Early Childhood Resources – Providing the Foundation to Build Promising Futures for our Children.
CDR administers seven programs that provide subsidized Child Care assistance to families in Ventura County–among them, CalWORKs (Stage One, Two & Three), General Alternative Payment Program, Family Child Care Home Education Network/Infant Toddler Program, Bridge Program and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Program.
The Resource and Referrals program provides FREE Child Care referrals to all interested people in Ventura County. CDR is your guide to local resources–health care, legal issues, associations and more. We also maintain a resource and toy lending library with books, literacy kits, musical instruments, and more.
How may we help you today?
Child Development Resources – Frequently Asked Questions
- CDR Eligibility
- Child Care Assistance
- Head Start Programs
- Provider Contracts
- Provider Payments
- Provider Services
A Head Start/Early Head Start Waiting List and Enrollment Application. The documents highlighted below must be attached to expedite processing:
A) Child’s Birth Certificate
B) Proof of Family’s Gross Annual Income: 1040’s, W-2’s for every employment held, Income documentation of the last 12 months, Current Notice of Action for Cal Works/TANF Cash Aid
C) Child’s current Immunization Record.
D) For expected mothers, Proof of Pregnancy with expected delivery date.
Take or mail application with attached copies of documents to the nearest Head Start Center or the CDR Main office located at: 221 E. Ventura Blvd. Oxnard, CA 93036. (805) 485-7878. Fax: (805) 278-0485. TDD (805) 278-0855. To download a Head Start/Early Head Start Application or for locations of Head Start Centers, visit our website at www.cdrv.org
Head Start and Early Head Start programs welcome and encourage parents and families to get involved in their child’s education. You can find out more about getting involved by contacting the CDR Head Start department.
Eligibility is based on income, age of child and family size.
Child Development Resources also administers the Resource and Referral Programs. Contact this department to obtain assistance to help you locate other Child Care and/or Pre-school Programs services in your community. Contact them directly at 1(805) 485-7878 Ext. 1512.
Good news! When available, Head Start programs can enroll a limited number of children whose families are above the income guidelines. Complete the application process to be considered.
Yes, we do! We know that all children deserve a Head Start. Our agencies are required to have a certain number of students enrolled that have an individual education plan (IEP) or an individual family service plan (IFSP).
Yes, if any parent or sibling are receiving Supplemental Security Income family is income eligible. No other form of income documentation is required.
Yes, Families experiencing Homelessness are eligible, regardless of family income. Contact your local Head Start Center to find out more about eligibility.
Yes, children in foster care are eligible, regardless of family income. Contact your local Head Start Center to find out more about eligibility.
Yes, Families receiving TANF/CalWORKs are eligible, regardless of family income. Contact your local Head Start Center to find out more about eligibility.
Eligibility is based on family income, family size, and age of your child. Early Head Start is for children from birth to age three and pregnant mothers. Head Start is for children ages three to five years.
Click here to find the Head Start programs near you! You can also call us directly at 1-805-485-7878 Ext. 470.
Please allow 10 business days before reporting to the Provider Services Unit if a reimbursement has not yet been received. CDR must allow for any delays in the postal service, financial institutions and/or account denials prior to resubmitting a reimbursement to a provider.
Both parent and provider signatures are required in order to reimburse for childcare. CDR will make every attempt to contact and obtain the parent’s signature on a Child Care Attendance Sheet prior to reimbursement.
Please select the “SUPPORT” button at the bottom of the CarePortal for assistance.
Contact your assigned Provider Contracts Specialist for a password reset. If you are updating your email log-in, a request will need to be submitted in writing to the Provider Services Unit.
Please contact the Parent Services Specialist assigned to the parent/guardian noted on the Notice of Communication.
You can review your CCAS status on the provider’s CarePortal. Once the CCAS is scanned into the database the status of the CCAS will change to received.
If you have a question regarding the amount of the calculated reimbursement, contact Provider Services Unit at 805.485.7878 ext. 457. If you have a discrepancy regarding the child’s schedule/hours of care, contact the family/guardian’s CDR Parent Services Specialist listed on the Child Care Attendance Sheet or Notice of Communication.
CDR reimburses based on a provider’s preferred rate type and the Regional Market Rate set forth by the State. Please refer to your Provider Child Care Agreement for further explanation. To obtain a copy of the Regional Market Rate Ceiling visit the California Department of Education website at:
If your state/government identification is expired your agreement referral will be delayed or denied until valid identification is provided.
CDR’s Finance Department requires that your name match exactly on your state/government issued identification and your social security card for tax purposes. If your names do not match, your agreement request will be delayed or denied until the proper identification is obtained. Please call Provider Services at 805.485.7878 ext. 457 for further clarification.
You must submit your updated information in writing to the Provider Services Unit.
A provider rate change may happen once per fiscal year. A licensed provider must submit a typed updated provider contract 30 days prior to the first date of the rate change. An exempt provider may submit a typed rate sheet or submit an updated Child Care Questionnaire Form 30 days prior to the first date of the rate change. For further questions please contact your Provider Contracts Specialist.
Once you receive the Provider Agreement Packet from the parent/guardian, you will receive a call from an assigned Provider Contracts Specialist to set an appointment for an orientation. At that scheduled orientation is when you will turn in the Provider Agreement Packet. If you have not received a call within 48 hours of receiving the packet, please follow-up with the parent/guardian to ensure an agreement request was submitted.
A Fiscal Year for CDR is July 1 through June 30th
A Non-operational day is a day that a provider is closed for childcare
CDR may reimburse a licensed provider for a child absence when a valid provider’s personal contract specifies they charge for absences. For further clarification please refer to CDR’s Providers Guide or contact your Provider Contracts Specialist at 805.485.7878 ext. 457.
A licensed provider has 10 non-operational paid days per fiscal year to be reimbursed. These can either be defined as holidays, in-service days or vacation days. Any additional days will be considered closures and not paid according to agreement guidelines. All closures must be reported to CDR in writing 30 days prior to the first day of closure to be honored. Exempt providers do not get paid for closures.
Please print the <<ACH/Direct Deposit Form>> and submit to the Provider Services Unit Clerk as soon as possible. Please note, this process will not take place until the next service month and may take up to 30 days for processing.
CDR reimburses subsidized Child Care providers for care provided once a month. This will be processed the last business day of the next service month after the care was provided. Monies received will depend on your payment option and financial institution. For more information contact the Provider Service Unit at 805.485.7878 ext. 457.
CDR provides two options for receiving reimbursements:
Option 1: Direct Deposit/ACH – reimbursement is electronically deposited into to your personal savings/checking account.
Option 2 (When option #1 is not obtainable.): PayCard – reimbursement is electronically uploaded onto a CDR (prepaid) debit card.
Yes, you will need to be fingerprinted again to ensure your registration status.
Once the Agreement Request is received it takes approximately 4-6 weeks for approval depending on the agreement requirements by type or program. For Trustline applicants this process may take up to 120 days.
Once CDR receives the notification from your financial institution, a live check will be mailed out to the address on file. Please note: a check will not be available until the bank notification is received and a second method for reimbursements will be required.
This is CDR’s way of validating account information that was submitted for Direct Deposit/ACH. If this amount was deposited, you will receive a live check mailed out to you the last business day of the processing month. Your next reimbursement will be fully deposited into your account.
Only under certain circumstances will CDR print Child Care Attendance Sheets. It is recommended that a provider who has limited access to a printer seek one out from the following establishments: Local library, Job and Career Centers, local print shop, etc.
No. CDR requires that a CDR printed Child Care Attendance Sheet be submitted for reimbursement monthly.
The due date to submit Child Care Attendance Sheets for processing is the third business day of the following service month that childcare was provided. Please see CDR’s current Calendar of Child Care Attendance Sheet Due Dates here >>
Please refer to the guidelines given to you in your orientation packet for guidance. You may also call Provider Services at 805.485.7878 ext. 457.
Although CDR encourages providers to drop off Child Care Attendance Sheets in the designated drop box for timely processing, providers may mail CCAS to:
Child Development Resources
Attn: Provider Services Unit
221 E. Ventura Blvd.
Oxnard, CA 93036
Please see our Resource & Referral page by clicking here >>
Apply online at CEWL Application
You need to get in touch with your eligibility worker with the county and notify your worker that you are in need of Child Care. Your worker should refer you to the CalWORKs Stage One Child Care contractor for the county, or if you have to apply for the Eligibility Waiting List, to Child Development Resources.
You will be notified by phone or mail when funding becomes available. At that time your income, family size, and other information will be verified to assure that your family falls within the income rank we are currently enrolling. You will be asked to provide written documentation of your income; employment, school enrollment, and other information needed to determine eligibility for Child Care services. If we determine that your actual rank income puts your family higher than the ranks we are presently enrolling, your application will be returned to the Child Development Resources Eligibility Waiting List. You must have documented need for Child Care because you are working, seeking work, or attending school or training for all of the programs except for Head Start and State Preschool. If you do not have a valid need for Child Care at the time you are notified of enrollment, your application will be returned to the Child Development Resources Eligibility Waiting List unless you are being contacted by Head Start.
We cannot tell you how long you’ll have to wait on the Child Development Resources Eligibility Waiting List. When a person applies his/her name gets placed on a computerized waiting list. New families are enrolled when funding becomes available. This happens when families leave the program or when the agency receives new funds to expand the program. When we have openings (funding/money) available, the funding source requires us to enroll families starting with those with the lowest income.
Each applicant is responsible for keeping his or her application current. Failure to update will cause the family to be dropped from the Child Development Resources Eligibility Waiting List. You may call to update your information or to request an application whenever there’s a change in any of the following: Name, Address, Phone Number, Income, Marital Status, Family Size, Employment/Education.
Eligible families who are certified for the Alternative Payment Program (APP) may choose Child Care of their choice with a licensed Child Care center or Family Child Care home, or with an unlicensed adult such as a relative, friend or neighbor who will care for the parent’s children only. Or, eligible families may be enrolled by a specific Child Care center.
In APP all Child Care providers must complete an approval process with the appropriate Alternative Payment Program (APP) agency and receive a provider agreement before they can receive reimbursement for children in their care. Children in the same family can have different Child Care providers. Parents can change Child Care arrangements with prior approval by the Parent Services Specialist. Depending on the parents’ needs, children can receive services full-time or part-time, as well as in the evening, overnight or on weekends. This program does NOT reimburse private school tuition for children attending kindergarten or elementary school. Only before-and-after school childcare, as well as full-time during off-track, summer or holiday periods can be reimbursed.
In a Head Start or center-based program, your child will be enrolled in a specific center; in some cases the child must be three or four years old. When your name is next on the Child Development Resources Eligibility Waiting List, the agency will explain which of these programs you are being enrolled in.
Qualifying families with children ages 0-12 years must meet specific requirements, such as the need for child care and be income or categorically eligible.
Refer to the direction on the most recent Notice of Action. Refer to page 16 of the Parent Handbook.
A doctor note is required after 5 days of consecutive absences. Refer to page 12 of the Parent Handbook.
Both parent or provider document attendance. A parent’s signature/date is required verifying Child Care services were used at the end of the service month. The provider’s signature/date is required after the parent verifying all information on the Child Care Attendance Sheet is accurate prior to submitting to CDR.
Missing parent or provider signature may delay reimbursement or may be considered a non-reimbursement.
View sample Child Care Attendance Sheet
Refer to your assigned Parent Service Specialist noted on the most recent Notice of Action.
Clients are no longer required to report changes within 5 days.
Clients are required to report the following:
- Report an increase in income that exceed the exit threshold 85% of the SMI
- Request for the Family Fee to be re-assessed when there are changes in income
- Request an increase or decrease in Child Care services hours as needed
Clients voluntarily report the following changes:
- Phone number or address
- Request a change of provider
- Change in family size
- Changes to schedules for authorization of Child Care services
Child Care services are certified for 12 months, the duration of time Child Care services is certified will be noted on the Notice of Action and Notice of Communication provided to the client and provider.
Once eligibility and need are verified CDR’s decision to approve Child Care services will be communicated through a Notice of Communication and provided to the provider.
Once eligibility and need are verified CDR’s decision to approve or deny Child Care services will be communicated through a written statement referred to as Notice of Action and provided to the client.
Contact your assigned CDR Parent Services Specialist within 5 days. See the parent services page.
Contact your assigned CalWORKs case manager. Call your assigned CalWORKs case manager at the offices listed on the Child Care assistance page.
Contact your assigned CalWORKs case manager. Call your assigned CalWORKs case manager at the offices listed on the CalWORKs Locations page.
Contact the CalWORKs offices listed on the Child Care assistance page for eligibility information.