Helpful Links

Online Child Care Referrals

http://naccrra.hhs.mt.gov/naccrrajsp/servlet/naccrra.servlets.MaskSearchServlet?pid=ec1xoyuoi6z6qz5

Parents can access the NACCRRAware database for online child care referrals.

Montana Early Childhood Project

http://www.montana.edu/ecp

Montana Early Childhood Project is committed to improving the quality of programs and services for Montana's young children.  ECP is housed at Montana State University.  It is the home to Early Care and Education Career Development, the Montana Training Registry, and the Montana Practitioner's Registry.

Council for Professional Recognition

http://www.cdacouncil.org

Home of the Child Development Associate (CDA) National Credentialing Program and other related professional opportunities.

National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org
Come here to check out the latest information on NAEYC's conferences and publications, plus information on accreditation, advocacy, policy issues, and NAEYC membership.

Montana Association for Education of Young Children

http://www.mtaeyc.org

This is the home site for the Montana Association and local chapter information.

National Child Care Information Center
http://www.nccic.org
Visit this site to find information on research and initiatives going on in the child care field. This page is also an excellent source for information on each state's ratios, teacher qualifications, demographics, and more.

NACCRRA- National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies
http://www.naccrra.org
NACCRRA is the national network of community-based child care resource and referral agencies. NACCRRA provides technical consultation and resources to member child care resource and referral agencies. Visit this website to find out more information and discover the benefits of membership.

Montana Child Care Resource and Referral Network

http://www.montanachildcare.com

Montana-specific information is available on early care and education and other cutting edge information for parents, providers, employers and members.  MCCR&R Network offers state leadership in shaping collaboration and strengthening local resource and referral agencies.  Its purpose is to collectively building a diverse, high quality early care and education system accessible to all Montana families.  MCCR&R Network is home to the Montana After school Network (MAN), a coalition working to increase the availability and quality of school-age or time-out-of-school programs statewide.  It also is the base of Montana Advocates for Children (MAC), a collaborative effort that supports advocacy for children and families in Montana and nationally.

NAFCC- National Association for Family Child Care
http://www.nafcc.org
The mission of NAFCC is to support the profession of family child care and to encourage high-quality care for children. NAFCC promotes high-quality family child care through accreditation, leadership training, technical assistance, public education, and policy initiatives. Visit the website to find out more about this organization.

National Program for Playground Safety
http://www.uni.edu/playground/
This site offers playground Safety Tips & FAQ's, resources & statistics, NPPS products, a newsletter, and information on SAFE Certification.

Consumer Product Safety Commission
http://www.cpsc.gov

National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC)
http://www.nccic.org
A national clearinghouse and technical assistance center that links parents, providers, policymakers, research, and the public to early care and education information.

National Network for Child Care
http://www.nncc.org
Resources on-line and referrals to community based extension services.  Great resources section for the professional child care provider.

Center for Disease Control
http://www.cdc.gov
Latest information on health, safety, immunizations, communicable diseases, and prevention.

Nuttinbutkids
http://nuttinbutkids.com/
This site was designed for childcare providers to develop lesson plans.

National Parent Information Network
http://www.npin.org
As part of the ERIC clearinghouse on elementary and early childhood education, this site focuses on information for parents. You will find a lot of great resources, including a magazine, discussion list, conference events, state networks, an "ask-ERIC" section, and much more.

Zero to Three
http://www.zerotothree.org
Zero to Three is a national non-profit charitable organization whose aim is to strengthen and support families, practitioners and communities to promote the healthy development of babies and toddlers. Visit this website to find information and resources for both parents and professionals.

National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care
http://nrc.uchsc.edu
Some highlights of this website include a study on cost, quality and outcomes, state child care regulations, and national safety standards. An extensive links page with resources on everything from lead poisoning to playground safety is useful for both parents and child care providers.

Family Village
http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/
This website contains a library of specific diagnoses and a wide range of topics related to special needs. There is information about connecting with other people, health care and product information, message boards, community and educational resources, places of worship, options for recreation and leisure, and a guide to the Internet.

The American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/parents/index.html
This section, or index, of the larger ALA site has great resources for both children and parents. For children and teens, there are pages that highlight good websites to visit, and recommended reading and software. For parents, there is information on adult reference and media materials, a link to Booklist magazine, and much more.

Parenting Matters
http://www.lifematters.com/parentn.html
Here there are articles on aggressive behavior in children, positive discipline, dyslexia, fatherhood and bridging the generation gap.

Link Up
http://www.linkup-parents.com/
On this site you will find information on Parenting, Education, Research and Homework Help, Children's Software and Holiday Fun for Kids.

ABC's of Parenting
http://www.abcparenting.com/
Spend some time checking out these parent-reviewed sites in this topical directory with sections on a wide range of subjects from potty training to fatherhood to ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder).

Family.com
http://family.go.com/?clk=1012316
Great ideas, practical advice and fun stuff to do. Topics include activities & crafts, entertainment, pets, parties, raising kids, time for you, recipes and travel.

Parentstages.com
http://www.parentstages.com/
Guidance for every parenting stage; expecting, new parent, and growing parent. Areas include information for/about dads, education, entertainment, family finance, health, home & garden, and moms.

Crayola
http://www.crayola.com/index.cfm
This is a great site for kids and parents. Send a greeting card to your kids for a birthday or just any day for a sensational way to say "I Love You".