Network Programs

The Minnesota Child Care Resource & Referral Network focuses on three main areas: Professional Development, Business Partnerships, and Building Child Care Capacity.

Professional Development Program

The Network's Professional Development Program assists regional Child Care Resource & Referral agencies in improving the quality of child care in all 87 counties of the state. By offering timely, accessible, quality training and professional development opportunities to child care providers, CCR&Rs play a pivotal role in effecting the quality of care children receive. The Network’s role is to work with the CCR&Rs to provide technical assistance, information, orientation, policy recommendations, as well as develop and coordinate statewide initiatives, and serve as a liaison between the CCR&R system and other statewide early childhood training and professional development programs. The Network also provides leadership in shaping and supporting a coordinated statewide professional development system.

The contact for the Network’s Professional Development Program is Mary Wynne, Professional Development Director. She can be reached at 651-290-9704, extension 104 or maryw@mnchildcare.org.

To see a complete listing of Professional Development opportunities offered through the Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network Agencies, vist The Minnesota Training Registry at: MNStreams.org

Business Partnerships

Employers are getting involved in child care issues in a wide variety of ways, including supporting community initiatives, offering information and referral services, providing subsidies for employees’ child care expenses, and creating child care centers. Through these efforts, companies are finding out that it’s good business to invest in child care. Studies have shown that investing in child care boosts recruitment, lowers turnover and absenteeism, increases productivity and strengthens the business image in the community. Beginning January 1, 2002 employers will receive a tax credit for child care costs incurred, 25 percent of costs for qualified child care expenses and 10 percent of costs for child care resource and referral services, up to $150,000 annually.

For more information regarding Business Partnerships please contact Terry Vasquez, Regional Support Coordinator at: terryv@mnchildcare.org

Building Child Care Capacity

The Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network helps local CCR&R agencies respond to gaps in the market supply through recruitment and retention activities and the development of community partnerships. Wherever children are cared for, whether they are in their own home, a family child care home, a child care center, a Head Start program, a preschool or school-age program, or the home of a family or friend, the quality of the child care is dependent upon the amount of information and resources available to the people who are caring for the children.

In order to ensure access to high quality early childhood settings for all children, Minnesota CCR&R Network is committed to supporting all people who care for children. Each of the 19 local CCR&R agencies have staff who provide information and resources to those who care for children.

They provide:

For more information please contact Terry Vasquez, Regional Support Coordinator at: terryv@mnchildcare.org

For a list of programs coordinated by the Network, go to Information for Providers: Resources and Grants for Providers.