Focus groups being assembled to help improve early learning and child care

Dear Windsor Families:

The Sonoma County Child Care Planning Council (CCPC) will be holding a series of focus group discussions with families, providers, and organizations to gather in-depth, first-hand information about needs and priorities for early learning and care. It is critical that we represent the needs and priorities of diverse families and providers in our community, and we need your help to make that happen.

The CCPC is responsible for assessing the local early learning and care system for children ages 0-12 and their families to identify gaps and opportunities and guide strategies and investments. The next needs assessment, which occurs every five years, will be submitted to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) in 2025. The needs assessment combines data on the availability of care plus feedback from families, child care providers, teachers, and other stakeholders about needs and priorities for early learning and care.

This year’s assessment includes a special focus on the universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) mixed-delivery system for three- and four-year-olds, supported by a grant from the California Department of Education (CDE). As transitional kindergarten (TK) rolls out, we seek to understand families' access to care for their three- and four-year-olds, opportunities to support inclusion of children with disabilities, and priorities for supporting the workforce.