The Child Care Coordination Office provides a variety of services to support early care and education professionals in the City of Irvine.
Market Your Program
City of Irvine
The City of Irvine maintains a listing of all licensed Child Care Programs in the City of Irvine on the Finding Child Care webpage and includes State Licensed Family Child Care Homes, Center-Based Early Care and Education Programs, and School Age Center-Based Programs. In addition, the programs are also featured here, on the interactive map. To add or update your program’s information, please click here to complete the form. Please note: Child Care License must be issued by the California Community Care Licensing Division, and the program must be located in the City of Irvine in order to be listed on the City of Irvine website. Please allow approximately four weeks for new programs to be added to the website or existing programs to be updated on the website once the form is submitted.
Children’s Home Society (CHS)
CHS’ Resource and Referral (R&R) Department connects parents, child care providers, and the community to a wide range of resources that strengthen families and support the healthy development of children.
CHS referrals are free and include detailed information regarding the services you provide, including: hours of operation, fees, current openings, ages of children served, special eligibility requirements and other significant program information. Records are updated quarterly, based on the information you provide to CHS, to ensure that information provided to families seeking referrals is accurate and complete.
To become a part of CHS' R&R database click here or contact the CHS Kidcare Hotline at 714-543-2273 or 949-364-6605.
Program Quality Enhancement
California Early Childhood Mentor Program
High quality child care starts with high quality Administrative Professionals. The talented and dedicated Coordinators, Directors and Teachers at child care programs are the conduit to ensuring the success of our youngest learners. The California Early Childhood Mentor Program, funded by the California Department of Social Service, supports Mentors throughout California in providing leadership and guidance to students entering the Early Childhood Education field, and current child care Directors and Teachers. Partnering with nearly 100 Community Colleges – and growing – the Mentor Program supports a diverse workforce of family child care programs, private child care centers, State Preschools and Head Start programs. Learn more about becoming a Mentor Director or Teacher or connecting with a Mentor Director or Teacher!
Professional Development Opportunities
The Child Care Coordination Office compiles this list of recorded webinars, self-paced online training modules and resources for individuals caring for children. In addition, coaching and consultation services are listed for programs in Orange County needing assistance.
Child Development Permit
Child Development Permits are issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. A variety of permits are available that authorize the holder to provide different levels of service in the care, development, and instruction of children in a child care and development program and, at some levels, supervise other permit holders. Child care programs that receive funding from the State of California to provide subsidized child care to income eligible families require staff members to hold a Child Development Permit. To view the different levels of child development permits, application packet requirements, and course work requirements, click here.
To apply for, renew, or upgrade a Child Development Permit visit the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).
The Child Development Training Consortium Permit Stipend Program pays the permit application fee to the CTC for eligible applicants.
Quality Start OC
A community partnership, led by the Orange County Department of Education, focused on raising the quality of early learning programs across the county. Quality Start OC supports educators and care providers who are seeking to improve the quality of their programs. This includes the Quality Start OC Professional Learning Calendar that provides continuous quality improvement and to strengthen Orange County's Early Childhood Workforce.
Child Development and Curriculum Resources
The Child Care Coordination Office compiles this list of online resources for individuals caring for children in order to support all areas of children’s development from birth through elementary age. Resources for parents are also included to share with the families you serve.
Developmental Screening
Screening young children is an effective, efficient way for professionals and educators to check a child’s development, help parents celebrate their child’s milestones and know what to look for next, and determine whether follow-up steps are needed. It’s also an essential first step toward identifying children with delays or disorders in the critical early years, before they start school.
The Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) developmental screening tool is a parent-completed questionnaire that early childhood programs can utilize with the families in their program to track progress in areas of communication, social skills, motor skills, and problem-solving skills.
Early childhood programs may choose to implement and administer ASQ directly with families or parents can complete an online ASQ with their child for free through Help Me Grow Orange County, or Pretend City. In person screening is conducted monthly through the Family Support Network, click here to view the schedule of upcoming screening events. Early childhood programs can also receive updates and track children’s progress through the free OC Children's Screening Registry.
Improve Inclusive Practice in Your Program
Inclusion is the practice of educating and caring for children with special needs in the same environment or setting as their typically developing peers. But “inclusion” is more than participation, it’s about belonging. Belonging is the feeling of being part of something and mattering to others. A sense of belonging occurs when each child is fully engaged, supported to reach their full potential and ALL children are treated with dignity and respect as a valued member of the classroom community.
Inclusion Pathway - This free online self-paced, self-study tool is a one stop shop for early childhood classroom teachers and caregivers and administrators. Whether you are new to the concept of “Inclusion”, want to learn about the newest resources and information to refine your inclusive practices or are looking for resources specific to supporting children with challenging behaviors, this is the place for you! Start by completing the self-assessment to help you determine which area of the self-study tool to begin with. No matter where you are now, each step you take in this educational journey will improve the experience of all children in your program and will help ensure that your program is open to, and truly accessible for all children, no matter their individual needs.
California MAP to Inclusion & Belonging: Making Access Possible - The mission of the MAP to Inclusion & Belonging… Making Access Possible, is to create a statewide system of support, training and resources that gives all families and providers barrier-free access to inclusive child care.
To learn more about the laws related to individuals with disabilities please visit:
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - a federal law that states people with disabilities are entitled to equal rights in employment, state and local public services, and public accommodations such as preschools, child care centers and family child care homes.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) - a federal law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation. IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities.
Get Connected!
OC Child Care and Development Planning Council
Orange County Association for the Education of Young Children
The Orange County Association for the education of Young Children (OCAEYC) is a proud Affiliate of The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), dedicated to representing early childhood educators in Orange County, California. OCAEYC is a critical part of the early childhood education system in Orange County, California. We work with our partners to make sure early care and education providers have access to quality training and information, a professional and social network of colleagues, and local savings and services. Most of all, we are working to create a community of leaders that will keep early educators connected, inspired, and supported. Thank you for nurturing and educating Orange County’s youngest children. The work that you do is extremely critical to the future of this community.
The Orange County Child Care and Development Planning Council, appointed by the Orange County Board of Supervisors and Orange County Superintendent of Schools, teams with the community to help meet the child care needs of Orange County. Council members are interested in issues dealing with all aspects of child care and development, including:
- Safety
- Quality child care
- Development of child care workforce
- Accessibility of services for child development
OC Child Care and Development Planning Council meetings are open to the public.
The OC Child Care and Development Planning Council provides a Weekly Round-Up of information, resources, recent changes to child care regulations and pending legislation via email. To join the Planning Council email list, please click here.