Quality Child Care and Development

We are committed to supporting families in their search for quality, affordable and convenient child care options. Funded by the California Department of Education, Child Development Division, YMCA Childcare Resource Service offers free child care referrals and resources to families in San Diego County so parents and guardians can make informed decisions about child care. The following blogs focus on our commitment to quality care and development of all children. Click here to learn more. If you'd like to receive the latest YMCA Community Support Services news, click here.

NATIONAL FOSTER CARE MONTH: GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN | May 20, 2019

When it comes to foster care, the child welfare system has as much of an effect on the caregivers involved as it does on the youth.

NATIONAL FOSTER CARE MONTH: A ‘BRIDGE’ TO STABILITY | May 6, 2019

By accessing our services, resource families, formerly known as foster families, can increase their ability to create a safe, stable environment for the children in their care.

NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH: A NETWORK OF ABUSE PREVENTION ADVOCATES | April 29, 2019

Teachers and other school staff play a critical role in keeping kids safe and continuing the nurturing environment of a child’s home or, in some cases, providing a safe space for children who face adverse experiences with their families.

NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH: THE ROLE OF KINSHIP CAREGIVERS | April 22, 2019

Children who have been victims of abuse and neglect become involved with the Child Welfare System, and in San Diego County, these children are most often placed with relatives or other supportive adults instead of the traditional foster home model.

NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH: A FOCUS ON YOUNG PARENTS | April 15, 2019

You don’t need to have children yourself to recognize that becoming a parent is a transition filled with as many challenges as there are triumphs. 

NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH: CHILD CARE PROVIDERS AS PREVENTION ADVOCATES | April 8, 2019

Child care settings become an extension of a child’s home and present a crucial opportunity for child care providers to become not babysitters but change agents in the field of child development.

NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH: IT STARTS WITH US | April 1, 2019

Across the United States, nearly 3 million children are victims of maltreatment each year, and in San Diego, an estimated 10% of children are vulnerable to instances of abuse and neglect, based on data from the County’s Child Welfare Services department.

MY VISIT TO SACRAMENTO | February 28, 2019

At a very young age, we’re told we have a voice that can be used to change the world around us, but we don’t always know when or how that’s supposed to be done.

IMPACTS OF BEHAVIOR SERVICES | February 27, 2019 

I would like to tell you about a former child who attended my daycare and his story. C started with us in May 2017 at the age of seventeen months. Written by Martha H.

YMCA INVITED TO CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION SUMMIT | February 22, 2019

Playing with our young children – be it peek-a-boo, tickle fights, or dance parties – is not only one of the great joys of parenting.

TAKING THE CAPITOL BY STORM | February 20, 2019

You probably know that the YMCA serves infants and toddlers with its camps, swim lessons, and even our Child Watch services while you exercise. But did you know we also help the youngest San Diegans outside of the walls of the YMCA?

MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE VEGETABLES | November 28, 2018

Child care is an opportune setting with unlimited possibilities to introduce young children to a variety of vegetables.

STRENGTHENING FAMILIES | November 8, 2018

The Strengthening Families Framework that YMCA Childcare Resource Service has selected to guide our work is an evidence-based approach that identifies five Protective Factors that, when present and robust in families, help prevent child abuse and neglect, as well as support optimal healthy growth and development in children.

OUR COMMITMENT TO QUALITY FOR ALL | September 27, 2018

As parents, we make choices every day, and some of them are harder than others: pay the increasingly expensive cost of child care or have enough money to pay this month’s rent? 

OPPORTUNITIES TO THRIVE | September 6, 2018

The YMCA is proud to be part of the solution that addresses the gaps in the domains of the Annie E. Casey Foundation report: economic well-being, education, and family and community. Download our summary in the post.

NATIONAL CHILDHOOD OBESITY AWARENESS MONTH HEALTHY LIVING TIPS | September 5, 2018

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and as a leading community-based organization dedicated to improving health, the YMCA CRS offers the following tips to help families in San Diego County incorporate healthy eating and regular physical activity into their lives.