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YMCA Childcare Resource Service
You can begin your child care search by contacting the Parent Referral Line of the YMCA Childcare Resource Service at 1-800-481-2151. They are the umbrella for referrals to Head Start and other daycare and pre-school programs. You will most likely be placed on a waiting list, but be sure to tell them that you have a foster child to enroll and you should be moved to a priority level on the waiting list.
Head Start
Project Head Start is a federally funded child development program designed to help break the cycle of poverty by providing preschool children of low- income families with a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional and psychological needs. The approach is that the parent is the child's primary educator and that the entire family, as well as, the community, must be involved.
Who is eligible?
Children ages 3 to 5 are eligible for Head Start. Children with disabilities are mainstreamed into the program and receive the full range of developmental services. Visit their website at www.SanDiegoHeadStart.org or call (888) 873-8145 to find your nearest Head Start location and enroll your foster child that qualifies for Head Start. However, your child's name may be put on a waiting list.
San Diego Center for Children
Foster Parents can receive a limited number of respite hours per year, paid by the San Diego Center for Children, if one of their providers is used. Call SDCC at (858) 277-9550, Ext. 300 to find out about respite services or to get the name of a respite provider.
Escondido Child Development Center (ECDC)
ECDC is a state funded pre-school located at 819 W. 9th Avenue in Escondido that offers pre-school for working/full time schoool parents. Their phone number is (760) 745-9215.
Other Options
You may also use licensed daycare or childcare facilities, or licensed foster parents to provide respite for your foster children. However, you will most likely need to pay them directly for their services. Your child's social worker may be able to help with childcare arrangements in emergency situations.
List of Respite Providers
(Note - It is the caregiver's responsibility to verify the qualifications of their respite providers)
Pam White, (760) 598-3389, Vista, (Infants) Licensed Foster Home, Registered with SDCC, Options Certified
Livia Barbesino (858) 273-8666, Pacific Beach, (Infants) Licensed Foster Home, Options Certified
Karen Wexhler (760) 732-0089, Oceanside, Licensed Foster Home, Options Certified
LaeVonne Gordon (760) 749-8735, Valley Center, Licensed Foster Home, Options Certified, Also Does Daycare
Rhonda Oliver, (760) 473-4495, Oceanside, Licensed Foster Home, Options Certified and will do weekends, overnights and vacations.
Linda Davidson, (760) 510-9116, San Marcos, Options Only Respite Provider
(If you would like your name placed on this list as a respite provider, drop us an email at information@connectedthroughkids.com )
For occasional babysitting, you may now use babysitters using your prudent parent judgement to babysit your foster children for a period of up to 24 hours. This new babysitting law Senate Bill 358 went into effect January 1, 2006. For more information on this new law, visit the Straight From The Heart Web Site.
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