About Us

Child Care Resource Network (CCRN) is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization located in Buffalo, New York, that works to help families find child care, educate and empower child care providers, and advocate for the children of Erie County and Western New York. Throughout Erie County, we conduct inspections to ensure providers are following regulations. CCRN also assists in opening child care centers and continues to support them with a wide variety of services.

Mission: To promote quality, affordable, accessible care and learning for all children by empowering families, caregivers, education professionals and employers.

Vision: All children have high-quality care and learning experiences helping them to reach their full potential

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY Child Care Resource Network values and respects the diversity of its employees, volunteers and customers. Therefore, we shall make every effort to respect the worth and uniqueness of each individual, and to create an environment in which we learn from each other by recognizing our different backgrounds, perspectives and contributions. For Employees: Child Care Resource Network is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. This includes equal opportunity to hiring and promotion opportunities, the right to nondiscrimination, and the right to non-harassment based on race, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected class as defined by New York State and Federal Civil Rights Law. For Customers and Volunteers (including Board members): All customers shall have the same opportunities to apply for or access available services. This includes the right to non-discrimination, and the right to non-harassment based on race, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected class as defined by New York State and Federal Civil Rights Law. Further, every effort will be made to provide high quality, culturally sensitive services to all customers

 

Established in 1987 as a child care resource and referral agency devoted to the child care and education needs of Western New Yorkers, CCRN has played an integral role in the impact area of childhood development and education, and has paid particular attention to services that meet the needs of economically challenged and underserved segments of the community.

Our mission is to promote quality, affordable, accessible care and learning for all children by supporting and empowering families, caregivers, education professionals, and employers. We live our mission every day by:

Children in classroom
Former CEO Amanda Kelkenberg and Vice President of Operations Jodi Schwegler work with local children from various child care programs during 2016 Week of the Young Child at the Downtown Buffalo Public Library.
  • Working with families at no charge to help them find child care ( including before- and after-school programs, head start programs, summer camps, school-age programs, etc.) 
  • Providing families with information and resources on how to help pay for child care and make it more affordable, as well as what high-quality child care looks like and how to recognize it
  • Providing training, professional development, and credentialing for child care and school-age care providers
  • Developing quality improvement plans for child care providers and school-age programs
  • Registering and monitoring family and school-age child care programs to ensure they align with New York State regulatory requirements
  • Encouraging healthy meals and nutritious eating for children by administering the Child and Adult Care Food Program to child care providers
  • Assisting legally exempt child care providers with enrollment 
  • Advocating for high-quality, affordable, and accessible care on a local, state, and federal level