Child Care Aware - Real Support for Child Care Providers
Catholic Charities Serving Central Washington is passionate about supporting child care providers. That is why we partner with Child Care Aware of Washington (CCA). Through CCA, licensed providers, Infant-Toddler Classrooms, and Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) providers can receive real resources and mentorship—all with the goal of helping providers offer the very best learning and play environments for children.
Virtual Kaleidoscope Play & Learn
Virtual Kaleidoscope Play & Learn offers parents and/or caregivers a free playgroup learning experience for children from birth to age 5. Led by a trained facilitator, you’ll gain play-based learning experience—and we connect families to educational resources and community support.
You’ll participate in fun activities like songs and story time, receive free art materials and tutorials, enjoy opportunities for free books and other gifts, and get the chance to build relationships with other children and caregivers.
Support for Family, Friend, and Neighbor Caregivers
Through our Child Care Aware program, we also serve Family, Friend, and Neighbor Caregivers (FNN). FNN are usually relatives taking care of young children. While FNN providers are license-exempt, it’s our mission to support all types of child care providers. That’s why, in addition to free educational training, we also offer events like Kaleidoscope Play & Learn and provide virtual support and services. Early learning specialists also offer providers coaching and side-by-side support.
Early Achievers: Powering Your Mission
Early Achievers helps licensed child care providers fulfill the mission they already have—to help children learn, grow, and thrive! We offer coaching to improve the quality of early learning environments, curriculum, and materials, so children get a beautiful start and are ready for kindergarten.
The Early Achievers program promotes a natural evolution of child care—from a baseline of compassionate care enriched further by higher education, certification, and resources. From scholarships and grants to business tools and consulting—there is meaningful support available:
- Customized training and mentorship
- Needs-based grants
- State child care subsidy reimbursement
- Quality Improvement Awards of $2,000 - $9,000
- Scholarships for certificates or degrees
- Business tools for your child care small business, called Washington Child Care Business Edge
- Free technical assistance and coaching
- Referrals to early learning specialists for coaching and side-by-side support.
- Access to Holding Hope, Infant-Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) to strengthen and support the efforts of families, child care providers, and early childhood systems for the social and emotional development of children
Enrolling in Early Achievers helps you deepen your connections with children and widen their opportunities. And studies show children enjoy the benefits of engaging child care for a lifetime. Participating in Early Achievers also fosters a deeper sense of fulfillment for care providers. We’ll come alongside you and offer practice-based coaching, help guide goal-setting and action-planning, and offer meaningful feedback, so you can continually make impactful improvements to the programs you care so much about.
We’ll show you the roadmap, and you’ll enjoy the rewards of seeing your program and the children in your care thrive. And the time and resources invested in your program will benefit the entire community.
