Latest News & Updates

Connections for Children proudly hosted the Stronger Together: Nurturing Growth through Trauma-Informed Care Conference at the Veterans Memorial Building in Culver City. The conference brought together 32 early educators and child care providers for a powerful day of learning, reflection, and connection. Centered on resilience, regulation, and healing centered practices, the event offered a space to deepen trauma-informed approaches that support both children and those who care for them.

At Connections for Children, we remain committed to supporting families impacted by recent fires, and we know recovery is not a one-time event but an ongoing journey. We are working hard to ensure families feel supported, seen, and equipped to move forward. Our Family Engagement team has been able to distribute essential items to impacted families in partnership with Baby2Baby and will be distributing customized Summer Success Kits to registered families in June.

In partnership with the Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles and with the support of multiple generous donations from our partners at Save the Children, California Community Foundation, Steins, Goldman Sachs, Ballmer Fire Aid Fund, Keck Foundation, and Rhodes, Connections for Children was able to provide families in our subsidized program and child care providers who had their sites/homes damaged or destroyed by the wildfires with $217,200 in fire relief stipends. 

As you may know Universal Prekindergarten (UPK), California’s way of providing early care and education choices for all 3- and 4-year-olds, is here. We understand you may have a variety of questions about UPK including:
What is it?
What does it mean for my family?
How do I select a program?
How will the choice I make affect my child?  

At Connections for Children (CFC), we know that finding child care is an important decision, so we are here to help you navigate this process. CFC offers child care referrals at no cost to families, regardless of income level.

Thank you to all the families and community participants that made Connections for Children’s first inaugural Play Together, Grow Together: A Family Learning Festival a success. The vibrant and engaging event brought together over 450 children and adults to foster meaningful connections for children through hands-on learning experiences with their families and interactions with the surrounding community. Families were encouraged to take in the moments of play to observe what made their children excited to learn. 

Did you know that by becoming a Trauma-Informed Provider, you can earn a higher subsidy rate for children enrolled in CFC’s Santa Monica Early Education Program?

Connections for Children’s (CFC) Play Together, Grow Together: A Family Learning Festival is a new event created to directly support our community! This FREE learning festival will bring together children and families for interactive, nature-inspired activities that encourage healthy parent and child interactions and foster a love of learning. Families will enjoy hands-on activities while accessing valuable health and well-being resources.