Current Opportunities!
See below for open or upcoming opportunities for child care providers.
Accessible Loans for Family Child Care Programs
The Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) has partnered with nonprofit lenders Ascendus and Working Solutions to provide accessible loans up to $100,000 to Family Child Care (FCC) providers looking to
- Renovate or improve their child care space
- Add furniture, toys, or equipment
- Expand their program with advertising, educational materials, or new staff
- Strengthen their program by offering professional learning opportunities
To learn more, visit LIIF’s website or reach out to ChildCareCapital@liifund.org with questions.
Know Your Rights as a Child Care Business
Public Counsel, a nonprofit law firm that supports ECE and other community interests, has developed a new resource for child care providers who may be experiencing or feeling anxious about harassment due to federal immigration efforts or unwarranted claims of fraud. The short resource explains the legal right to enter and actions you can take to enforce those rights. It also documents additional legal actions available to you to protect yourself, your staff, and the children and families you care for.
Access the resource here and contact Public Counsel’s Early Care & Education Law Unit if you need legal assistance by filling out an intake form or by calling 213-385-2977, ext. 300.
Apply for a Paid Child Care Internship with Recreation and Parks
Applications are open for the City Pathways to Childcare Internship, a paid child care internship opportunity with the Department of Recreation and Parks. Interns will work with children ages 2-5 while learning about developmentally appropriate practices, topics in early care and education, and classroom management. Interns may be eligible to apply for a part-time position upon program completion.
For details, including eligibility criteria and wage, see the flyer here. Register as soon as possible by clicking here. Spots are limited!
Begin Your Child Care Career through Ready2Teach
READY2TEACH IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THEIR 2026-2027 COHORT.
Are you interested in becoming a child care professional? The Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) has announced an upcoming cohort for its Ready2Teach program, which provides the coursework and training to help
jumpstart a career in child care. Ready2Teach is a 12-month program that offers paid internships, free college coursework, and professional development training. Apprenticeship sites are based in Hawthorne, Inglewood, and South Los Angeles.
At the end of this program, participants will earn a California Child Development Associate Teacher permit. Visit the Ready2Teach website to learn more, submit an interest form, or apply to the 2026-2027 cohort. Interested individuals may also contact Laura Ramirez at (213) 582-8963 or lramirez@laep.org for more information.
Be Informed About Child Care Programs’ Rights
Early childhood programs are considered “protected areas” under U.S. federal policy, which restricts immigration agents from enforcement actions. However, this and related policies have not always been consistently followed or enforced. Creating “safe space” policies for your program can help to safeguard the children and families in your care. Explore the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)’s resource to develop a “safe space” policy today.
Additionally, Public Counsel’s training on nonprofit and business owners’ rights when interacting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel can help programs get prepared. Public Counsel is a nonprofit law firm that supports ECE and other community interests. Find the training recording and slides here (English recording, English slides, Spanish recording, Spanish slides). Public Counsel also has an FAQ document that includes sample policies.
Explore the links below for more helpful resources.
- Guide for Employers
- Red Card Examples - Info cards in multiple languages to help people assert rights
- National Immigration Help Search
Access Capital through the Entrepreneurs of Color Fund
The Entrepreneurs of Color Fund (EOCF) helps small business owners who may not qualify for traditional capital to access capital through local community lenders. EOCF works to support small business owners of color and small business owners serving communities of color through small business loans and technical support. EOCF’s small business loans range from microloans to commercial real estate acquisition loans, and can be used for expenses like hiring staff, renovations, and acquiring a location.
Find the EOCF homepage here and read more about getting matched with lenders.
Find Professional Development on Caring for Infants and Toddlers
In partnership with the Los Angeles Education Partnership, the Office for the Advancement for Early Care and Education (OAECE) has released the Caring for Los Angeles County’s Youngest Learners: Infant and Toddler Professional Development Catalog. The Catalog contains professional development resources for infant and toddler child care educators in LA County, including information on training, educational units, and services and incentives available at resource and referral agencies.
Find the catalog in English, Armenian, Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Spanish on the OAECE website.
Get Free Support for Your Child Care Business
The City of Los Angeles Economic and Workforce Development Department’s BusinessSource Centers offer free services to Angeleno business owners and entrepreneurs to help small businesses succeed. Services and programs include one-on-one consultations, trainings, and information on accessing capital. Services are available in Spanish, Armenian, French, Korean, Mandarin, Russian and Vietnamese, depending on the location. Find a BusinessSource Center near you on the EWDD website.
The County of Los Angeles Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) includes the Office of Small Business, which also offers programs and services to help small business owners and entrepreneurs succeed. Check out DEO’s newly launched Economic Mobility Initiative, a hub offering free individualized support for LA County small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits. The hub features over a dozen community-based organizations to connect visitors to services and resources including technical assistance, training, and access to capital. Learn more about the Economic Mobility Initiative here.
Support Dual Language Learners in Your Program
First 5 LA and Quality Start Los Angeles (QSLA) have launched “Two Languages, Twice The Opportunities,” a campaign to increase awareness about the importance of multilingualism in children. Helping children learn their home language supports greater awareness of their culture, creates more meaningful connections with friends and family, and helps them enter kindergarten ready to succeed. Being multilingual can lead to improved academic, social, financial, and career outcomes.
Learn how to create impactful learning opportunities for dual language learners in your early learning program here.
You can also point families to resources that support their dual language learner on the QSLA website in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Armenian, Khmer, and Korean.
LA County Releases New Infant/Toddler Toolkit for Child Care Providers
The Los Angeles County Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education (OAECE), in collaboration with Public Counsel, has released Child Care for All: Information for Child Care Providers on Expanding Infant and Toddler Care in Los Angeles County. The free toolkit guides family child care homes and community-based child care centers on how to serve more infants and toddlers. The online resource reviews topics including staffing ratios, making changes to physical space, and business model considerations.
The toolkit is available in English, Armenian, Chinese, Korean, Russian and Spanish. A recorded webinar on expanding child care programs to serve more infants and toddlers is also available online in English and Spanish. These resources, as well as upcoming trainings and free professional development opportunities, can also be found on the OAECE website.
Health Care and Training Benefits for Providers
Child Care Providers United (CCPU) is a union of over 40,000 home-based (family child care and family, friend, and neighbor care) child care providers in California working in partnership with parents, early childhood education advocates and state legislators to fix the state’s child care crisis and improve the profession and the quality of care. Their 2023 contract with the State includes a first-in-the-nation retirement fund, health care reimbursement fund and professional development opportunities for providers.
Health Care Reimbursement
CCPU’s Health Care Reimbursement Fund has $100 million to help home-based child care providers pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses including prescription drugs, co-pays, deductibles and monthly premiums. Eligible providers must be enrolled in a qualifying health insurance plan and be serving at least one child receiving child care subsidies. Click here to apply and find contact information or review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to learn more.
Development Opportunities
CCPU’s Training Fund provides tuition assistance (up to $5,000 each year) and high-quality workshops that support home-based child care providers in pursuing ongoing education and professional development. Opportunities also include a paid peer-to-peer mentorship program. Eligible providers must serve at least one child receiving child care subsidies. Click here to learn more about the Training Fund and register for learning opportunities.
Become an Associate Teacher through UCLAExtension
Earn an Early Childhood Education-Associate Teacher Certificate at low or no cost through the UCLAxCareerBridge Initiative! The ECE Associate Teacher Program prepares individuals to become an Associate Teacher in a preschool
or child care setting for children ages 0–5. After completing this 12-month, part-time program, participants will be eligible to apply for an Associate Teacher Child Development Permit through the State of CA. The first cohort will be offered fully in Spanish for Spanish-speaking students.
To qualify for the program, you must:
- Be a resident of the State of California.
- Meet the minimum qualifications: High school diploma/GED, eligibility to work in the U.S., and comfort with basic computer functions.
- Attend an information session and the student orientation.
- Complete the prerequisite course.
Those with financial need will be given priority. For more information, including about financial assistance, visit here. You can also email careerbridge@uclaextension.edu or call (310) 206-2560. To learn about other state and local stipends for ECE courses, visit here.
Get Free Virtual Behavioral Health Services Today!
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has launched the Behavioral Health Virtual Services Platform, which offers free web- and app-based behavioral health services, including care navigation, moderated peer communities, and crisis and safety resources. The platform has two web- and app-based applications: Brightlife Kids, for parents or caregivers of children ages 0-12, and Soluna, for teens and young adults ages 13-25.
Brightlife Kids offers behavioral health coaching for parents, caregivers, and kids. Learn how to build non-verbal communication skills, navigate milestones, teach toddlers how to share, manage separation anxiety, and more.
Services are cost-free and do not require insurance or referrals. To learn more and download the app, visit CalHOPE.
