The Child Care Coordination Office has compiled the following list of resources to support you on your parenting journey from birth through the elementary years. Whether you’re wondering how to support your child’s learning, address a specific challenge, or just figuring out your child-raising approach, time invested in developing your parenting skills will help you achieve all of the above.
For additional resources for families including finding child care and financial assistance for child care please, click here. For additional parenting or support resources please contact FOR Families staff at 949-724-6650.
Digital Mental Health Support for Youth, Young Adults, and Families
A groundbreaking new program providing free, safe, and confidential mental health support for young people and families across the state with two easy-to-use mobile apps:
Get support with the tough stuff and help your child thrive. Behavioral health coaching for parents, caregivers, and kids 0-12 years old. BrightLife Kids is free for all California families. No costs attached, no insurance required, no referrals needed. To view a brief video introduction click here.
Confidential support for 13- 25-year-olds in California. No cost. No pressure. Chat 1:1 with a professional coach, use interactive tools to destress, or explore quizzes, videos, forums, and more. You choose!
Triple P Positive Parenting Program
Free for parents in Orange County, California. These online, self-paced courses present parenting solutions and strategies for toddlers to teens. Triple P gives families positive strategies that are proven to work. The program can be adapted to suit any situation. Research studies have shown course effectiveness in creating healthy family dynamics, and it’s totally up to you how to use it. Access to the following courses:
Help your child manage anxiety and become more emotionally resilient.
For Orange County, California residents, these courses are funded through a public health initiative by OC Health.
Training Calendar & On-Demand Training and Resources
The Irvine Child Care Coordination Office compiles lists of workshops, training events, recorded webinars, and additional resources for parents and early childhood educators in order to support all areas of children’s development from birth through elementary age.
City of Irvine Child Resource Center (CRC)
The CRC is a member-based lending library for families featuring tools to support every area of children’s development from birth through school age. The CRC is open Monday through Thursday, from noon to 7 p.m. To learn more please, click here.
Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) Parenting Resources
Early Childhood Parenting & Family Resources Parent education workshops and videos, programs, and informational resources. Open to all families with young children.
IUSD’s Parent Center Supporting healthy families and academically successful students in IUSD through events and workshops, support services, and referrals to services and community agencies. All families welcome.
IUSD Family Counseling Center Short-term, evidence-based mental health services provided by licensed mental health therapists for IUSD K–12 students and families.
Good to Go from Head to Toe!
Pretend City Children’s Museum’s child-development initiative educates parents, caretakers, and the community about the importance of having children, ages 0–5, receive regular developmental checkups as part of routine, well-child visits. Pretend City Children’s Museum hosts classes and special events to support children’s development and provides online resources on developmental milestones and recent research on children’s development.
All About Young Children
Information for Families on Children’s Early Development brought to you by the California Department of Education. As a parent, you are your child’s first teacher. You have experienced how fascinating and how puzzling your young child can sometimes be. We invite you to explore with us information that can help you understand your child’s learning and discover new ways to support your growing child.
HealthyChildren.org
Sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics, this helpful website contains information on the ages and stages of child development (birth through young adult), healthy living, safety and prevention, family life, and health issues.
Help Me Grow
Are you concerned with your child’s development? Are you challenged by your child’s behavior? Would you like more information on parenting? Help Me Grow connects families and children with developmental, behavioral, or learning concerns to resources in the community.
Bloom Behavior Coaching
A free behavior coaching program for Orange County families with children ages 0-5. Families are provided evidence-based strategies and techniques that can be used in their daily routine to address challenging behaviors. Families are coached on how to use and implement these strategies and techniques, as well as help connect them to direct service providers of community resource according to their needs.
The Priority Center
One of the Priority Center’s eight different life-changing programs, Services for Families with Young Children (SFYC), is a 3–6 month program for parents/guardians with young children based at the The Priority Center. The Priority Center works with families helping to support them in fostering a safe and nurturing home environment for children. The SFYC program assists families in Orange County with children ages 0–8, in reducing barriers to medical care and early childhood mental health services in order to provide them with the healthiest start in life.
Strengthening Families Program (SFP)
An evidence-based family training program that encourages family communication and problem-solving skills to enhance connectedness and reduce risky behavior. SFP is free to participants and is available for families with children ages 6–16. To learn more, click here.
South Orange County Family Resource Center
To improve family and community life, the Family Resource Center brings together services and activities that educate, support, and provide resources to families with children including parenting education, parent/child interactive classes, health care access services, and counseling services.
The Parent Project
Offers parent-training programs for parents raising difficult or out-of-control children. The Parent Project provides highly effective programs for parents of children ages 5–17 years old.
2-1-1 Orange County
Assistance finding food, paying housing bills, and other essential services.
