Child Care Planning
The Mono County Child Care Council plans for child care and early education services based on the needs of families in our community. We serve as a public forum to address the child care needs of all families in Mono County — across all types of care, both subsidized and non-subsidized.
Our work includes conducting needs assessments, setting funding priorities, and creating strategic plans to strengthen child care access and quality in our county.
Needs Assessment & Strategic Planning
The Council conducts a countywide child care needs assessment every five years to guide our strategic planning. The assessment gathers input from families, providers, and community partners through surveys, interviews, and local data review.
The most recent analysis (2022–2027) describes:
The current child care landscape in Mono County
Community strengths and gaps in services
Recommendations for improving access and quality
This work is completed in partnership with external research organizations and directly shapes the focus areas in our Strategic Plan.
In April 2026, the Council adopted an updated five-year Strategic Plan to guide its work through 2031. Built directly on the needs assessment, the plan was shaped by families and providers across the county — drawing on the 2022 Needs Assessment, a 2025 licensed provider survey, and a parent focus group — and developed through facilitated planning sessions with Council members.
The plan organizes the Council's work around three domain areas:
Cross-Sector Collaboration: Building partnerships that strengthen the long-term sustainability of the child care system
Child Care Access: Advocating for conditions that expand equitable access to care across Mono County
Provider Quality: Connecting providers to the resources, coaching, and training that strengthen quality
The Council's vision, that all children in Mono County will be supported to reach their full potential, continues to anchor this work. The plan was completed in partnership with VIVA Social Impact Partners.
Local Zip Code Priorities
History
Since 1998, state law has required Local Child Care Planning Councils to set annual funding priorities. These priorities guide the California Department of Education in allocating child care and preschool funding where it is most needed.
How priorities are set:
Analyze census and American Community Survey zip code data to estimate the number of children eligible for state-funded services.
Combine with local data (county growth trends, planning department data, school enrollment trends).
Review state and federal service data to see where eligible children are served or unserved.
Consider school performance and child outcome data.
Assign each zip code a Priority 1, 2, or 3 designation based on state thresholds.