Consultants
Child Care Assistance applications must be submitted through CCR&R
Child Development Home applications must be submitted through CCR&R
Iowa Community Empowerment was created and began funding CCR&R for various programs to meet local need.
First Child Care Nurse Consultant began with a CCNC located in each CCR&R five lead agencies.
CCR&R became a statewide program
CCR&R agencies were charged with providing services to parents, child care providers and communities
Iowa Child Care Resource & Referral provides resources, education and advocacy to support quality child care. CCR&R is committed to ensure that Iowa's vision is met.
All children, beginning at birth, will be healthy and successful.
At CCR&R, we are steadfast in our commitment to fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. We believe every individual, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, religion or background, deserves equal access, opportunities and representation.
Diversity: We celebrate and embrace the diverse perspectives, experiences and backgrounds within our organization and the communities we serve. We recognize the strength in our differences and actively cultivate an environment that values and respects unique identities.
Equity: We are dedicated to creating equitable access to resources, services and opportunities for all individuals and families. We strive to eliminate barriers and address systemic inequalities to ensure fairness and justice in our practices.
Inclusion: We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where every voice is heard, valued and empowered. We actively promote a sense of belonging, where diverse perspectives are encouraged and contribute to our collective growth and success. Through our work, services and interactions, we pledge to uphold these principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. We continuously strive to learn, evolve and advocate for positive change within our organization and the broader community.
The Child Care and Early Education Network established this award in 2003 in memory of Janet George, a leader in Iowa’s Child Care Resource and Referral System since the 1980's. This award seeks to recognize those who have a passionate commitment to young children, child care and Iowa CCR&R. Recipients of the Janet George Award mentor through example, have a commitment to providing the highest level of quality service and treat every parent and provider with the utmost importance.
2007 - Jerri Leighton, CCR&R of SE Iowa 2008 - Carol Jensen, CCR&R of SW Iowa, Parent Specialist 2012 - MariLynn Pierce, CCR&R of NE Iowa, Director 2014 - Mary Jo Huddleston, CCR&R of SE Iowa, Director 2015 - Julie Ingersoll, Department of Human Services 2016 - Cathy Wheatcraft, CCR&R of Central Iowa, Director 2017 - Sarah Boleyn, CCR&R of NE Iowa, Child Care Consultant Supervisor 2019 - Peg DeLoe, CCR&R of SE Iowa, Parent Services Program Manager 2019 - Linda Daggett, CCR&R of NW Iowa, Child Care Consultant Supervisor 2021 - Julie Allison, Child Care Bureau Chief, Department of Human Services 2022 - Cassie Reuter, CCR&R of NW Iowa, Program Specialist 2024 - Jen Hottle, CCR&R of NE Iowa, Training Specialist 2024 - Becky White, CCR&R of SE Iowa, Regional Director
The Child Star Award seeks to recognize those who have a passionate commitment to young children, child care and the importance of early childhood in communities. Nominees could be community members, business owners, legislators or any non-CCR&R agency employee.
2019 - Jeff Danielson, Iowa Senator 2019 - Dawn Oliver Wiand, Iowa Women's Foundation Executive Director 2021 - All CCR&R Staff 2022 - Dan Levi, Levi Architecture 2022 - Lori Schonhorst, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach 2024 - Micki Beard, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services