Early Care & Education
Public Counsel's Early Care and Education (ECE) Law Project was established in 1986 to increase child care capacity in low-income communities and to improve the quality of care. With the help of pro bono attorneys and volunteer law students, ECE Law Project provides free legal assistance to existing and/or prospective family child care providers and child care centers in a variety of ways. Read MoreContact Information
For more information about our services, call:
- (213) 385-2977 x 300
Let's put child care on the map in Southern California!
Public Counsel is helping cities and counties plan for early care today, so they can build it tomorrow. Our interactive child care map shows how cities in Los Angeles County are planning for quality child care in their communities.
- El Monte Puts Child Care on the Map The city of El Monte has taken a significant step towards improving access to quality child care for its citizens with a new policy that promotes economic development and serve the needs of working families.
- 'We Are Public Counsel': Snapshots from the 2011 Pro Bono Awards Public Counsel celebrates the attorneys and professionals who helped us provide free legal help valued at $88 million last year and change thousands of lives. "Our honorees are talented attorneys and professionals and they are making our city and nation a better place to live," said President and CEO Hernan Vera.
- California Parents Escaping Poverty Can Keep Child Care Having affordable, safe child care is critical for parents escaping poverty. The state of California has agreed to ensure that working families will continue to have assistance, despite ongoing budget uncertainties in Sacramento.
- Effort to Restore Children's Play Gains Momentum NEWS FLASH: YOUNG CHILDREN SHOULD PLAY. Unfortunately to many, this is a "news flash." In misguided attempts to regulate the world of young children: so that they never have an accident; so that they don't disturb others; and to force feed them academics, our communities have lost sight of what is important to a young child. This New York Times article highlights efforts of parents, scientists and psychologists to bring back old-fashioned unstructured play time for young children. Click on the heading to read the article.
- Landmark Court Settlement Saves Child Care for Thousands of Working Families Rebuking Gov. Schwarzenegger's veto, Alameda County judge approves extension of child care through 2010.
- ECE Honors Neil O'Hanlon at the 11th Annual Volunteer Gala Public Counsel's Early Care & Education Law Project honors volunteer attorney Neil O'Hanlon for his commitment to increasing child care services for working families.
- Family Child Care Provider Threatened With Eviction A young mother who provides family child care in her apartment was threatened with eviction, after her landlord was ordered by the L.A. Housing Department to reduce her rent due to negligent maintenance. Public Counsel and volunteer attorneys from Jones Day fought to help her stay in her home and continue to provide child care to her community.
- "No Crying Babies" Mary Jaw operates a family child care business in a condominium. A homeowners association hearing was scheduled after a couple of Mrs. Jaw's neighbors complained that crying infants in Mrs. Jaw's care were causing excessive noise. Mrs. Jaw contacted Public Counsel, concerned about the hearing and its potential ramifications for her livelihood.
- El Monte Puts Child Care on the Map
- Major L.A. Firms Unite to Help Bridge Gap With a deficit and a proposed elimination of day care for 142,000 low-income California children, the need to ensure an adequate quantity of child care centers is an urgent and compelling issue.
- Daily Journal: Litigators take up the fight for state court funds Public Counsel is part of a major new effort to protect California courts from cuts that hurt the public.
- Child Care Centers Get Help Many people trying to open child care centers say they often find themselves up against a wall of red tape, struggling to decipher a long list of city permit requirements to set up shop in an area that might not have similar uses. Karla Y. Pleitez, staff attorney with Public Counsel featured.
- Administering Medication This handout is intended to provide an overview of the child care licensing guidelines for administering and storing medications.
- Child Care Operator Resource Guide On this page, you will find links to helpful information for operators - individuals looking to expand, renovate, or acquire a child care center.
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Child Care In 1990, Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which is designed to make an array of services, including child care programs, accessible to people with disabilities
- El Acta de los Americanos Incapacitados y el Cuidado Profesional De Ninos En 1990, el Congreso aprobo el Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) que es disenado para hacer varios tipos de servicios accesibles a las personas con discapacidades, tales como el servicio de cuidar a ninos en una guarderia.
- Child Care Liability Insurance This document contains a list of insurance carriers that provide liability insurance coverage for family child care homes. We hope you find this review of available carriers helpful as a source of general information and comparison.
- El Seguro de Responsabilidad Comercial Una lista de companias que proveen polizas de seguro para protegerse contra la responsabilidad comercial en su guarderia. Esperamos que esta lista sea una fuente de informacion general ademas de una comparacion practica de las companias.
- Guidelines for Releasing Children
- Immunization
- Jury Duty for Family Child Care Providers
- Legal Duties of Landlords to Family Child Care Provider Tenants
- License Exempt Child Care
- Naming your Family Child Care Business
- Nombrando Su Negocio y Guardaria
- Note to Tax Return Preparers Assisting Family Child Care Providers
- Responding to Suspected Child Abuse or Domestic Violence in Child Care Setting
- Running a Successful Child Care Business: Practice Good Community Relations
- La Importancia de Buenas Relaciones Comunitarias Para Tener una Guarderia Exitosa La mayoria de los problemas legales se puede evitar si uno mantiene buenas relaciones con los demas miembros de su comunidad.
- Sample Parent-Provider Contract
- Sample Parent-Provider Contract for Subsidized Care
- Muestra de Un Contrato Para Guarderias Caseras (Parent Provider Contract - Spanish)
- What You Need to Know About Small Claims Court
- Your Rights as a Homeowner or Tenant to Operate a Family Child Care
- Mediation vs Litigation: Things to Consider Before Going to Court [2011] This document defines mediation as a private process where a neutral third person called a mediator facilitates a discussion of the issues at hand and helps you and the other party to potentially resolve the dispute through negotiation; describes several advantages of the process; and provides a list of some local organizations that may be helpful.
- Workers' Compensation Insurance for Family Child Care Businesses
- Child Care Operator Resource Guide This Guide provides links to helpful information for child care center operators (individuals looking to expand, renovate, or acquire a child care center).
- Surviving the Economic Crisis - Useful Information and Resources for Small Businesses Is your small business struggling due to the economic downturn? This document contains information sheets prepared by attorneys addressing legal issues you may be facing now, such as loan or lease modifications, employment laws, and referrals to other sources of financial and consulting assistance for small businesses.
- Surviving the Economic Crisis - Information and Resources for Nonprofits Do you represent a nonprofit organization that is facing diminished resources? Is the nonprofit considering changes to its operations to preserve its financial strength? This resource contains information sheets addressing timely legal issues ranging from loan and lease modifications to employment law, and helpful resources on how non-profits can adapt to and operate in this tough economic environment.
- California Immunization Registry The California Immunization Registry is a free and secure internet-based computer system used by thousands of doctors that stores children's immunization records. To learn more about how you can use this free and very useful tool, click on the above title.