Useful Links for Parents

Adult Education

• Adult Education - Specialized Programs (CA Dept of Education)
• Programs, Division of Adult and Career Education (Los Angeles Unified School District)

Allergies

• Allergy Information (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
• Healthy Kids, Healthy Care: Allergies, Asthma and Other Chronic Conditions

Asthma

• Asthma in Children (MEDLINEplus Health Information)
• Welcome to Bank Street's Literacy Guide for Volunteers(California Childcare Health Program)
• How Asthma Friendly Is Your Child-Care Setting? Checklist available in English and Spanish. (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Biting

• Fact Sheets for Families: Biting (California Childcare Health Program)
• Biting in Child Care: What are the risks? (Canadian Pediatric Society)

Brain Development

• Brain Development (North Carolina Smart Start)
• Healthy Start, Grow Smart Series (US Department of Education)

Bullying

• Stop Bullying Now (HRSA)

Burn Prevention

• Burn Prevention (Home Safety Council)
• Burns (MEDLINEplus Health Information)

Car Safety

• Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families (American Academy of Pediatrics)

Child Abuse

• Child Abuse Reporting Telephone Numbers (by State) (Child Welfare Information Gateway)
• Healthy Kids, Healthy Care: Child Abuse
• National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome

Child Care

• National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
• NAFCC (National Association for Family Child Care)
• California's Background Check for In-Home Child Care (Trustline)

Children With Special Needs

• National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
• Circle of Inclusion Home Page
• Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Online (AAP)
• California Map to Inclusive Child Care | Home
• Healthy Kids, Healthy Care: Children with Special Needs
• LAUSD | Division of Special Education
• Who Are We? - Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center

Children's Activities

• PBS Activity Finder (Public Broadcasting Services)
• Online Learning Haven

Choosing Child Care

• Child Care Aware (a national resource for referrals to child care providers)
• Healthy Kids, Healthy Care: Selecting Child Care

Domestic Violence

• Economic Security Resources for Domestic Violence Survivors

Emergency Preparedness/Disaster Planning

• After the Emergency is Over: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children and You (Emergency Medical Services for Children)
• Children & Disasters: Disaster Preparedness to Meet Children's Needs (AAP)
• Y.I.K.E.S. Your Inventory for Keeping Everyone Safe: Planning Guide for Emergency Response Planning in Child Care (Maine Office of Child Care and Head Start)

Environmental Exposure

• Children's Health Environmental Coalition Heal the House
• Ten Tips to Protect Children from Pesticide and Lead Poisonings (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

Foster Care

• Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services

Head Lice

• Head Lice Information (Harvard School of Public Health)
• Head Lice Resources You Can Trust (University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension)

Health

• ABCs of Raising Healthy Kids: Steps to Staying Safe and Healthy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Children's Health (MEDLINEplus Health Information)
• Healthfinder (your guide to reliable health information)
• KidsHealth (information presented for kids, parents and professionals)

Hearing Screening and Loss

• Opening Doors: Technology and Communication Options for Children with Hearing Loss (US Department of Education)

Immunization

• Vaccines and Immunizations (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Parents Guide to Childhood Immunization (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Kitchen Safety

• Kitchen Safety (City of Phoenix)
• Preventing Scalds (Shriners Hospitals for Children)

Lead Poisoning

• CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• National Lead Information Center (EPA)

Literacy

• Welcome to Bank Street's Literacy Guide for Volunteers
• Zero to Three: Early Language and Literacy
• Adult Literacy- Centro Latino for Literacy

Mental/Social/Emotional Health

• The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning
• Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Online
• What to Expect & When to Seek Help: Bright Futures Developmental Tools for Families and Providers (National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health)

Military Child Care

• Military Child Care (DOD)
• Operation Military Child Care (NACCRRA)

Multicultural Resources

• CLAS - The Early Childhood Research Institute on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services
• National Center for Cultural Competence

Nutrition

• Food and Nutrition Information Center (USDA)
• Healthy Habits for Healthy Kids: A Nutrition and Activity Guide for Parents (American Diabetic Association)

Oral Health

• Child Dental Health (MEDLINEplus Health Information)
• Parent's Checklist for Good Dental Health Practices in Child Care (National Resource Center)
• Parent's Checklist for Good Dental Health Practices in Child Care - Spanish Version (National Resource Center)

Organizations

• National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

Parenting

• Five Ways a Child Grows: A Timeline for Typical Development (The Talaris Research Institute)
• Zero to Three (developmental information on infants to toddlers)

Physical Fitness

• Active Start: A Statement of Physical Activity Guidelines for Children Birth to Five Years (National Association for Sport & Physical Education)
• Healthy Kids, Health Care: Physical Fitness & Promoting Healthy Weight

Playground Safety

• Is your Home Playground a Safe Place to Play? (Consumer Product Safety Commission)
• National Playground Safety Institute (The National Recreation and Park Association)

Poisoning

• Poison Control Centers Listing

Quality

• 13 Indicators of Quality Child Care: Research Update, by Richard Fiene, PhD
• Child Care/Head Start Partnership Study: Final Report (Education Development Center, Inc.)

Safety

• Child Care Safety Checklist (Consumer Product Safety Commission)
• Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Home Safety Council

School Readiness

• Preschool Get Ready For School
• School Readiness, Pre-School and Kindergarten

SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)

• A Parent's Guide to Safe Sleep (Healthy Child Care America Back to Sleep Campaign)
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (MEDLINEplus Health Information)

Social Welfare

• Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services
• 211 Los Angeles

Community Resources

Crystal Stairs has many resources to help parent and providers with child development. This section provides links to other information sources. No endorsement should be implied by the inclusion of informational links, articles, events or other entries in this section. Research studies and news articles included have not been checked for validity and are provided for informational purposes only.

Adult Education

• Adult Education - Specialized Programs (California Department of Education)
• Adult Basic Education (ABE) Course Outlines (Los Angeles Unified School District)
• Inglewood Adult School (Inglewood Unified School District)
• Compton Adult School (Compton Unified School District)
• Los Angeles Unified School District Adult and Career Education (Los Angeles Unified School District)

Allergies

• For Parents: All about Allergies (Kids Health)
• Seasonal Allergies in Children (Healthy Children)
• Food Allergies in Schools (Centers for Disease Control and and Prevention)

Asthma

• Asthma in Children (MEDLINEplus Health Information)
• Asthma Information Packet for Early Care and Education Providers (California Childcare Health Program)
• Asthma in Schools and Childcare Settings (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)
• Working Together to Get Asthma in Children under Control (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Biting

• Fact Sheets for Families: Biting (California Childcare Health Program)
• When Children Bite: What Are the Risks? (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
• Toddlers and Biting: Finding the Right Response (Zero to Three)

Brain Development

• Early Brain Development and Health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Brain Development (Zero to Three)
• Child Development 101: Early Brain Development (First 5 LA)

Bullying

• Stop Bullying on the Spott (Stop Bullying)
• No Bullies Allowed: Raising a Compassionate and Confident Child (First 5 LA)
• Child Development 101: Sticks and Stones (First 5 LA)
• Is Your Toddler a Bully? (First 5 LA)

Burn Prevention

• Burns and Scalds Prevention Tips (Safe Kids)
• Burns (MEDLINEplus Health Information)
• Burn Prevention (Centers for Disease Control and Preventionand Prevention)

Car Safety

• Car Seats: Information for Families (Healthy Children)
• Safe Ride Helpline for Child Passenger Safety (Safety Belt Safe U.S.A.)
• California Driver Handbook: Occupant Protection (California Department of Motor Vehicles)

Child Abuse

• Child Abuse & Neglect (Child Welfare)
• Shaken Baby Syndrome (National Center for Shaken Baby Syndrome)
• Department of Children and Family Services Child Protection Hotline (Department of Children & Family Services)
• Safely Surrendered Baby (California Department of Social Services)

Child Care

• National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (Child Care Aware® of America)
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
• California's Background Check for In-Home Child Care (TrustLine)
• Welcome to Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles (CCALA)
• California Association for the Education of Young Children (CAAEYC)
• California Child Care Resource & Referral Network (CCCR&R Network)

Children With Special Needs

• Support for Parent Centers Who Serve families of Children with Disabilities (Center for Parents Information & Resources)
• It’s All about Belonging (American Academy of Pediatrics)
• It’s All about Belonging (California MAP to Inclusion & Belonging)
• A Parent’s Guide to Special Education (Los Angeles Unified School District)
• South Central Los Angeles Regional Center (SCLARC)
• Westside Regional Center (WRC)

Children's Activities

• Fun Games for Kids: Educational Online Games for Kids (PBS Parents)
• LAKESHORE: Lessons & Activities (Lakeshore®)
• Helping Kids Become Fluent Readers (SCHOLASTICS)
• FREE Family Events for 2019 ( LA)First 5

Choosing Child Care

• Selecting a Child Care Program (Child Care Aware® of America)
• Types of Child Care in California: A Resource for Parents (California Department of Social Services)
• Choosing Quality Child Care (California Department of Education)
• Parent’s Guide to Choosing Child Care (California Department of Social Services)
• Finding the Right Child Care Provider (California Child Care Resource & Referral Network)

 Domestic Violence

• Peace Over Violence (POV)
• A Resource for Domestic Violence Victims (Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services)
• Disaster Resources (Domestic Shelters)

Emergency Preparedness/Disaster Planning

• Disaster Resources (California Department of Social Services)
• California Child Care Disaster Plan 2016 (California Department of Education)
• Children and Disasters (FEMA)
• The California Child Care Disaster Plan (California Childcare Health Program)
• Children & Disasters: Disaster Preparedness to Meet Children's Needs (American Academy of Pediatrics)
• Emergency Preparedness Response Division (County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health)

Environmental Exposure

• Ten Tips to Protect Children from Pesticide and Lead Poisonings (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
• A Healthy Home for Everyone (CDC: Department of Health & Human Services)
• Is There Lead in the Water? (CDC: Department of Health & Human Services)
• What You Need to Know about Mold (CDC: Department of Health & Human Services)

Foster Care

• Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)
• Services for Foster Parents, Foster Youth and Families (California Department of Social Services)
• Foster Care (California Department of Social Services)

Head Lice

• Parasites (CDC: Department of Health & Human Services)
• Head Lice (California Department of Public Health)

Health

• Parents: Tips for Raising Safe and Healthy Kids (CDC: Department of Health & Human Services)
• Keeping Children Safe (CDC: Department of Health & Human Services)
• Children's Health (MEDLINEplus Health Information)
• Health- finder, Your Source for Reliable Health Information (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)
• Preventative Health and Safety in the Child Care Setting (California Childcare Health Program)

Hearing Screening and Loss

• Opening Doors: Technology and Communication Options for Children with Hearing Loss (U.S. Department of Education)
• California Newborn Hearing Screening Program (California Department of Health Care Services)
• Hearing Loss in Children (CDC: Department of health & Human Services)

Immunization

• Vaccines and Immunizations (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Parent’s Guide to Childhood Immunization (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Immunization Branch (California Department of Public Health)

Lead Poisoning

• Effects of Lead Exposure (California Department of Lead Exposure)
• CDC’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CDC: Department of Health & Human Services)
• Learning About Lead Exposure (United States Environmental Protection Agency)

Literacy

• Adult Literacy (Los Angeles Public Library)
• Leamos (Centro Latino for Literacy)
• Adult Literacy Services (Library Foundation of Los Angeles)
• Reading Resources: Language & Literacy Milestones (SCHOLASTICS)

Mental/Social/Emotional Health

• Mental Health Services (Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health)
• National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI)
• Mental Health, Ages 0-5 (First 5 LA)
• Stress (First 5 LA)

Military Child Care

• Child Care Assistance Program Information for Military Families (Child Care Aware® of America)
• Fee Assistance/Respite (Child Care Aware® of America)
• Selecting a Child Care Program (Child Care Aware® of America)
• Sesame Street for Military Families (Sesame Street)

Multicultural Resources

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Resources for Classrooms (Common Sense)
• 8 Ways to Honor Diverse Family Structures in the ECE Classroom (Child 360)
• Best Practices for Planning Curriculum for Young Children (California Department of Education)
• Cultural Competency & Resources in Multiple Languages (California MAP to Inclusion & Belonging)

Nutrition

• Food and Nutrition Information Center (United States Department of Agriculture)
• Downloadable Nutrition Handouts and Tip Sheets (Dairy Council of California)
• My Plate Message Toolkit: For Professionals (USDA: Choose My Plate)
• Choose Health. Drink Water. (Champions for Change)
• Get Your My Plate Plan (Choose My Plate)
• Nutrients in Milk (Dairy Council of California)
• Understanding Food Nutrition Labels (American Heart Association)

Oral Health

• Child Dental Health (MEDLINEplus Health Information)
• Parent's Checklist for Good Dental Health Practices in Child Care (National Resource Center)
• Parent's Checklist for Good Dental Health Practices in Child Care - Spanish Version (National Resource Center)
• Healthy Teeth (Sesame Street)

Parenting

• Parenting Resources (Zero to Three)
• Building Strong Families (First 5 LA)
• Exploring Toolkits for Parents (Sesame Street)
• Parent and Family Engagement in Education (California Department of Education)

Physical Fitness

• Tips for Parents- Ideas to Help Children Maintain a Healthy Weight (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Be Active (Champions for Change)

Playground Safety

• Is Your Home Playground a Safe Place to Play? (Consumer Product Safety Commission)
• Playgrounds (National Recreation and Park Association)
• Playground Safety (United States Consumer Product Safety Commission)

Poisoning

• Poison Can Be Anywhere- Beware (California Poison Control System)
• National Capital Poison Center (Poison Control)
• Prevent Poisoning (Child Care Aware® of America)

Quality

• Give Your Child Something That Will Last a Lifetime (Child Care Aware® of America)
• Dale a Su Hijo Algo Que La Va a Durar Toda Su Vida (Child Care Aware® of America)
• Choosing Quality Child care for a Child with Special Needs (Child Care Aware® of America)
• Como Elegir Cuidado de Niños de Calidad para un Niño’s con Necesidades Especiales (Child Care Aware® of America)
• Five Steps to Choosing Safe and Healthy Child Care (Child Care Aware® of America)
• CCL Transparency Website (Department of Social Services; Community Care Licensing Division)
• Cinco Pasos Para Encontrar Servicios de Cuidado de Niños Seguros y Saludables (Child Care Aware® of America)
• Care about Quality: Your Guide to Child Care (California Department of Education)
• Choosing Quality Childcare (Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles)
• Child Care Quality (California Child Care Resource & Referral Network)

Safety

• Consumer Product Safety Commission (United States Consumer Product Safety Commission)
• Home Safety for Educators (Safe Kids Worldwide®)
• Infant Safety (Safe Kids Worldwide®)
• TrustLine (TrustLine)
• Home Safety Council (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)

School Readiness

• Transitions to Kindergarten (National Association for the Education of Young Children)
• Get Ready for School Success (First 5 LA)
• School Readiness Infographic (Zero to Three)
• Developing School Readiness Skills from 0-12 Months (Zero to Three)
• Developing School Readiness Skills from 12-24 Months (Zero to Three)
• Developing School Readiness Skills from 24-36 Months (Zero to Three)

SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)

• Safe Sleep Tips for Your Baby (County of Los Angeles Department of Public health)
• Reduce the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)
• Ponga a Su Bebé a Dormir Sin Peligros (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)
• Safe Sleep for My Grandbaby (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)
• How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe: AAP Policy Explained (Healthy Children)
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (MEDLINEplus Health Information)

Social Welfare

• Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (L.A. County DPSS)
• Los Angeles County Report Child Abuse (L.A. County DCFS)
• Elderly & Disabled (L.A. County DPSS)