I had been considering starting a child care in my home for several years. I had just quit my job in October of 2019 and wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I live real close to ICES, but wasn’t sure what it was all about. I walked in a week after I quit my job and Suzan Greenwood, who knew nothing about me, sat down with me and explained what ICES was there for, and gave me everything I needed to do to open and daycare in my home. When I walked out that day, I knew what I was going to do. Suzan is amazing and explained the process to me in detail. I probably would not have done it without her. She even came to my home before I was licensed, to give me tips. I have since opened my daycare. Suzan was, and still is there for any questions, or help I need. The workshops that are offered [through the Child Care Initiative Project] are free and are great for learning everything you need to know to become a childcare provider.

I’m a grandma with 3 wonderful grandkids and I got invited to the Rainy Day Play Date from ICES. It was very nice and fun. My grandkids played in a fort and played with paint in a very fun and safe way. The Resource & Referral staff made us feel very comfortable and we had lots of fun. Thank you so much. This was AWESOME!

I was recently placed with a child through Child Welfare… I was given a the Foster Bridge Navigator’s card. This was my first experience with ICES and I am more than impressed… I wasn’t aware of how difficult or time consuming it would be to find childcare in a short amount of time. The Navigator went above and beyond to help me with all the steps of the process. In addition, as we approached our family deadline for arranging care, the Voucher Specialist responded to my urgency by getting me in for an appointment the following day and getting the funding for childcare that same day! I credit them both for us being able to keep this child in our care. I appreciate the time, effort and compassion that they each displayed.

CCIP has been a huge help in getting me started with my in-home child care facility. They have a common sense approach when they teach workshops, and any questions small or large are always answered in a timely manner. I felt completely supported through the entire process, and it was clear they care for providers as much as the children.