♥ Registration Now Open!

♥ About the 2026 Joint Conference

♥  Exhibitors & Sponsorship Information Now Available!

♥ 2026 Conference Committee

 

Registration Now Open!

Registration is now open for our Joint Conference.

The California Child Care Resource & Referral Network and Thriving Families California  Foundation are excited to announce that registration for the Annual Joint Conference is open!  This conference is developed by and specifically for APP and R&R programs in California and is a unique opportunity to learn about promising practices, innovations and partnerships that expand opportunities for families. Early-Bird Registration is currently open through July 31st.

The cap for this year is 550 registered attendees, an increase from last year. Each agency will receive a cap on their registrations (your agency information listed below). This approach ensures a fair and equitable opportunity for participation across the memberships and allows agencies of all sizes to be represented. You will be registering your own staff and we ask that you do not register more than the number listed for your agency; we will accept your registrations in the order received. For example, if your agency receives 8 registrations and you register 9, we will accept the first 8 as listed during the registration process. 

We have included your agency’s CEO/ED, AP Contact and R&R Contact on this email so that all are seeing the same information.  

If you are in need of that information, please let us know.  This is based on agency size and contracts. This is total staff from your agency, including both AP and R&R. 

Please note that the Hotel Room Block at the Doubletree is now open. Emails were sent to the contacts on June 18, 2026.  

And, at this time our Call for Workshop Proposals deadline has passed, but please reach out if you still have a workshop in mind, as we may have some workshop needs still to fill. Presenters are not included in your designated number of registrations; the same applies for staff who participate in the Conference Committee. 

Please let us know if you have any questions and thank you for your interest in the 2026 Joint Annual Conference!

Thriving Families CA Foundation and the California Child Care Resource & Referral Network are excited to announce the 2026 Joint Annual Conference!  

Save the Date and join your peers for an amazing 2026 Joint Conference!

After thoughtful consideration and reflection on participant and committee feedback, we will be moving to a 100% in-person format for 2026, rather than offering a hybrid option as in previous years. In-person gatherings continue to provide the highest levels of engagement, connection, and overall satisfaction—and we want to ensure the best possible experience for all attendees.

Over the past year, we also observed limited participation in the virtual offering. As a result, we’re focusing our efforts on delivering a dynamic, fully in-person event that maximizes learning, collaboration, and meaningful relationship-building.

To accommodate this shift, we are increasing overall in-person conference capacity.

We appreciate your understanding and partnership as we work to create an engaging and inclusive conference experience for all.

More details, including registration timelines, will be shared soon—we look forward to seeing you in person!

Date:

October 7 – 9, 2026

Time:

Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. to Friday at Noon

Location:

Double Tree Hotel

2001 Point West Way

Sacramento, CA 95815

Cost:

Early Bird

Member Agencies, 5 or more staff – $545

Member Agencies – $570

Non-Member Agencies - $785

 

Standard Rate

Member Agencies, 5 or more staff – $599

Member Agencies – $625

Non-Member Agencies - $845

Lodging: $199.00

Parking: $6.00

In-person Conference:

Location:
DoubleTree Hotel Sacramento
2001 Point West Way
Sacramento, CA 95815

Tentative In-person Agenda:

Wednesday, October 7th

11:00-6:00- Registration
1:00-2:00- Intro and Welcome & Conference Kick-Off
2:15-3:30- Workshops #1
3:45-5:00- Workshop #2
5:00-6:00- Welcome/Networking Reception (optional)

Thursday, October 8th

8:00-9:45- Breakfast & Keynote
10:00-12:00pm- Workshops #3
12:00-1:15- Lunch and Exhibitor Tables Open
1:30-2:45- Workshops #4
3:00-4:15- Workshops #5
4:30-6:30- Sponsor Social Activities (optional)
4:30- Dinner and Evening on your own

Friday, October 9th

8:00-9:15- Breakfast and raffles
9:30-10:45- Workshops #6
11:00-12:00- Farewell activity  

2026 Exhibitor and Sponsorship Opportunities

View the Exhibitor and Sponsorship Packet Here.

California’s premier educational conference for the Child Care Resource and Referral and Alternative Payment Program field will be held in person, October 7-9, 2026.

The California Child Care Resource & Referral Network (R&R Network) and Thriving Families CA (TFC) Foundation will be joining forces once again to build our capacity to impact the communities we serve all across the state. After 6 years of hybrid engagement, we are excited to return to a fully in-person conference experience, bringing our community together for meaningful connection, collaboration, and impact.

We invite you to take advantage of this special event to support early childhood education and promote your company and products at our joint conference. We look forward to opportunities with our conference partners.

There are a variety of ways to sponsor The Joint Annual Conference or show your support. Whether you are interested in one of our many sponsorship opportunities, purchasing ad space in the Conference program or hosting an exhibit booth to showcase new products or launch promotions, there will be ample opportunity for your company to be recognized as a contributor to the early learning and child care field and for you to build visibility and connect with senior management and key decision-makers.

Research has shown that high-quality early care and education experiences make a difference in children’s

lifelong academic and social success. In addition, child care helps support parents as they work, attend school, or engage in training programs. By participating in our joint conference, you are demonstrating your support for California’s children and their families, and will be able to make a connection with a significant number of leaders in the early childhood and education community.

Highlights for this year’s program include:

  • 600 people from across the state are expected to attend this conference, including line staff, managers, directors and executive directors of agencies. All will be in-person.
  • 3 Dynamic keynote speakers and over 60 exciting workshops
  • Ample opportunities to meet Resource & Referral, Alternative Payment professionals and other stakeholders in the early learning and child care and development community.
2026 Conference Committee

Emily Alexander, Community Resources for Children of Napa County; Nancy Huerta, Wu Yee Children's Services San Francisco; Paris Smith, Solano Family & Children's Services; Claudia Esteva, 4Cs of San Mateo County; Erica Thorsen, Children's Council of San Francisco, Karen Frazier, The Resource Connection Amador Calaveras Counties; Sandra Herrera-Gonzalez, Children's Home Society; Heather della Ripa, Catalyst Community; Teri Sedrick, North Coast Opportunities; Sylvia Lerma, Child Development Resources, Inc.; Cassy Kraus, Shasta County Office of Education; Michelle Graham, Children's Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County

THRIVING FAMILIES CA Foundation STAFF
Danielle Metzger
[email protected] 

NETWORK STAFF
Heather Lang-Heaven
[email protected]