Introduction
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) offers a wealth of resources for child care providers through two key divisions: the Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD) and the Child Care and Development Division (CCDD). Understanding how these divisions work together can help you access valuable supports for your program that you might not be fully utilizing.
This guide helps you navigate these resources more effectively, overcome common challenges, and build connections with other providers—all while improving the quality of your program.
Understanding the CDSS Ecosystem for Providers
CCLD vs. CCDD: What's the Difference?
Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD)
Primary Focus: Health and safety standards, compliance, and oversight
Key Functions: Issues facility licenses, conducts inspections, ensures regulatory compliance
When to Contact: Questions about licensing requirements, reporting incidents, capacity changes
Child Care and Development Division (CCDD)
Primary Focus: Quality improvement, program support, and professional development
Key Functions: Oversees subsidy contracts, quality initiatives, training programs, and resources
When to Contact: Questions about quality improvement, curriculum resources, professional development
Quick Decision Guide: Where to Go for What You Need
If You Need: | Contact: | Examples: |
Licensing information | CCLD | Facility requirements, background checks, licensing visits |
Health & safety guidance | CCLD | Safety standards, staff-child ratios, reportable incidents |
Professional development | CCDD | Training opportunities, quality improvement initiatives |
Curriculum resources | CCDD | Learning foundations, frameworks, program guidelines |
Financial assistance | CCDD | Subsidies, grants, infrastructure funding |
Quality rating support | CCDD | Quality Counts California, rating improvement resources |
Beyond the Basics: Making the Most of Available Resources
1. Resources You May Not Know You Can Access
Free Professional Development Opportunities
Contains over 200 free training modules across multiple categories:
Foundations and Frameworks
Best Practices for Planning Curriculum
Program Guidelines
Health and Safety
Leadership
Trauma-Informed Care
Dual Language Learners
Business Practices
Inclusion and more
Available 24/7 with certificates upon completion (completions can take 24-48 hours to transfer to the CA registry)
Pro Tip: Create a professional development calendar for your staff, assigning 1-2 modules monthly to build skills systematically
Free access to high-quality educational video series including:
California Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Foundations
California Preschool Learning Foundations
Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Program Guidelines
California Preschool Program Guidelines
A World Full of Language/Un mundo lleno de lenguaje
New Perspectives on Infant/Toddler Learning
Guidelines for Early Learning in Child Care Home Settings
The Program for Infant and Toddler Care (PITC) Video Series
Inclusion Works! Creating Child Care Programs That Promote Belonging
Some videos include captions in both English and Spanish
Important Note: Unlike CECO modules, these videos do not offer certificates or professional development hours
Pro Tip: Use video segments during staff meetings for targeted mini-training sessions
Comprehensive professional development specifically designed for family child care providers
21 different workshop topics across 8 domains:
Social Competence (Child Observation, Social Emotional Development, Setting the Stage for Social Competence, Loss and Trauma)
Integrated Learning (Caring for Mixed Age Children, Young Children Learning Through Positive Risk, Guidelines for Early Learning)
Health and Fitness (Motor Skills and Movement, Healthy Habits: Nutrition and Well-Being)
Parent Engagement (Serving Children with Special Needs, Partnering with Parents)
Language and Literacy (Supporting Young Bilinguals, Introducing Language through Play, Supporting Emergent Readers and Writers)
Science and Mathematics (Scientific Inquiry for Young Children, Building Numeracy Skills)
Infant-Toddler (Learning Through Relationships, Culture and Care, Guiding Young Children)
Partner Facilitator (training for professionals who want to facilitate FCCB workshops)
19 workshops available in Spanish, 15 in Chinese, and some in Russian
Additional language options can be requested: Arabic, Farsi, Filipino, and Vietnamese
Workshops are free and offered both in-person and online via Zoom
Designed for licensed and license-exempt providers, including family, friend, and neighbor caregivers
Particularly valuable for those caring for mixed-age groups
Workshops provide professional development hours that count toward ongoing training requirements
Note: While valuable for professional growth, these workshops do not fulfill initial pre-licensure requirements and do not provide ECE academic units
Pro Tip for Providers: Connect with your local Resource & Referral agency to find upcoming workshops in your area
Pro Tip for Organizations: Provider associations, R&R agencies, and other community organizations can become FCCB Partner Facilitators through a two-step authorization process, allowing them to offer FCCB workshops in their communities
Specialized Support Services
Free mental health consultation services for all early learning and care providers in California
Designed to build provider capacity to support children's social-emotional development and address challenging behaviors
Four types of services available:
Helpline (1-877-524-2422): One-on-one support for timely, non-emergency guidance on children's social, emotional, and behavioral health (Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm)
Community Open-Door Sessions: Drop-in virtual sessions with consultants to discuss child development topics
Communities of Support: Ongoing peer groups facilitated by mental health consultants
Direct Consultation: In-depth support with a dedicated consultant for specific classroom or program challenges
Services are tailored to different provider types:
Family Child Care Home providers: Access to all four service types
Center-based programs: Access to Helpline, Open-Door Sessions, and Consultation
Family, Friend, and Neighbor caregivers: Access to all four service types
Uses a relationship-based approach focusing on connections between providers, children, and families
Areas of support include:
Promoting positive mental health and social-emotional development
Addressing challenging behaviors
Developing trauma-informed practices
Creating program cultures that support wellbeing of providers, children, and families
Pro Tip: Start with the Helpline for immediate guidance, then explore more intensive services as needed
Language Learning Project
Comprehensive approach to supporting dual language learners (DLLs) through Personalized Oral Language Learning (POLL) strategies
Three main components of the POLL framework:
Family Supports: Family engagement, partnership, and interviews to learn about children's languages, interests, and preferences
Environmental Supports: Creating culturally responsive environments with print, materials, and areas that honor home languages
Instructional Supports: Specific teaching strategies including anchor texts, vocabulary imprinting, intentional messages, songs/chants, and extended activities
Designed for all providers, including those who are monolingual English speakers
Based on research showing that maintaining home language while learning English leads to better academic outcomes
Provides practical tools for integrating language support throughout daily routines
Pro Tip: Visit pollstrategies.org for free resources including videos, guides, and printable materials
Beginning Together
Comprehensive program administered by WestEd and sponsored by CDSS to promote inclusive practices for children with special needs
Provides inclusion training and technical assistance through:
Training-of-trainers institutes for early childhood educators
Free inclusion webinar series on topics like "Understanding Inclusion," "Collaborating for Inclusion," and "Supporting Children with Behavior Adults Find Challenging"
Follow-up "Collaborative Conversations" sessions for additional support
Annual Inclusion Facilitator Institute with certification opportunities
Regional outreach activities
Webinars offered in English with Spanish interpretation
Services designed for center-based programs, family child care homes, Head Start/Early Head Start, preschool programs, and family/friend/neighbor caregivers
Pro Tip: Visit Beginning Together or email [email protected] to register for upcoming webinars and training events
2. Maximizing Program Participation Benefits
Beyond recruitment and basic training, CCIP offers:
Mentoring relationships with experienced providers
Business development support for sustainability
Equipment and materials grants in many counties
Pro Tip: Ask your R&R agency about additional CCIP benefits not advertised in general materials
Resource & Referral Agencies
Services beyond basic referrals include:
Technical assistance for specific program challenges
Marketing support through MyChildCarePlan.org
Help navigating licensing requirements
Connections to local funding opportunities
Pro Tip: R&R agencies might know about local grants and opportunities not widely advertised
Common Navigation Challenges
Challenge: Navigating Between Multiple Systems
What Happens: Providers often struggle to determine which division (CCLD or CCDD) handles their specific needs
Solution: Use our quick decision guide to identify the right division for your question before making contact
Pro Tip: Save contact information for your specific licensing analyst and local R&R contact person for quick access
Challenge: Finding Time for Professional Development
What Happens: Providers know about training opportunities but struggle to fit them into busy schedules
Solution: Utilize on-demand resources like CECO and streaming videos during off-hours
Pro Tip: Many trainings can be broken into shorter segments—you don't need to complete them in one sitting
Connecting Resources Across Divisions
Aligning Licensing Requirements with Quality Initiatives
Use CCLD's minimum requirements as your baseline, then use CCDD resources to exceed them
Example: CCLD requires basic health and safety training, while CCDD offers resources like CECO with modules on various topics including health, safety, and curriculum
Using Publications to Exceed Minimum Standards
CCDD's infant/toddler and preschool foundations help you implement evidence-based practices
The Program Guidelines publications help you create environments that go beyond licensing minimums
Leveraging Both Divisions During Growth
When expanding your capacity, understand both CCLD's licensing requirements and explore CDSS's support programs
Example: While working with CCLD on licensing requirements for expansion, connect with your local Resource & Referral agency to learn about current funding opportunities and business development support
Practical Application: From Compliance to Quality
Using California Learning Foundations to Strengthen Your Program
Incorporate both the California Preschool/Transitional Kindergarten Learning Foundations (PTKLF) and Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations into your curriculum planning, based on the ages you serve
Create environment changes based on domain-specific guidance (like Social-Emotional Development, Language and Literacy, Mathematics, etc.)
Use the foundations to communicate with parents about their child's developmental progress
Implementing Curriculum Frameworks While Maintaining Compliance
CCLD focuses on safety and supervision; CCDD frameworks help you maximize learning during these supervised times
California Preschool Curriculum Frameworks (for children 3-5 years)
Volume 1: Social-emotional development, language and literacy, English-language development, and mathematics
Volume 2: Visual and performing arts, physical development, and health
Volume 3: History-social science and science
Provides strategies for integrating learning into children's play
Offers guidance on implementing both child-directed and teacher-guided activities
Includes ideas for planning environments and selecting materials that engage preschoolers
California Infant/Toddler Curriculum Framework (for children 0-3 years)
Covers four domains: social-emotional, language, intellectual, and perceptual and motor development
Based on key principles including family involvement and relationship-based care
Specifically designed for the unique developmental needs of infants and toddlers
Provides strategies that acknowledge the emotional state of young children as a primary driver of learning
Emphasizes individualization for all children, including those with disabilities or other special needs
Example: Required routines like meals, diaper changes, and rest times become valuable learning opportunities when informed by these frameworks
PITC Caregiving Guides for Quality Improvement
The Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC) Caregiving Guides provide practical resources for implementing responsive care practices
Specific guides include:
Each guide contains specific strategies, activities, and environmental changes you can implement immediately
These resources complement the Infant/Toddler Curriculum Framework with detailed guidance on specific topics
Challenge: Applying Quality Frameworks with Limited Resources
What Happens: Implementing curriculum frameworks seems overwhelming with limited staff or budget
Solution: Start with one domain or learning area at a time rather than trying to implement everything at once
Pro Tip: Use program guidelines (like the California Preschool Program Guidelines or Infant/Toddler Program Guidelines) to understand key quality elements and prioritize changes that align with your program's specific needs
Challenge: Qualification Barriers to Program Participation
What Happens: Providers may not meet all qualifications for certain quality improvement programs they want to join, such as:
Educational requirements (ECE units, permits, or credentials)
Experience minimums (e.g., two years of good standing with licensing)
Administrative capacity to complete required documentation
Financial resources to implement quality improvements
Solution: Connect with entry-level programs first that can help build qualifications for more advanced initiatives, such as:
Starting with basic training through CECO before pursuing higher-level programs
Utilizing R&R agencies for guidance on professional development pathways
Accessing coaching through Quality Counts California to build capacity
Pro Tip: R&R agencies can often suggest alternative programs, grant paths, or specialized support for family child care providers who face unique barriers to participation
Networking Opportunities Through CDSS Resources
Peer Learning Communities
Local Provider Networks: Many R&R agencies facilitate peer learning groups—ask your local agency
Professional Development Networks: Programs like CPIN (California Preschool Instructional Network) and California Teaching Pyramid often include communities of practice
How to Join: Request information during your next training or contact your local R&R
Virtual Collaboration Opportunities
Note on Accessibility: Virtual networking opportunities vary significantly by county and region
Potential Connection Points:
California Teaching Pyramid Communities of Practice (available in select counties)
Local R&R agency training sessions (availability and format vary by county)
Provider associations that may offer virtual networking events:
Finding Local Options: Contact your county's R&R agency to inquire about virtual networking events available in your specific region
Mentorship Connections
California Early Childhood Mentor Program (CECMP):
A CDSS-funded program operating at nearly 100 community colleges across California
Connects experienced mentors with developing providers, students, teachers, and administrators
Offers professional development through individual mentoring and Communities of Practice (CoP)
Supports a diverse workforce across family child care programs, private centers, State Preschools, and Head Start
Visit cecmp.org to find a coordinator near you and learn about becoming a mentor or finding a mentor
PITC Regional Support Network (RSN):
CDSS-funded professional development program for infant/toddler teachers, administrators, and family child care providers
Offers subsidized online and on-site training, mentoring, and coaching in responsive, relationship-based care
Provides training through PITC Regional Support Network employees and PITC Partner Trainers
Funding is distributed based on the number of infants and toddlers in each county
Contact your local PITC Regional Coordinator to learn about available training in your area
Family Child Care Home Education Networks (FCCHENs):
CDSS-funded networks that provide comprehensive support to family child care providers
Offer one-on-one mentoring through early childhood coaches and program specialists
Provide regular site visits with feedback on environments, curriculum, and quality improvement
Help providers implement assessment tools like DRDP and quality rating scales like FCCERS
Support professional development through training, resources, and action planning
Contact your local R&R agency to learn about FCCHEN opportunities in your area
Advocacy Opportunities
Local Planning Council (LPC) Participation:
LPCs exist in every California county to plan for child care services based on local community needs
They serve as forums to address child care needs for all families, both subsidized and non-subsidized
LPCs conduct child care needs assessments at least every five years and set local priorities
Providers can contact the CDSS Child Care and Development Division at [email protected] or 916-651-5382 to learn about involvement opportunities in their county
Resource Navigation Guide
Efficiently Finding What You Need on the CDSS Website
CCLD Resources: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/community-care-licensing
CCDD Resources: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/child-care-and-development
Creating a Personalized Professional Development Pathway
Assess your current knowledge and program needs
Identify relevant CECO modules and CDSS publication resources
Connect with your local R&R for additional training opportunities
Track your progress and set specific implementation goals
Join peer networks to sustain your learning and growth
Quick Reference Chart: Key Resources by Provider Need
Provider Need | CCLD Resource | CCDD Resource |
New provider guidance | Licensing orientation, pre-licensing consultations | CCIP training, R&R technical assistance |
Staff development | CECO, Streaming videos, professional development programs | |
Program quality | ||
Challenging behaviors | ||
Inclusion support | Beginning Together, inclusion resources | |
Business practices | Licensing fee structures, capacity management | Financial assistance programs, business training |
Last updated: April 2025. For the most current resource information, always check the CDSS website or contact your local Resource & Referral agency.