The purpose of this guide is to assist child care personnel in finding and working with community resources. Aspects of setting up a resource system are discussed, including establishing responsibilities, identifying needs, locating resources, cooperating with other centers, and contacting resource agencies. Suggestions are made for keeping records to help document the need for the use of a community resource. Also described are categories of information to be kept on administrative records, the emergency card file, each child's individual file, parents' inquiry file, and a community resource file. Guidelines for informing parents about center policy concerning referral of children to resource agencies and for making observations of children to identify special needs are provided. Concluding comments focus on dissemination of information in order to use resources effectively and the evaluation of resource agencies. A sample resource card form, a sample emergency form, and brief descriptions of New Jersey state departments which serve young children are appended. (RH)