Opportunity Council has housed Child Care Resource and Referral serving Whatcom, Island and San Juan counties since it was first implemented in this area about twenty years ago. Child Care Resource and Referral is in statute and therefore the State of Washington is obligated to fund Resource & Referral services.

• We provide licensed child care referrals to families in Whatcom, Island, and San Juan counties
• We manage the provider database including provider and facility information
• We maintain the phone lines giving referrals to parents/families and technical assistance to child care providers
• We are a hub for information and resources, enabling us to be a source of free advertising for providers

Our main goal at Child Care Resource and Referral is to help strengthen our early learning community. We inform our child care providers of the numerous resources available such as:

• A quarterly newsletter, called Early Learning Connections, which includes literature on early learning legislative updates, WA Scholarships for Child Care Professionals, and topics on business practices, health/safety, and more.
• Professional development opportunities such as the initial 20-hour STARS class as well as the ongoing 10-hour continuing education requirement, college courses offering credit in Early Childhood Education (ECE), and community-based workshops that offer STARS credits.
• The Lending Library, which includes informative books and videos on early care and education, such as administration, behavior, child development, communication, cultural diversity, curriculum, health and safety, special needs, parenting, and professionalism. Our lending library also consists of preschool theme kits as well as toys. All of these items can be borrowed on a monthly basis.
• Onsite Consultation that is available to licensed and potential child care providers free of charge. Our consultants are extremely experienced in the early learning field and can offer strategic advice aimed to enhance your child care center/home. They offer services on pre-licensing visits, environments, behavior, administration, marketing techniques, communication, and quality improvement.
• Child Care Financial Assistance for families living in Whatcom County. If families are homeless or in a crisis situation, we may be able to support them with child care payments on a temporary basis.
• Child and Adult Care Food Program, referrals to this program, a federally funded program to help family home child care providers serve healthy meals to the children for whom they care.
• Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program, referrals to this program, which assists families who have children ages birth to three with developmental delays.
• Early Head Start, Head Start, Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, serve pregnant women and children aged birth to 5 years from income eligible families.