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New Study Highlights Need for Child Care in San José

The City of San José with Godbe Research recently conducted the first comprehensive study regarding the need for child care and early education within San José. This study, which will be released by the Mayor on January 30, 2006, identifies areas of greatest need for further development and assistance in order to prepare to meet the requirements of local families and to plan the ongoing investment of community resources in the future. The last countywide needs study, completed in 2002, was based on regional workforce projections and child care wait lists. The San José study was informed by interviews with 400 parents and guardians and 193 child care providers, and is expected to be a more reliable indicator of actual needs. Preliminary results of the study indicated that there will still be a significant shortage of affordable quality child care in 2010. Despite community investments of $7 million since 1999 and an additional $3 million proposed for investment by the city over the next two years, more public/private partnerships will needed to fill the gap. Click here for a summary (84KB PDF) of this study or a full report (334KB PDF).

3rd Annual Smart Start San José Conference

The third annual Smart Start San José Conference will be held on Saturday, May 5, 2007 at the Santa Clara County Office of Education in downtown San José. The purpose of the conference is to provide valuable information, resources and professional development for Smart Start San José partners, including administrators, staff and families. The vision of the Smart Start San José program and the conference is that all children will enter school with the foundation needed for academic and social success. This year's theme is "Celebrating Childhood." The conference will be hosted by Childhood Matters' Radio Hosts: Rona Renner, RN and Marisol Muñoz-Kiehne, PhD. Breakfast and lunch are provided, and the cost is free! Conference hours are 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Call (408) 808-2617 for more info.

Family Child Care Business Training

Smart Start San José, the City of San José's premier early education expansion program, will start enrolling participants in its 11 month-long business training program for prospective family child care operators, beginning June of 2007. The training program will start in the Fall. The program helps CalWORKS and low to moderate-income residents to either start a new home-based family child care business or more successfully operate an existing enterprise. Program classes and meetings will be held at various locations within the City of San José and are designed to work around traditional business hour schedules. Tuition is free for those who qualify. For more information on how to enroll, please contact Araceli Delgado at the San Jose Public Library's Early Care and Education Services, (408) 808-2617. Enrollment deadline is July 14th.

Program Quality Standards Poster Available

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Smart Start San José has begun releasing its Program Quality Standards poster available in three languages: English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. The poster lists the San José Customer Call Center's phone number as the main contact for Smart Start San José information. Callers inquiring about the Program are directed and/or transferred to Early Care and Education Service's current phone number.

Smart Start San José Joins San José Public Library

Early Care and Education Services is now part of the San José Public Library Department. It is under the same management as the Library's Families for Literacy and Books For Little Hands programs, expanding the concept of quality, lifelong learning.