‘90s Family : Who’s Minding...
The best place to begin looking for child care is your local state-funded referral agency. Los Angeles County is divided into 10 geographic areas, each served by a nonprofit member of the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network. Orange and Ventura counties have the same system. All are listed in Yellow Pages under “child care.”
The network’s services are free. The agencies maintain a database of all licensed child care in their areas and typically offer three referrals, using the nearest cross streets to a family’s home as a point of reference. Some, but not all, administer government child-care subsidy programs for low-income families.
The names of family day-care providers are available only at the state referral network offices.
The following is a partial list of area network members:
* Child Care Resource Center of the San Fernando Valley, 55077 Lankershim Blvd., Suite 600, North Hollywood; (818) 762-0905. Also covers Glendale, Burbank, Santa Clarita Valley and Antelope Valley.
* Child and Family Services, 155 N. Occidental Blvd., Los Angeles; (213) 427-2700. Covers Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Hollywood, downtown Los Angeles, Silver Lake, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Koreatown, Chinatown, Mid-City, Echo Park.
* Connections for Children, 2714 W. Pico Blvd. Suite 310, Santa Monica; (310) 452-3202. Serves Malibu, Topanga, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Westwood, Santa Monica, Venice, Culver City, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach.
* Crystal Stairs Inc., 5105 W. Goldleaf Circle, Suite 200, Los Angeles; (213) 299-0199. Covers South-Central Los Angeles, Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, Gardena.
* Equipoise Endeavor, 216 E. Bennett St., Compton; (310) 605-1770. Serves Palos Verdes Peninsula, Torrance, Lomita, Harbor City, Carson, Compton, Lynwood, Paramount, South Gate, Downey.
* Child Care Information Service, 880 S. Santa Anita Ave., Suite 201, Arcadia; (818) 445-3311. Covers Pasadena, La Canada Flintridge, Altadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, Sierra Madre, Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte.
* Mexican-American Opportunity Foundation, 401 N. Garfield Ave., Montebello; (213)-890-9616. Serves Monterey Park, Montebello, Maywood, Bell, Lincoln Heights, City Terrace, East Los Angeles, Commerce, Huntington Park, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs.
* Children’s Home Society, 320 Pine Ave., Suite 900, Long Beach; (310) 901-3145. Covers San Pedro, Wilmington, Long Beach, Cerritos, Lakewood, Artesia, Bellflower, Norwalk, Catalina.
* Options, 13100 Brooks
Drive, Suite 200, Baldwin Park; (818) 856-5900. Covers Alhambra, San Gabriel, Rosemead, El Monte, South El Monte, Temple City, Baldwin Park, Azusa, Irwindale, Whittier, La Mirada, La Habra Heights.
* Child Care Information Service, 1707 N. Towne Ave., Pomona; (909) 629-5011. Serves Pomona, Claremont, Diamond Bar, La Verne, San Dimas, Walnut, Covina, West Covina, La Puente, Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights, City of Industry, Glendora, parts of San Bernardino County.
* Child Development Resources, 2500 Vineyard Ave., Suite 200, Oxnard; (805) 485-7878.
* Children’s Home Society, 1950 E. 17th St., Suite 150, Santa Ana; (714) 835-8252.