Child Care Coordinating Council of San Mateo County Inc

For over 40 years, the Child Care Coordinating Council of San Mateo County (4Cs) has been the county’s leading resource for children, families and child care providers. As the only resource and referral agency in the county, 4Cs provides free information about licensed child care and preschool options to over 6,000 parents a year. 4Cs supports

• Children: Increasing the quality and supply of child care and preschool opportunities
• Parents: Strengthening families through parent education and resources
• Providers: Promoting professional development within the child care workforce

 

Did you know? 

 62% of children 0-6 and 66% of children ages 6-17 in San Mateo County live in families headed by either two working parents or a working single parent, making child care especially important for families (San Mateo County Child Care and Early Learning Needs Assessment).

The annual cost of child care for an infant in a child care center is higher than a year’s tuition at the average four-year public college in most states. The average weekly child-care payment for families with children under ages of 15 was $138 in the spring of 2010. On average, all families spend 7.8 percent of their monthly income on child care. For families with only children under the age of five, the weekly average child care payment was $171 in 2010, or 10.1 percent of the family’s budget. (Center for American Progress). 

 

4Cs Impact

• Children: 4Cs trains providers and promotes quality early childhood education to ensure school readiness in literacy, numeracy & social-emotional development.
• Parents: 4Cs provides opportunities for parents to work and sustain their family financially, knowing that their child is well cared for. 
• Providers: 4Cs hosts many professional development and training opportunities for low or no cost throughout the year.
• Employers: 4Cs provides opportunities for parents to seek necessary quality child care so they can stay in the workforce.

 

Client Stories:

“4Cs has changed my life. I am a single mom with two kids ages 11 and 7 and I attend school fulltime. I could have never afforded childcare without the help of 4Cs....I am so thankful to 4Cs for all their help.” – Parent

“I first learned of the Child Care Coordinating Council of San Mateo County 23 years ago when I began the search for child care for my son. I was amazed that the referral service this organization provided was free. In addition 4Cs offered information on how I could assess and select a child care provider who could provide the best care for my child.” – Parent