A young child smiles while holding green sensory foam in a classroom setting.

Early Learning

The Early Learning Department, part of ACOE's Whole Child Programs Division, is dedicated to building a cohesive early learning system that supports children from birth through third grade. By connecting early learning programs with TK–12 educational systems and partnering with families, educators, and community organizations, we work to expand access, strengthen quality, and reduce opportunity gaps for Alameda County's youngest learners.

In partnership with the Alameda County early learning community, we support the following key areas:

Workforce & Professional Development Resources for Families Collaborative Networks & Committees

Stay Connected & Involved:

Event Calendar Newsletter

Workforce & Professional Development

Alameda County Early Childhood Workforce Pathways Program

This program gives financial rewards to early learning and care professionals that work in Alameda County for completing training, college courses, and obtaining or updating their child development permits and early childhood related degrees. By participating, they improve their skills and knowledge, which helps raise the quality of education and care they give to children.

Professional Development & Early Childhood Coursework

ACOE offers professional development to educators and leaders on a variety of topics, including inclusion, PTKLFs, and more! Check out our training and events calendar! Email Early Learning Team (earlylearning@acoe.org) to learn more.

For additional resources to support your UPK programs, visit the UPK Resources Portal.

The Early Learning Department also offers ECE classes through college partnerships.

Career Pathways and Credential Programs

For additional support in pursuing a career pathway and/or credential please visit our PATH department.

Collaborative Committees & Networks

Alameda County Early Care & Education Planning Council (Local Planning Council - LPC)

The Alameda County Early Care & Education Planning Council (LPC) is a state-mandated advisory body that brings together parents, early childhood educators, community organizations, businesses, and public agencies to support the planning and coordination of early care and education services throughout Alameda County. The LPC is also responsible for developing the Alameda County UPK Mixed Delivery Plan to guide future efforts around access, quality, and coordination of services. For more information, please visit the Early Care & Education Planning Council Webpage.

Inclusive Early Education Expansion Program (IEEEP) Leadership Network

Children with disabilities and special needs have a rightful presence in early education programs. To support these efforts, we convene leaders and community partners to plan for training, acquiring special equipment, renovating facilities to be more accessible and inclusive of diverse needs.

P-3 Alignment Network

P-3 alignment is an approach to supporting quality within children's early education experiences. A strong P-3 Alignment strategy involves educators and leaders who are knowledgeable about early childhood development and make education decisions with this knowledge in mind. The P-3 Alignment Network gathers leaders and educators to plan for conditions that promote quality experiences starting from preschool through 3rd grade, and beyond.

Quality Counts

Quality Counts is a countywide initiative that is part of a statewide effort to strengthen California’s early learning and care system. In Alameda County, Quality Counts is co-led by the Alameda County Office of Education and First 5 Alameda County to support continuous quality improvement across early learning and care programs. ACOE leads Quality Counts services for California State Preschool Programs (CSPPs), while First 5 Alameda County leads services for non-CSPP programs. Together, these efforts help ensure that children have access to high-quality early learning experiences that support their success in school and beyond.

For more information, email Quality Counts Team (qualitycounts@acoe.org).

Resources for Families

Alameda County UPK Website

This is an accessible and multilingual website designed to help families find and navigate early care and education options for their children.

Referral Guide for Families

Children grow and learn differently. Many developmental differences can be supported through different environments, targeted strategies, and ongoing observation. If you are concerned about your child’s development, refer to this Referral Guide to learn the referral process. Referrals should be considered thoughtfully within the context of a child's strengths, development, and experiences.

English Guide Spanish Guide

Please read: California ECE Workforce Registry Update

We want to share an update about the California ECE Workforce Registry: The registry will continue to be available to Alameda County users with no changes to access at this time.

Please see the message below from our partners at First 5 Alameda County who are working to keep the registry functional:

The California ECE Workforce Registry will continue to be available. No action is required at this time: Alameda County users can continue to access their Workforce Registry account by logging in via the website.

If you have already created a Workforce Registry profile, your existing profile, education and training records, uploaded documents, and other information remain securely stored and protected in the Registry.

Previous notices instructing users to download, save, or transfer records do not apply to users located in Alameda County.

The Workforce Registry serves as a secure place to maintain your education, training, and professional accomplishments in one place. If you have not yet created a Workforce Registry profile, we encourage you to register and keep your information current.

If you have questions regarding this update or need immediate assistance, please call the Registry hotline at (855) 645-0826.