Child Care Resource & Referral

What Child Care Resource & Referral does

Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) is a Tucson-headquartered nonprofit organization operated by Child & Family Resources, Inc. that delivers statewide child care resource and referral services across Arizona under contract with the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES). The organization is funded exclusively through Federal Child Care and Development Block Grant funds administered by AZDES, and provides all services to families, providers, employers, and community members free of charge. Its core digital product is the Enhanced Provider Search Platform at azccrr.com, a statewide searchable database of DHS-licensed and DES-certified child care providers with a provider portal supporting real-time availability updates. The service portfolio spans three user-facing modules: Family Resources (child care guides, developmental milestones, financial assistance navigation, rules and regulations); Provider Resources (Provider Pathway onboarding, learning standards, expulsion prevention, background check support, Quality First enrollment); and Community Engagement Services delivered by 8 Community Engagement Specialists across 12 physical offices covering urban and rural Arizona counties. CCR&R also operates a toll-free helpline (1-800-308-9000), maintains an active social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and X, and partners with the Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS) and First Things First to embed itself in the state's early-childhood quality, licensing, and funding ecosystem.

The business model is a single-source government contract: CCR&R receives block-grant-funded revenue from AZDES to operate the statewide R&R function, with no transactional fees, advertising revenue, or consumer payments. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on the 8 Community Engagement Specialists conducting group and individual presentations, state-agency referral channels (DES and DHS), the website and search portal, the toll-free helpline, and community events. The underlying technology is a web-based information and referral platform integrated with AZDES provider data; the organization explicitly functions as a referral and education service rather than a transactional marketplace, with all actual child care arrangements made directly between families and providers.

Strategically, CCR&R has expanded from a referral-only service into a broader ecosystem player, adding provider onboarding (Provider Pathway), expulsion prevention in partnership with AZ STEPS Resource Consultants, employer-facing child care resources, and digital community engagement through events and social channels. The 2008-founded entity has no disclosed M&A activity, no funding rounds, no patents, and no equity ownership, operating instead as a mission-driven government contractor under a long-running state designation.

Name

Child Care Resource & Referral

Legal name

Child & Family Resources, Inc.

Website

https://azccrr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Child Care Resource & Referral, operated by Child & Family Resources, Inc., is a Tucson-based nonprofit that delivers free statewide child care resource and referral services across Arizona under contract with the Arizona Department of Economic Security. It serves families, child care providers, employers, and communities through an online provider search platform, a toll-free helpline, and 8 community engagement specialists across 12 offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Care Resource & Referral Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDACAFAK

Service Coordination / Case Management (IDEA Part C)

Education/Early Childhood Education/Early Intervention & Developmental Services (0–5)

SECONDARYHSAAALAA

General Babysitter/Nanny Placement Agencies

Home & Personal Services/Childcare, Babysitting & Nanny Services/Babysitter/Nanny Placement & Agency Services

SECONDARYEDACAFAJ

Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services

Education/Early Childhood Education/Early Intervention & Developmental Services (0–5)

Keywords

• Child care referral
• Family resource services
• Provider licensing support
• Early childhood education
• Community outreach programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Contract Funding: Funded by the Arizona Department of Economic Security through Federal Child Care and Development Block Grant funds. CCR&R provides free resource and referral services to families and providers at no charge.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) is a nonprofit, state-designated referral and education service that connects Arizona families with licensed child care providers and supports providers with licensing, training, and quality improvement resources. Services include a statewide child care provider search portal, family education guides, provider pathway onboarding, background check facilitation, and community engagement delivered through 8 specialists located across Arizona. All services are provided free of charge, funded by the Arizona Department of Economic Security through Federal Child Care and Development Block Grant funds.

Product overview

Arizona Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) operates as a centralized informational and referral platform designed to strengthen Arizona's child care ecosystem. The core product is the CCR&R website (azccrr.com), which serves as the primary digital hub connecting families seeking child care with licensed providers. Built around this platform is the Enhanced Provider Search, a real-time provider availability system. The service portfolio encompasses three main user-facing modules: Family Resources (providing child care guides, development resources, and financial assistance information), Provider Resources (offering licensing guidance, learning standards, expulsion prevention, and professional development), and Community Engagement Services (delivering statewide outreach and education). CCR&R functions as a referral and education service rather than a transactional platform, with all actual child care arrangements made directly between families and providers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Arizona Child Care Resource & Referral Website Central digital hub (azccrr.com) providing comprehensive child care information, referrals, and resources for Arizona families, providers, and communities across the state.
• Enhanced Provider Search Platform Statewide child care search platform connecting families directly with providers, enabling real-time availability updates and provider profile management through a dedicated provider portal.
• Provider Pathway Guided onboarding program helping prospective child care providers navigate the licensing and certification process, including background checks, application requirements, and regulatory compliance steps.
• Community Engagement Services Statewide outreach services delivered through 8 Community Engagement Specialists providing group presentations, child care search assistance, education materials, and information sessions across Arizona communities.
• Child Care Guide Comprehensive guide helping families navigate child care options including child care types (centers, preschools, family homes), quality indicators, cost information, and financial assistance programs.
• Child Development Resources Educational resources for families covering developmental milestones, CDC Milestone Tracker App, Easterseals developmental screening, and special needs support including Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP) referrals.
• Expulsion Prevention Program Support services for child care providers to prevent suspensions and expulsions, including Foundations 1 Training, technical assistance, and collaboration with AZ STEPS Resource Consultants and Mental Health Consultants.
• Toll-Free Helpline Statewide toll-free phone line (1-800-308-9000) available Monday-Friday 7:00am to 6:00pm for Arizona families and providers seeking child care information, referral support, and provider assistance.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAZDES contracts with Child & Family Resources, Inc. to provide Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) services statewide. DES administers state child care financial assistance programs and contracts with child care providers, making DES a core strategic partner for CCR&R's mission to connect families with quality child care.
• Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHS Bureau of Child Care Licensing licenses and monitors child care centers and group homes throughout Arizona. CCR&R refers families to DHS-licensed providers and uses licensing information to help families understand quality indicators.
• First Things FirstcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Things First is Arizona's early childhood agency that funds Quality First, a quality improvement and rating system for child care providers. CCR&R supports Quality First enrollment and refers families to Quality First scholarship programs.
• Child & Family Resources, Inc.coreOthersChild & Family Resources, Inc. is the parent organization contracted by AZDES to operate the Arizona CCR&R program. The organization provides the operational infrastructure, staff including Community Engagement Specialists, and administrative support for CCR&R services statewide.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Winnie: Digital marketplace and data platform for child care providers and families, offering search, availability data, and provider tooling. Comparable to CCR&R's Enhanced Provider Search on the product/technology axis though purely commercial and nationwide in scope.
• Care.com: Large private marketplace for child care (and broader care) search, with a paid provider directory and family subscription tiers. Overlaps with CCR&R's Enhanced Provider Search but operates commercially across all 50 states and competes for family and provider mindshare.

Broad incumbents

• KinderCare Learning Companies: National chain of child care centers that registers with state referral systems (including Arizona's) and competes for the same parent demand. Adjacent incumbent on the supply side of the child care market that CCR&R's directory routes families toward.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Large operator of employer-sponsored child care centers and back-up care programs for working parents. Comparable on the employer child care benefits axis (one of CCR&R's employer-targeted service modules) but operates as a commercial incumbent delivering care rather than referrals.

Others

• Child & Family Resources, Inc. (Parent Org): Parent nonprofit that operates CCR&R under the AZDES contract and also runs other family services programs in Arizona. Directly comparable as the contracting umbrella, sharing staff, facilities, and back-office with CCR&R.
• First Things First (Arizona): Arizona's early childhood agency that funds the Quality First rating system and partners directly with CCR&R for provider enrollment and family referrals. Comparable as a state-level early childhood ecosystem partner and potential funding-counterparty.

Direct peers

• California Child Care Resource & Referral Network: Statewide CCR&R coordinating body for California, offering the same resource and referral, provider training, and family support services as Arizona CCR&R. Directly comparable service model and government-contracted nonprofit structure in a different state.
• Child Care Services Association (North Carolina): North Carolina-based nonprofit providing child care resource and referral, training (T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood scholarships), and shared services for providers. Mirrors CCR&R's combined family-referral and provider-capacity-building model under government contracts.
• Child Care Aware of America: National umbrella organization for the CCR&R network, providing coordination, training, and advocacy for state-level CCR&R agencies including Arizona's. Directly comparable as the parent/support entity governing the same service category CCR&R operates in.
• NYC Administration for Children's Services (Child Care Connect): New York City agency that operates the public child care search and referral portal serving families and providers. Directly comparable as a publicly funded, geographically defined CCR&R-style resource and referral service.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AZChildCare
• Facebookfacebook.com/arizonachildcare
• Instagraminstagram.com/azccrr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Child Care Resource & Referral