Accessible, Affordable and Quality Child Care

Accessible Child Care and Development Programs

Families with children seek child care because they are working or looking for work, are in school or other training programs, want to provide their children with developmental opportunities, or need respite care. Accessibility addresses whether the community has the capacity to serve family's needs, such as:

• Care for all children, including parents needing subsidized child care
• Care for abused, at-risk or neglected children
• Care for children in their primary language
• Care for children who are sick
• Care for children with special needs
• Care for children of migrant worker families
• Care for children during traditional and non-traditional hours (evenings, nights and weekends)
• Care in all communities through Mendocino County

In addition, accessibility means there is available transportation county-wide to get children to and from child care.

Affordable Child Care and Development Programs

Families are eligible to receive assistance to pay for child care based upon the size of their family and the gross monthly income. If families fall below 75% of the State Median Income, they are eligible for state-funded programs such as State Preschool, General Child Care, and After-School programs. For 2009, a family would qualify for state-subsidized child care if their annual income was below:

• $42,216 for a family of 1-2
• $45,228 for a family of 3
• $50,256 for a family of 4

The income qualifications for the federally-funded Head Start program are much lower than for state-funded programs. For 2009, the annual income must be below:

• $14,570 for a family of 2
• $18,310 for a family of 3
• $22,050 for a family of 4

These income limitations present a challenge to families with two working parents because they often exceed the income limit making them ineligible for these programs.

Quality Child Care and Development Programs

Programs that provide a quality experience for young children also offer continuity of care, a caring reciprocal relationship between the children and adults in the environment, and rich learning opportunities during the program day. The Mendocino County Child Care Planning Council's Definition of Quality Child Care in English; in Spanish.

For more information on affordability, accessibility and quality child care and development programs, please see the Mendocino County Child Care Needs Assessment and Strategic Plan * 2005-2010  in June 2006. For a pdf version, click here.