Monday, January 9, 2006
Preschool for All Planning:
Governance Work Group
 
3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Contra Costa Child Care Council Learning Institute
1035 Detroit Avenue, Concord

Monday, January 9, 2006
Commission Meeting

6:00 p.m.
50 Douglas Drive, Second Floor Conference Room

Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Program and Evaluation Committee
 
12:00 p.m.
1340 Arnold Dr., Suite 125, Conference Room, Martinez.

Childhood Matters schedule
 
Tune in to Childhood Matters Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on 98.1 KISS-FM
for parenting information and advice. Visit
www.childhoodmatters.org
to learn more and listen to past shows.

1/8/06:
Getting the Help You Need for a Child With ADHD

1/15/06:
Your Child's Dental Health

1/22/06:
The Toddler Years

1/29/06:
Cultural Sensitivity in Child Care

Nuestros Niños Topics
 
Childhood Matters’ Spanish-language counterpart, Nuestros Niños, airs every Sunday at 8:00 a.m. on KLOK Cumbia 1170 AM and KBBF, La Nuestra 89.1 FM.

1/8/06:
Healthy Mouths and Strong Teeth for All Nuestros Niños

1/15/06:
Disciplining Nuestros Niños: Solutions for Your Family Situations

1/22/06:
Culture Matters in the Education of our Young Nuestros Niños

1/29/06:
The Importance of Spending Time with Nuestros Niños, Even During Busy Times

Happy New Year!

First 5 Contra Costa is participating again this year in the Earn It! Keep It! Save It! Contra Costa campaign to help low-income families receive deserved but often unclaimed federal income tax refunds. Last year’s Earn It! Keep It! Save It! Contra Costa campaign helped low-income workers claim more than $2 million in tax credits and refunds, exceeding the program goal by half a million dollars. More than 100 volunteers participated in the program and provided free tax preparation for 1,700 families and individuals.

The campaign is in full swing again this year and tax preparation centers throughout the county will open this month. We need your help to get thousands of low-income working families off to a good start in 2006.

We will be sending out flyers in English and Spanish to our mailing list with more information about the program and locations of free tax preparation sites. If you want to distribute flyers, please e-mail tirwin@firstfivecc.org. To learn more about the campaign, call 1-800-358-8832 or visit www.EarnItKeepItSaveIt.org.

The campaign is sponsored by the Family Economic Security Partnership, which includes Contra Costa Health Services, Employment and Human Services, United Way of the Bay Area, First 5 Contra Costa, IRS and several foundations.

Thank you in advance for helping hundreds of local low-income families claim these credits and build financial security.

- Sean Casey, Acting Executive Director

• The January program calendars for the Antioch, Bay Point, Concord, and Delta First 5 Centers are now available.
• New research from economists at the RAND Corporation shows that a strategic, statewide investment in quality preschool for all would deliver major education and public safety benefits to local communities. RAND’s report, County-Level Estimates of the Effects of a Universal Preschool Program in California (PDF), predicts significant local reductions in high school dropouts, grade retention, special education years and juvenile crime.

Family-Friendly Community Grants provide up to $5,000 to conduct health and safety projects, parent education classes or community festivals, and up to $10,000 to build safer playgrounds. These grants are for community groups and nonprofit organizations only.

Groups who have not received a Family-Friendly Community Grant are required to attend information workshops in order to apply. Workshop dates and times will be posted on our Web site soon.

The Monument Community First 5 Center will hold a grand opening celebration on Saturday, January 21, 2006. The Center is located at 1736 Clayton Road, next to the Keller House at Ellis Lake Park. The grand opening will take place from 12 to 4 p.m. and includes a puppet show, animals from the Oakland Zoo and Dora the Explorer. Participants will a have an opportunity to learn more about programs offered onsite, including parenting classes and programs that teach parents how to prepare their children for kindergarten.

The Monument Community Partnership (MCP) in collaboration with the city of Concord received a grant from First 5 Contra Costa for $1,022,000 over three years to fund the Center. For more information, contact Ruth Rodriguez, (925) 671-3267.

The Preschool for All planning process has been going full-steam since July and is now beginning to wrap up. During this time, First 5 Contra Costa has been working with the Contra Costa County Office of Education, the Contra Costa Child Care Council, local child care providers and representatives from public education to develop a plan for free, voluntary preschool that meets the needs of our county’s youngest children.

More than 80 early care professionals and representatives from K-12 school districts have joined us on this effort, participating on work groups to address issues such as governance, workforce development, program standards, and access/facilities. Their work will culminate in a draft strategic plan, which will be ready in January.

In order to avoid confusing Contra Costa’s preschool planning effort with the Preschool for All Initiative on the June 2006 ballot, all planning activity will stop by the end of March.

Once the draft plan is ready, we will post it on our Web site, along with a form to provide feedback. Meetings will also be held to get input from the community. More information is coming soon.

All three local community colleges have hired a College Education Advisor to help child care providers obtain an AA degree in early childhood education and to help providers set and reach educational goals. The three Advisors will work directly with providers to help them enroll in classes, connect providers with tutoring, and facilitate enrollment in special classes just for providers, such as math or English as a Second Language classes.

The Education Advisors are part of First 5 Contra Costa’s new and improved Early Childhood Education Professional Development Program, which aims to increase education opportunities for local child care providers.

Contact the following Education Advisors for more information:

Contra Costa College:
Ray Landry
(510) 235-7800 ext. 4471

Diablo Valley College:
Sue Handy
(925) 685-1230 ext. 1907

Los Medanos College:
Janice Townsend
(925) 439-2181 ext. 3240

John Jones was recently appointed by Supervisor Glover to serve on the First 5 Contra Costa Commission representing District 5. Jones is the President/CEO of We Care Services for Children, a nonprofit agency providing a variety of programs for special needs and typically developing children ages birth to six.

What was your favorite book as a child?
My favorite book is “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Suess. I love this book because it summarized exactly how most people, especially me, react to new things. Always try something before you decide to dislike it.

What cartoon character do you most relate to? Why?
I think I relate to two cartoon characters: 1) Calvin from "Calvin and Hobbes because when I was 4 my best friend was a stuffed bear and I got into just as much trouble and 2) Goofy, because he never really masters anything he tries including being a father, but he does get by.

What food did you refuse to eat when you were a child?
Any food with the word "green" in it. This would result in me having to sit at the table until I finished. This stalemate with my mother would continue until 10:00 at night sometimes. My life changed when we got a dog.

Which living person do you most admire?
The invented of caller I.D. That person is a genius!

Which historical figure is the most overrated?
Socrates, philosopher or professional loiterer? Rather than leave town he accepted the death penalty. What kind of philosophical discussion was he having?

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
1) "Do you know what your problems is...?" 2) "When you start paying rent you can paint the walls any color you like" and 3) "Because I said so!"

What is your motto?
"Leave the world in better shape then how you found it, or at least stay off my side."

One of First 5 Contra Costa’s most influential volunteers, Alice Axel, is retiring from the West County Regional Group.

Alice is one of the founding members of First 5 Contra Costa's West County Regional Group, an all-volunteer group of parents, child care providers, and other West County residents who are taking action to make West County a safer and more family-friendly place.

Alice is the mastermind behind the Super Saturday Family Fest, a parent resource fair that provides free activities for children and valuable information for parents. Super Saturday has taken place the past four years and each year the event has gotten bigger, with approximately 3,000 people attending the last one.

In addition to running her successful family child care, Alice has worked countless hours to educate parents about the West County Regional Group, encourage them to get involved, and research various issues that affect West County families. Alice's involvement with the Regional Group has made her a tireless advocate for children. We are so grateful for her contribution to creating a brighter future for young children and families. Good luck Alice!

Five-year-old Christian attends Caryn Henry’s family child care along with six other children. When Christian was a baby, a viral infection affected the way his muscles developed. As a result, Christian is in a wheelchair, wears a body brace for support, and has a tracheotomy to help him breathe. And, he was the first child Caryn enrolled when she opened her child care last year.

“At first, I really thought I was in over my head,” said Caryn. “But, now I think of him just like any other child here. He enjoys puzzles, listening to stories, and playing with the other children. He is just a normal happy little boy.”

Caryn worked with the Contra Costa Child Care Council’s Inclusion Program, which helps to make typical child care more accessible for children with special needs. In this program, inclusion facilitators provide one-on-one support and offer providers useful tips, technical assistance or special adaptive equipment to help children with special needs thrive in child care. Facilitators work with children up to three times each week for several months. The program is funded by a First 5 Contra Costa Early Childhood Education grant.

“It’s so helpful to have the Inclusion Program as a resource,” said Caryn. “The program has really helped to address my fears and answer my questions.” In addition, the program has provided a special cot for Christian to use for naps and an adaptive chair so he can join the other children on the floor for circle time.

Last year, inclusion facilitators worked with 76 children with special needs in child care settings, providing over 1,300 hours of direct classroom assistance and observation. Parents and providers both reported universal satisfaction with the service. Most providers surveyed anticipated that they would be able to care for additional children with disabilities because of the training and technical assistance provided.

“It is such a blessing for Christian to be here because everyone benefits from inclusion: the provider, the child, and the other children in care,” said Caryn. “I hope he comes here for a really long time.”

For more information, contact Ange Burnett (925) 676-5442 ext. 3113.