The program supports early childhood educators including family child care providers, child care centers, and preschools to improve the quality of care they provide. Programs include: - Child Care Wayfinder, a one-stop navigation network for starting and growing child care programs. Navigators offer personalized support and resources. - Parent Aware recruitment to enroll childhood educators. Once enrolled, childhood educators are provided with parent-aware coaching, quality rating, and support. - Professional development and workforce advising for individuals interested in early childhood knowledge and/or attaining a college degree in the field - Professional training for childhood educators to meet licensing requirements - Regional grants available to licensed child care programs each year starting September 1 through 25th - Start-up grants on an ongoing basis depending on funding

- Professional development training for providers - Provides services to assist families in finding quality child care - Start-up assistance including technical assistance, coaching, and grant funds to support providers

- Accredited training for child care center staff, family child care providers and parents - Career guidance coordinator available to discuss educational opportunities for child care providers - Tailored training topics available on-site at child care centers, schools, Head Start sites, etc., on specific topics according to need - Eager to Learn: Online classes on child care and child development. Visit website www.eagertolearn.org.

- Consultation and technical assistance is provided to employers regarding child care - Support and information telephone service for family child care providers - Technical assistance related to children, parents, program, guidance, child development and business issues Build Your Own Child Care Program: staff meet with the participants to assess needs and design a plan, set goals, and create a timeline unique to the child care program needs. Offers up to 20 hours of free individualized service and will help: - Access required training and professional development opportunities - Connect clients with a Parent Aware Coach who will work with them to build a quality, star-rated program - Navigate the Minnesota Department of Human Services Licensing process - Set up the child care environment

- Book loan - DVDs and videos - Provides information on child care, child care training and child care resources through written and video materials - Partnership with the St. Paul Public Library - Small collection available at the Minneapolis office - Spanish and Hmong collections available

Program provides grants to assist child care providers with financial crises that would prevent them from continuing child care services or starting up child care services. Grants to child care providers to help increase the quality of their program, upgrade equipment, receive training, and improve the environment of the program. Applications accepted once a year in September.

- Book loan - DVDs and videos - Provides information on child care, child care training and child care resources through written and video materials - Partnership with the St. Paul Public Library - Small collection available at the Minneapolis office - Spanish and Hmong collections available

- Accredited training for child care center staff, family child care providers and parents - Career guidance coordinator available to discuss educational opportunities for child care providers - Tailored training topics available on-site at child care centers, schools, Head Start sites, etc., on specific topics according to need - Eager to Learn: Online classes on child care and child development. Visit website www.eagertolearn.org.

- Administers CACFP (food program for family childcare providers in Minnesota) - Sells products which are designed to support child care professionals - Offers provider education and trainings for childcare professionals, call for schedule. Offering topics such as child care Business Training and Nutrition Education. - Provides community partnership collaborations, which are designed to provide healthy and safe ideas that supports childcare professional and families

Training and professional development opportunities for those in the Early Childhood field, licensed or legally-non-licensed child care providers

- Consultation and technical assistance is provided to employers regarding child care - Support and information telephone service for family child care providers - Technical assistance related to children, parents, program, guidance, child development and business issues Build Your Own Child Care Program: staff meet with the participants to assess needs and design a plan, set goals, and create a timeline unique to the child care program needs. Offers up to 20 hours of free individualized service and will help: - Access required training and professional development opportunities - Connect clients with a Parent Aware Coach who will work with them to build a quality, star-rated program - Navigate the Minnesota Department of Human Services Licensing process - Set up the child care environment