The Family Child Care Partners Program is a peer-to-peer support program for child care providers who operate home-based programs.
The program matches family child care providers who participate in quality improvement efforts with providers who are interested in learning more about ways to enhance the quality of their program.
The program aims to increase the retention of Family Child Care providers in the county, and build connections between providers to strengthen their sense of community and professionalism.
In its first year, the program recruited 17 providers to serve as mentors to 39 providers who were not previously engaged in quality improvement efforts. Mentees received at least 10 hours of mentoring, developed quality improvement plans, and developed positive relationships with their mentor. Mentors received training, tools, and support from professional early care and education coaches, participated in quarterly learning sessions with other mentors, and formed new relationships with other providers. Both mentees and mentors received stipends for their participation.
Some of the mentees’ accomplishments while participating in the program include:
- Increasing their program’s enrollment
- Identifying a facility to open a new child care center
- Retaining staff
- Developing a parent handbook
- Enhancing program marketing
The Family Child Care Partners Program is funded by First 5 Contra Costa, and coordinated by CocoKids.
How can I learn more?
For more information or if family child care providers based in Contra Costa County want to learn more about becoming a mentor or mentee in the program, contact Elida Treanor at etreanor@first5coco.org.
“I was able to participate in and learn about things that I never would have known about without my [mentor’s] guidance.” – Mentee
“I learned how to ask for help, and how to reach out, I also gained a friend… It’s been very helpful in keeping myself from burning out as well. We help each other and remind each other to take care of ourselves.”- Mentee