Child Care Resource & Referral
Child Care Resource & Referral (CCRR) is a Joliet, Illinois non-profit founded in 1991 that administers the Child Care Assistance Program, Early Head Start, and provider training across seven Illinois counties, serving families and licensed childcare providers through state-funded programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersJoliet, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Child Care Resource & Referral does
Child Care Resource & Referral (CCRR) is a Joliet, Illinois-based non-profit organization founded in 1991 that operates as the regional child care resource and referral agency for Kankakee, Will, Grundy, and Kendall counties. The organization serves as the authorized administrative channel for the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), Early Head Start (0-3), Preschool for All & Expansion (3-5), and Social Emotional Learning Facilitation, processing approximately 425,000 CCAP paperwork items and connecting families to licensed childcare providers. Per cumulative organizational metrics, CCRR has served 650,000 families, trained 780 providers, and facilitated 370,000 professional development hours in its service area.
CCRR's product surface spans three interconnected service lines: (1) family-facing services including CCAP subsidy processing and childcare referrals; (2) provider-facing services including Illinois Gateways-approved continuing education, business startup guidance, funding/grant access, and consultant referrals; and (3) workforce development through the Higher Ed Navigator Program and ECACE scholarships in partnership with Lewis University. The organization also administers community grant programs including Smart Start Illinois (Child Care Workforce Grants, Home Visiting expansion, Early Intervention), Healing Illinois, and Health Equity initiatives. Technology dependencies are minimal and standard — Zoom for webinar delivery, Google/Outlook/iCalendar for event scheduling, and the Illinois Gateways credentialing registry.
The business model is a state-government-funded non-profit intermediary. Revenue derives almost entirely from Illinois Department of Human Services, Illinois State Board of Education, and federal Infant Early Head Start appropriations, with services provided at no direct cost to families or providers. Distribution occurs through four physical offices (Joliet HQ, Joliet Higher Ed Navigators, Kankakee CCAP, Plano CCAP), Zoom-based training, ECE Hub monthly community meetings, newsletters, and the CCRR blog. Rita Armstrong serves as Executive Director. There is no indication of venture, equity, or private capital involvement.
Child Care Resource & Referral firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Child Care Resource & Referral
- Legal name
- Child Care Resource & Referral
- Website
- https://childcarehelp.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Child Care Resource & Referral (CCRR) is a Joliet, Illinois non-profit founded in 1991 that administers the Child Care Assistance Program, Early Head Start, and provider training across seven Illinois counties, serving families and licensed childcare providers through state-funded programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Child Care Resource & Referral industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Child Care Social Services
- NAICS
- Child Care Services (62441), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ)
Keywords
Where Child Care Resource & Referral is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Joliet
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Child Care Resource & Referral business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Government Grants and Funding: CCRR operates as a non-profit funded primarily through Illinois state government programs including the Illinois Department of Human Services, Illinois State Board of Education, and Smart Start Illinois initiative. Funding supports childcare workforce grants, early intervention programs, and home visiting services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Child Care Resource & Referral product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Child Care Resource & Referral is a Joliet, Illinois-based nonprofit that administers the state Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), provides child care referrals to families, and delivers professional development, training, and early childhood programming to licensed child care providers across a seven-county region in northeastern Illinois. The organization has operated as a community-based child care resource hub since 1991, supporting both families seeking care and providers seeking credentialing and operational support.
Product overview
Child Care Resource & Referral (CCRR) is a regional agency operating as a unified service delivery model that connects families to child care through the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and child care referral services. The organization administers multiple interconnected programs including Early Head Start (0-3), Preschool for All & Expansion (3-5), and Social Emotional Learning Facilitation. CCR&R provides professional development through continuing education webinars and the Higher Ed Navigator Program, including the ECACE Grant for degree pursuit. The agency also manages community grants including Smart Start Illinois (with Child Care Workforce Grants, Home Visiting Program expansion, and Early Intervention programs), Healing Illinois, and Health Equity initiatives. Additional services include support for providers starting a child care business, program grants, funding opportunities, and consultant access.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Administration
- Child Care Referrals for Families
- Provider Professional Development and Training
- Early Childhood Programming
Quantifiable outcome
- 650,000 families served in seven county area
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Child Care Resource & Referral
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Child Care Resource & Referral technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Child Care Resource & Referral partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Illinois Department of Human ServicescorePrimary government funding partner providing Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) administration and support through the Division of Early Childhood (IDHS-DEC)
- Illinois State Board of EducationcoreGovernment partner supporting preschool programs and early childhood education initiatives
- Infant Early Head StartcoreFederal early childhood program administered through CCRR to support infants and toddlers from low-income families
- Illinois GatewayscoreIllinois professional development registry for early childhood educators; CCRR provides Gateways-approved training courses and reports completed training hours
- Star NetminorRegional early childhood professional development network providing training resources; CCRR partners to offer webinars to providers
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Child Care Resource & Referral competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Child Care Services Association (North Carolina): North Carolina CCR&R organization providing referrals, training, and child care subsidy administration; directly comparable in mission and operational structure to CCRR but operating in a different state.
- Child Care Resource Center (CCRC): California-based child care resource and referral agency providing provider training, family referrals, and subsidy administration; a peer organization executing the same R&R functions in a different geographic market.
- Childcare Resources (Indianapolis): Indianapolis-based child care resource and referral agency offering provider training, family referrals, and early childhood education support; comparable regional R&R model in a different state.
- Starting Point for Child Care: Cleveland-based CCR&R agency providing child care referrals, provider training, and early childhood program administration; operates the same R&R model as CCRR but in a different state.
Direct peers
- Illinois Action for Children: Chicago-based child care resource, referral, and family support organization delivering CCAP-adjacent services, professional development, and family assistance programs in Illinois — directly comparable in mission and funding model.
- Ounce of Prevention Fund: Illinois-based early childhood organization administering home visiting, Early Head Start, and family support programs; a direct peer to CCRR's Early Head Start and family-facing programs in the same state.
- Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA): Statewide umbrella coordinating Illinois's regional CCR&R agencies; CCRR is a member agency and direct functional peer delivering the same core resource/referral and training services under shared state contracts.
Broad incumbents
- Child Care Aware of America: National CCR&R network coordinating local referral and training agencies across the U.S. CCRR functions as a local affiliate implementing the same Child Care Aware service model and standards at the regional level.
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): National professional organization for early childhood educators; sets the standards and accreditation frameworks that CCRR's training programs align to and report against via Illinois Gateways.
- Voices for Illinois Children: Illinois advocacy and policy organization focused on child welfare and early childhood; an adjacent stakeholder working on the same state funding streams and policy environment that support CCRR's programs.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Child Care Resource & Referral social profiles
Digital presenceChild Care Resource & Referral financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Child Care Resource & Referral leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Child Care Resource & Referral funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Child Care Resource & Referral M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Child Care Resource & Referral
What does Child Care Resource & Referral do?
Child Care Resource & Referral is a Joliet, Illinois-based nonprofit that administers the state Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), provides child care referrals to families, and delivers professional development, training, and early childhood programming to licensed child care providers across a seven-county region in northeastern Illinois. The organization has operated as a community-based child care resource hub since 1991, supporting both families seeking care and providers seeking credentialing and operational support.
Is Child Care Resource & Referral a public or private company?
Child Care Resource & Referral is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Child Care Resource & Referral founded?
Child Care Resource & Referral was founded in 1991. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Child Care Resource & Referral based?
Child Care Resource & Referral is headquartered in Joliet, United States, in the North America region.
How does Child Care Resource & Referral make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Grants and Funding.
Who are Child Care Resource & Referral's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Child Care Services Association (North Carolina), Child Care Resource Center (CCRC), Childcare Resources (Indianapolis) and Starting Point for Child Care. Direct peers are Illinois Action for Children, Ounce of Prevention Fund and Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA). Broad incumbents are Child Care Aware of America, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and Voices for Illinois Children.
Does Child Care Resource & Referral have an API?
No public API is recorded for Child Care Resource & Referral.
What industry is Child Care Resource & Referral in?
Child Care Resource & Referral's product category is Child Care Social Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACAFAJ, Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services. Its NAICS code is 62441 and its SIC code is 8351.