Raising the bar for child care consumer education and referral services

Community Child Care Connection achieves national Quality Assurance

[April 14, 2009]  SPRINGFIELD -- Community Child Care Connection has raised the bar for delivering information and referrals to families seeking child care in Christian, Logan, Macoupin, Mason, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Sangamon and Scott counties. Nancy Cunningham, executive director, announced last week that CCCC has attained Child Care Aware Quality Assurance, national recognition for its high-quality family services.

The Child Care Aware Consumer Education Quality Assurance program -- a national voluntary certification for Child Care Resource and Referral agencies -- is designed to ensure that families across the nation have access to consistent, high-quality services that support them in making informed child care choices.

"Community Child Care Connection is very proud to have achieved Quality Assurance for our services," said Cunningham. "Since 1990, we have been helping families recognize, find and pay for high-quality child care. The national seal of approval proves that we are succeeding."

CCCC's referral specialists provide parents with information they need to make wise child care decisions. With a specialist's help, parents are better prepared to know what to look for to ensure that their child care program is high-quality; identify the ideal child care program that meets their needs; determine if they should stay home or return to work after having a new baby; and more.

Before being granted Quality Assurance recognition, Community Child Care Connection was required to take part in a rigorous, 18-month-long application process, guided by a quality assurance specialist that offered one-on-one training and support. CCCC was evaluated by a validation panel that reviewed its application and conducted a series of "secret shopper" calls and interview of key staff.

"Community Child Care Connection's achievement places it in the top quarter of the nation's CCR&Rs for their consumer education and referral services," said Linda K. Smith, executive director of National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, of which Child Care Aware is a program. "CCCC has proven itself to be one of the best resources in the area for parents seeking information about child care."

[Text from file received from Community Child Care Connection]