The Child Care & Development team has compiled this list of workshops, trainings, and resources to support individuals who care for children, covering all areas of development from birth through elementary age. Unless otherwise noted, these events are hosted by third-party organizations and are not managed by the City of Irvine.
Explore the resources below to support your professional development and parent education journey.
Resources
Parenting Resources
The Child Care Coordination Office has compiled a list of resources to support you on your parenting journey from birth through the elementary years. Whether you’re wondering how to support your child’s learning, address a specific challenge, or just figuring out your child-raising approach, time invested in developing your parenting skills will help you achieve all of the above.
California Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECHMC)
Delivers support, resources, and training activities for early learning and care center-based program staff, family child care providers, and family, friend, and neighbor caregivers. Services include a toll-free help line, monthly open-door sessions held virtually and virtual communities of support. To learn more, click here. Please note: consultation services for child care providers in Orange County, California are provided by StartWell OC.
Start Well Mental Health Consultation for Early Care and Education
Are you or your staff overwhelmed by children’s challenging behaviors? Do you or your staff often call parents to pick up their children due to their challenging behaviors? Is behavior a ‘hot topic’ amongst your teachers and parents? Start Well can help and is available to work with YOUR program! Start Well is the local Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation provider. Start Well provides in person consultation for early learning and care center-based program staff, family child care providers, and family, friend, and neighbor caregivers located in Orange County, California. To learn more, click here.
Start Well Office Hours for Early Care and Education Providers: Wednesdays, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. via Zoom
Drop in and virtually talk with an Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant. The Consultant will be available to talk about behavior, social and emotional development, resources and any related questions.
For more information, including Zoom link please, click here.
Help Me Grow Orange County
Help Me Grow connects children and their families to developmental services to enhance the development, behavior and learning of children birth through eight years. By calling the toll free number 1.866.GROW.025, (1.866.476.9025) or using the online link, parents, caregivers, child care providers, early educators, and health care providers have a point of access to developmental services for all young children who live in Orange County.
Inclusion Pathway
This free online self-paced, self-study tool is a one stop shop for early childhood classroom teachers and caregivers and administrators. Whether you are new to the concept of “Inclusion”, want to learn about the newest resources and information to refine your inclusive practices or are looking for resources specific to supporting children with challenging behaviors, this is the place for you! Start by completing the self-assessment to help you determine which area of the self-study tool to begin with. No matter where you are now, each step you take in this educational journey will improve the experience of all children in your program and will help ensure that your program is open to, and truly accessible for all children, no matter their individual needs.
April Calendar
Foster and Kinship Care Education (FKCE)
A variety of online classes are available in April for families.
Organization: Saddleback College FKCE
Audience: Parents with children ages 0-17
Location: Virtual via Zoom/In Person
Dates: Click here (aqui para español) to view flyer with class schedule
Fee: Free
Information: Click above to view flier and click on registration links to register. After registering, participants receive a confirmation email about joining the class. Call 949-582-4884 or contact scfkce@saddleback.edu or for more information.
PRE-NATAL WORKSHOP
Your child’s development begins before birth. Join us for an evening of education, connection, and support, hosted by MemorialCare’s breastfeeding experts. Expectant parents and support people only.
Organization: Pretend City and MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center
Audience: Expectant parents and support people only.
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Dates: 4th Tuesday of each month, 6pm – 8pm
Fee: Free, pre-registration required
Information: Click here to register. Please contact:Pretend City at 949-428-3900 or email at info@pretendcity.org
POST-NATAL WORKSHOP
Join our postnatal breastfeeding experts for a calm, session designed to support you and your nursing infant. Come with questions, stay for connection. Repeat visits welcome.
Organization: Pretend City and MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center
Audience: Breastfeeding mothers and infants
Location: Virtual via Zoom Dates: 1st Tuesday of each month, 10am – 12pm
Fee: Free, pre-registration required
Information: Click here to register. Please contact Pretend City at 949-428-3900 or email at info@pretendcity.org
The Heart and the Mind 101: From Neurons to Nerves to Regulation by Richard Cohen, M.A.
Every emotion, reaction, and behavior tells a story—and it begins deep within the brain and body. In this insightful and grounding session, we’ll explore the fascinating connection between the brain, the nervous system, and emotional regulation in early childhood.
Children’s ability to self-regulate doesn’t develop overnight; it’s nurtured through caring relationships and co-regulation with responsive adults. In this session led by Richard Cohen, M.A., we’ll trace how thoughts and feelings travel through the body to become actions—and what that means for the moments we share with young children each day.
Organization: Early Childhood Investigations
Audience: Early childhood educators and professionals
Location: Virtual
Date: Wednesday, April 8, 11 AM – 12:30 PM
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to register. If unable to attend the live webinar, all registrants receive an email with the recording link the next business day after the live presentation.
Academy for Family Child Care and Family, Friend, and Neighbor Providers
The California Department of Social Services, in collaboration with WestEd, will conduct the third Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC) Academy for Family Child Care (FCC) and Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) Providers in April 2026.
The Academy is a six-session, no-cost, virtual training event for California FCC and FFN providers serving infants and toddlers. The event will be presented in English with simultaneous interpretation in Spanish and Chinese. All sessions are on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
The Academy provides PITC training, highlighting the unique assets of and opportunities for FCC and FFN providers in an orientation to the California Infant–Toddler Learning and Development Foundations, Second Edition.
Organizations: Orange County Department of Education and WestEd Audience: Family Child Care and Family, Friend, and Neighbor Providers
Location: Virtual
Date: Tuesday, April 14, 6:30–8:30 p.m. – Introduction and Integrated Nature of Learning and Development
Thursday, April 16, 6:30–8:30 p.m. – Approaches to Learning
Tuesday, April 21, 6:30–8:30 p.m. – Social and Emotional Development
Thursday, April 23, 6:30–8:30 p.m. – Language Development
Tuesday, April 28, 6:30–8:30 p.m. – Cognitive Development
Thursday, April 30, 6:30–8:30 p.m. – Perceptual and Motor Development
Fee: Free
Information: Please visit the PITC Academy for FCC and FFN Providers webpage to learn more about this exciting opportunity and to apply online. Applications will close when the Academy has reached capacity. For more information, please email PITCEvents@wested.org
Introduction to Trauma - Informed Care Series
You are invited to learn about early childhood trauma and how it affects child development and behavior, including that of children in foster care. In Part 1, providers will learn about brain development of children who have experienced trauma to see how they are physiologically different than children who have not experienced trauma. In Part 2, providers will learn strategies and techniques to work with children who have experienced trauma.
Organization: Children’s Home Society of California Audience: Child Care Providers for Early Childhood Location: Via Zoom
Date: Wednesday, April 15, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM – Trauma Informed Care Module 1 – Part 1
Wednesday, May 6, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM – Trauma Informed Care Module 1 – Part 2
Fee: Free
Information: To view to the flyer, please click here. Please visit CHS website to register via Eventbrite for this workshop. For support or additional information, please reach out to Program Specialist, Juliana Tapia at JulianaT@chs-ca.org / (530) 812 0920 or Program Specialist, Alfonso Casares at AlfonsoC@chs-ca.org / (530) 665 4684.
Building Beyond Anti Bias Education: Centering Justice in Early Childhood Practice by Dr. Jamie Cho and Ninderjit Gill
In this inspiring and challenging webinar, Dr. Jamie Cho and Ninderjit Gill will invite educators to look more deeply at how everyday practices can either reinforce or disrupt systems of inequity. Together, they’ll explore how justice-centered teaching can create new ways of being—where children’s cultures, languages, and identities are truly honored and where educators act as agents of change in their communities.
Organization: Early Childhood Investigations
Audience: Early childhood educators and professionals
Location: Virtual
Date: Thursday, April 16, 11 AM – 12:30 PM
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to register. If unable to attend the live webinar, all registrants receive an email with the recording link the next business day after the live presentation.
Super Kids Fest: Free Community Event
Get ready for a morning full of energy, exploration and inspiration at Super Kids Fest! This free community celebration invites children and families to discover new interests, build confidence and image what their future could hold - all while having fun together.
Free and Fun Festivities:
•Track & Field Games
*Registration Required for track and field events.
•Mini Medical School
•Food Demos
•Yoga
•Photos with Choco Bear
•Community Partners
•Award Raffles
•Resources
Event Agenda:
•9-9:30: Participant Check-in
•9:30-10:30: Open Exploration Activities
•10:30-12:00: Workshops & Timed Track Events
•12:00-1:00: Provided Lunch* & Raffle
*Lunch will be provided for the first 200 participants
Organization: Rady Children’s Health
Audience: Parents with children ages 0-17
Location: Valley High School
1801 S Greenville St., Santa Ana, CA 92704
Date: Saturday, April 18, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Fee: Free
Information: To view more information. For questions, please email WOW@choc.org
Good To Go Fair
Pretend City Children’s Museum invites families to attend our annual Good to Go Fair, a free community event designed to support young children’s healthy development and school readiness. Families can access free health and developmental screenings, connect with trusted community partners, and participate in hands-on activities that prepare children for school and beyond.
Organization: First 5 and Pretend City
Audience: Parents with children ages 0-6
Location: Pretend City Children’s Museum
29 Hubble, Irvine, CA 92618
Date: Saturday, April 18, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Fee: Free
Information: To view to the flyer in English or Spanish, please click on the link. For questions, please contact Yessie at 949-428-3900 ext 208 or email at marketing@pretendcity.org and register, please click here.
Play and Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice in Early Childhood by Kerry Murphy (BA Hons, MSc)
Play is innate, and all children have the capacity for playful selves. Yet many conventional views of play still rely on narrow developmental expectations that unintentionally exclude neurodivergent and disabled children. In this session led by **Kerry Murphy (BA Hons, MSc)**—author, Early Childhood Specialist, Lecturer, and Trainer—you are invited to re-explore play through a neurodiversity-affirming lens that honors the many functions and patterns of play.
Organization: Early Childhood Investigations
Audience: Early childhood educators and professionals
Location: Virtual
Date: Wednesday, April 22, 11 AM – 12:30 PM
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to register. If unable to attend the live webinar, all registrants receive an email with the recording link the next business day after the live presentation.
