Program areas at Options for Learning
Child development - see schedule ochild developmentstate preschoolstate preschool offers a free half-day, school-year educational program in specific communities. Three- and 4-year-olds from low-income families and/or abused/neglected children are eligible for the educational program. The program is funded by the California department of education. Full-day preschoolfull-day preschool is a comprehensive full-day, full-year preschool program for children ages 3 to 4 whose parents are working or are in a vocational training program. Early Learning centers are funded by the California department of education for 3- and 4-year-old children; the child start program is funded by a combination of head start funding and the state of California's department of education for 3- and 4-year-old children. The child start program adheres to the federal head start requirements. One toddler classroom for 2-year-olds is available and is funded by the state of California's department of education.surround caresurround care is a program for elementary school-aged children designed to meet the child care needs of families whose parent/s are employed. Activities include homework time, recreation, and arts and crafts. Program staff coordinate with school personnel to address students' educational progress. The program is offered before and after school and is closed when school is in session. Full-day care is provided on most holidays, school vacations, and summer recess. Children from low-income families whose parents are employed, seeking employment, or are enrolled in school qualify for care. Surround care is funded through the California department of social services.child care serviceschild care services provides subsidized child care, objective referral information, and the promotion of high-quality child care. Child care resource and referral is funded by the California department of social services and offers free referrals by phone or online to families seeking child care. Resources and trainings are available to child care providers and funding to recruit licensed child care providers with the child care initiative project subsidized child care includes alternative payment, which assists families by paying for child care at licensed family day care homes, centers, and community providers. Calworks stages 2 and 3 assist families to afford child care who are on or have left welfare in order to work or attend vocational training. Family child care home education networks offer a program focused on promoting high-quality early Learning environments in licensed family child care homes. If a qualified subsidized family chooses a licensed home in this contract, the fcchen provider must first meet standards set forth by the state.enrichment program this program provides comprehensive services to school-age children, youth, and their families. A free after-school program that provides enrichment activities, teaches life skills, and enhances academic skills is offered at elementary and intermediate schools. The program is funded by the California department of education after school education and safety (ases) program.
County child care - see schedule ocounty child carechild care serviceschild care services contracts with the county of los angeles to provide calworks stage 1 child care services. Eligible families receiving cash aid and, in an approved welfare-to-work activity, are assisted with short-term child care to start working or training. When families are stable and transitioning off of cash aid, they are served by calworks stages 2 and 3. Child care services also contracts with the los angeles county department of children and family services for the emergency child care bridge program for foster children. Eligible families may receive a time-limited child care voucher to help pay for child care costs for foster children from birth through age 5 and their siblings. This also includes foster children with exceptional needs and severely disabled children up to age 21.
Head start - see schedule ohead start (south el monte/pasadena)three and four-year old children are enrolled in a part day, school-year education program, which may be center-based or home-based. Families must meet income and residential eligibility. Head start offers services for children with special needs. Children enrolled in the home-based head start program and their parent/s meet with a parent educator once a week for 90 minutes per meeting. The child and parent/s participate in two social gatherings per month. Head start is a federally funded program. Early head startearly head start is a program designed as a full-day, full-year, center- and home-based program for expectant families, children (birth to age 3), and their parents. Some early head start sites serve pregnant teen mothers and/or parenting teen parents who are receiving service in the calsafe program. Parents are required to stay in school, graduate from high school, and/or obtain post-secondary education or vocational training. When children reach age 3, they are transitioned to the appropriate program for early childhood education/child care. Early head start is federally funded.
Child care food programthe following programs are federally funded by the child and adult care food program (cacfp) and administered by the California department of education:-child care services division manages the center-based child care food program (c-ccfp), which prepares and serves nutritious meals and snacks to children enrolled in early head start, head start, full-day preschool, state preschool, and surround care. -child care services division manages the family child care food program (f-ccfp) which provides reimbursement to licensed family child care home providers serving nutritious meals and snacks to enrolled children.