Description
The primary mission of the Local Child Care and Development Planning
Councils (LPCs) is to plan for child care and development services
based on the needs of families in the local community. LPCs are
intended to serve as a forum to address the child care needs of
all families in the community for all types of child care, both
subsidized and non-subsidized. There are currently
LPCs representing each county in California. (See Education
Code, Chapter 2.3, Article 1, Section 8499 and Article 2,
Sections 8499.3, 8499.5 and 8499.7.)
LPCs responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:
- Conduct an assessment of child care needs in the county no less than once every five years.
- Prepare local comprehensive countywide child care plans designed to mobilize public and private resources to address identified needs.
- Identify local funding priority areas for child care services for General Child Care and Development Programs and the State Preschool Program (XLS) for new state and federal funds.
- Conduct local forums to encourage public input in the development of local priorities.
- Foster local partnerships with subsidized and non-subsidized providers, local and state children and families commissions, county welfare departments, human service agencies, regional centers, job training programs, employers, parent organizations, early start family resource centers, family empowerment centers on disability, local child care resource and referral programs, and other interested parties.
- Coordinate part-day programs, including state preschool and Head Start, with other child care and development services to provide full-day child care.
- Design a system to consolidate local child care waiting lists. (Note: Nine LPCs participated in a pilot project regarding the development of a centralized eligibility list in 2001 to 2003.)
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Collaborate with local First Five Commission and other entities to carry out child care staff retention initiatives.
For more information about LPCs, please contact Linda Parfitt, LPC Consultant, Child Development Division, at 916-323-2133, or by e-mail at lparfitt@cde.ca.gov.
