KCAO Resource & Referral Program Specialist Lila Chavez recently had the opportunity to share her knowledge and expertise with Child Care professionals from across California at the 14th Annual California Child Care Resource & Referral Network and Thriving Families CA Foundation Statewide Joint Conference.
The conference took place October 7–9 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento, bringing together professionals from resource and referral agencies, childcare programs, county offices of education, state department of social services representatives and other organizations supporting children and families throughout the state. This year's theme, Partnering for Impact: Strengthening Families, Supporting Communities, emphasizing collaboration, professional development, and strengthening services for families.
Chavez led a training session focused on helping Resource & Referral professionals better understand and explain California's Title 22 childcare licensing regulations. The presentation provided practical guidance on navigating licensing requirements, organizing required documentation, maintaining accurate records, and helping family childcare providers remain compliant with state regulations.
One of the primary goals of the session was to equip professionals with the knowledge and resources needed to better assist the childcare providers they serve. Chavez explained that Resource & Referral staff do not always have firsthand experience operating a licensed family childcare home, which can make it challenging to guide providers through complex licensing requirements.
Throughout the presentation, attendees asked numerous questions about licensing regulations and documentation requirements, giving Chavez the opportunity to share her experience and provide practical solutions. She also introduced training materials and resources developed by KCAO's Resource & Referral team, allowing other agencies to take home tools they could use to strengthen their own technical assistance efforts.
Chavez's presentation also received praise from fellow early childhood education professionals. One attendee, Disa Lindgren, shared their appreciation in a Facebook post following the conference, writing, "We were inspired and impressed with Lila's level of preparation, enthusiasm, and dedication to supporting, respecting, and uplifting ECE professionals."
The opportunity to share these resources highlighted the work being done at KCAO to support local childcare providers while contributing to improvements in early childhood education services beyond Kings County.
Following the success of her presentation, Chavez plans to return as a presenter at next year's conference, continuing to share knowledge and collaborate with professionals across the state.
KCAO is proud to have Lila Chavez for representing the organization at the statewide conference and sharing her expertise with fellow professionals. Her participation reflects KCAO's commitment to supporting childcare providers, strengthening partnerships, and helping ensure families have access to quality childcare.
