The message California voters sent legislators on May 19th was loud and clear.

By defeating Proposition 1D, voters confirmed for a third time their commitment to supporting young children. While we’re relieved by this outcome, this is hardly a time for celebration. The Governor’s post- election budget cut proposals will be devastating to California’s families already struggling through these tough economic times.

Some of the proposed cuts include ending CalWORKS benefits for thousands of children, cutting $234 million from Regional Centers that coordinate services for people with developmental disabilities, and eliminating Healthy Families, which provides health insurance for 942,000 children from working families. In Contra Costa County, over 13,000 children could lose Healthy Families coverage.

Families are already struggling. This latest round of proposed cuts to health, education, and child abuse prevention programs are about to make things even worse. In light of this, First 5 commissions will continue to work with local and statewide partners to meet immediate needs caused by the economic downturn and the budget crisis.

Locally, our Commission is strongly committed to continue providing a consistent level of funding for our programs. We’re also looking at ways to expand our funding in some programs to respond to emerging needs families are facing, such as increasing funding for mental health services for children without heath insurance and providing families with counseling and crisis management services at First 5 Centers. And as we complete our strategic planning for the next five years, we will look at how we can align our funding and programs to ensure maximum benefit for families.

Ironically, as the state budget news worsens daily, the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA, known as the "stimulus bill") and the federal budget for the coming year both include expanded funding for young children, particularly in Head Start and Early Head Start. This kind of "stimulus" for young children could not come at a better time in California.

Investing in young children is a sound investment, in good times and bad. I encourage you to continue communicating with policy makers everywhere about the important opportunities we may lose if we do not adequately support the kind of high-quality programs that we know will benefit children for a lifetime.

The economy will recover in time, but our kids have only one childhood.

• The Commission's Program and Evaluation Committee (PEC) will meet June 24 at 1:00 p.m. at the First 5 office to continue working on First 5's 2009 Strategic Plan.  This meeting is open to the public.  To receive an agenda, please email Caline Raab.

• Don't miss the Central County Regional Group's 6th annual Healthy & Active Kids Family Fair on Saturday, June 20, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  The event will take place at Ellis Lake Park in Concord (between Clayton and Ellis).

• The fourth in a series of reports from RAND's California Preschool Study was released at a briefing in the State Capitol last week, and it shows how California can invest in a high-quality early learning system that will help close the state's achievement gap. The report recommends creating a well-designed, coordinated plan to prepare teachers, while ensuring that high-quality programs are available to the children who need them most.

• Facing the state's record budget deficit, Children Now's 2009 California Report Card presents a clear case for prioritizing smart investments in children's health and education.
  

• Click here to find classes and activities happening at the Antioch, Bay Point, Delta, Monument, and West County First 5 Centers this month.

Twenty-two children have been selected to participate in the Preschool Makes a Difference two-year pilot preschool scholarship program, which starts this July.   

Funded by First 5 Contra Costa and implemented with our partners the Contra Costa Child Care Council, the Contra Costa County Office of Education, and the Employment and Human Services Department – Community Service Bureau, the pilot is the first project implemented from Preschool Makes a Difference, Contra Costa's countywide universal preschool plan.

The scholarship program is for families who earn too much to qualify for subsidized child care but too little to afford quality preschool.  All participating children will start kindergarten in Pittsburg or Antioch schools in 2010 or 2011.  Scholarships will cover full-day or part-time preschool. 

Participating families are in the process of selecting preschools from a list of 26 family child care and preschool centers prescreened through a rigorous assessment process to ensure high-quality practices and well-trained staff.  

While the first year of the program will provide scholarships to 22 children, all children enrolled at the child care sites - about 200 children total - will benefit from the extra support preschool teachers receive.  This support includes ongoing professional development activities for providers, the Raising a Reader literacy program, and linkages between programs, families, and local elementary schools to ensure children have smooth transitions into kindergarten. 

The Bay Area Council, a business-sponsored, public-policy advocacy organization for the nine-county Bay Area, released a new report called "Key to Economic Success in the 21st Century: Investment in Early Childhood Programs". The report highlights the impressive returns resulting from investments in quality early education programs.  With more than 275 of the largest employers in the region on the Bay Area Council, this report represents an important new partnership between the business community and early childhood advocates. 

The report was produced for the Bay Area Council and the Bay Area Early Childhood Funders by the Department of Economics at San Francisco State University and is intended to promote early education as a way to help avoid potential costs of grade retention, special education, drop-outs, crime engagement, low skills, and low-income levels.

"The jury is now in. Investments in high-quality educational experiences in the years zero to five significantly improve not only school achievement but also a range of social and economic outcomes throughout life," said Matt Regan, Bay Area Council's Director of Government Relations. "Skeptics will no doubt ask if we can afford such an investment particularly in these economic times, but the data is very clear; investments in high-quality early care and education generate a higher rate of return than almost any other public investment."

The Bay Area Council released the report last week at the East Bay Community Foundation.  Ken McNeely, the President of AT&T California, was the keynote speaker and will chair the Bay Area Council's newly formed Early Childhood Education committee.  For more information or to join the committee, please contact Matt Regan at mregan@bayareacouncil.org.

	Nurse Rona poses with West County families at the anniversary celebration

Nearly 200 local families came out to play at the West County First 5 Center's 2nd anniversary celebration last month.  The theme of the anniversary celebration was the value of play, which research shows is critical to a young child's healthy development.

"From day one, children are eager and determined to understand how the world works.  And they do this through play," said Alexina Shepard, the director of the West County First 5 Center.  "Playing with their child is one the most importance ways parents can nurture their child's development.  When children are interested and having fun, they're learning.  Play truly is the work of childhood and how children learn best."

To reinforce this important message, families enjoyed children's dance performances, toy-making workshops using recycled household materials such as paper towel rolls, curlers, and tissue boxes, and a skit illustrating how young children at different age levels learn through play.

"We wanted to show parents that children don't need expensive toys to have fun and to learn," said Ms. Shepard.  "Children love pretending, getting messy, and creating art with their parents or caregivers.  At the First 5 Center, we're always telling parents that they are their child's favorite toy."

In addition to these activities, the popular weekly parenting radio programs Childhood Matters and Nuestros Niños recorded shows with First 5 Center parents as guests.

Since opening in 2007, the West County First 5 Center has become a trusted resource in the community, especially for parents struggling during the current economic downturn. First 5 Center programs and
classes reached nearly 1,300 West County parents and children last year, an increase of nearly 40% from the previous year. 

Call (510) 232-5650 to sign up for First 5 Center classes or visit firstfivecc.org to find the Center's monthly program calendar. 

First 5 Contra Costa has developed a new bilingual early literacy kit to encourage parents to read daily with their children, which research shows is one of the most important ways parents can help their children prepare for school.  Reading together builds a child's vocabulary, teaches shapes, names and sounds of letters, ignites a child's imagination and curiosity, and increases memory and attention span. 

The kit, called "Read with Tigo," features First 5's colorful school readiness character Tigo and offers tips for parents about ways to read with their babies, toddlers, or preschoolers.  It comes in a folder that provides additional early literacy information along with stickers to place on the chart every time parents and children read together.  These interactive materials stress the importance of reading with children from birth and the important role reading together plays in parent-child bonding.

"Read with Tigo" will be distributed to local families at First 5 Centers and through Raising a Reader, home visiting, and school readiness programs.  In addition, the reading chart will be added to the Kit for New Parents and distributed at community events. 

Preview "Read with Tigo" here by downloading the chart or the folder. 

For more information about the reading chart, contact tirwin@firstfivecc.org.  

After five years serving as the director of the Antioch First 5 Center, Mary Rocha has taken a new part-time position at Brighter Beginnings, the agency that runs the Center. In this position, Mary will conduct outreach in the community for Brighter Beginnings and the First 5 Center. The new position also allows her to spend more time on her other role as the Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Antioch.

Mary first became involved with First 5 six years ago when the community came together in a series of planning meetings where the vision of the five First 5 Centers was "born". In her role as the Antioch First 5 Center Director, Mary was instrumental in securing a permanent site for the Center and has provided a variety of opportunities and programs for thousands of families with young children.

"I am so honored to have had the opportunity to work with Mary. I have never met anyone more committed to her community. If there is a way to make a difference in a family’s life, no matter how large or small, I have seen Mary do what it takes to make it happen. Regardless of her role, the community can rest assured that Mary has its best interests at heart," said Lisa Morrell, First 5 Contra Costa Program Officer.

In appreciation of all you have done for the lives of East County’s families and young children, Mary, we thank you!

First 5 California has taken another stride forward in the world of Web 2.0 by joining the popular social networking site Twitter.
Gaining a rapidly growing number of followers, the feed consists of real-time updates about First 5 California's Family Resource Express tour, including event information and photos. "Tweets" also include parenting tips and links to important resources for families.

If you're not yet on Twitter, here's a good reason to join! You can follow First 5 California's Twitter feed here at http://twitter.com/first5ca.

Calls to 211, the national, toll-free phone number to call 24 hours a day for information about local health and human services, have more than doubled in Contra Costa County in the last year alone.

211 in Contra Costa County is managed by the Contra Costa Crisis Center and enables people to find out about vital resources in their community quickly and easily. According to the Crisis Center, the increased number of calls reflects the growing number of people in crisis -– those who have recently lost jobs, homes, or retirement savings.  In fact, the Crisis Center expects to answer 28,000 211 calls in 2009.

One recent caller was a Spanish-speaking woman who had just unexpectedly given birth to triplets. She had never received prenatal care. She and her husband had financial problems and couldn't afford diapers for the babies. The woman called 211 and the call specialist referred her to several programs that help low-income families with young children. When the family's limited English prevented them from calling for services, 211 staff called for them.  Two days later, the woman called back to thank the 211 specialist for the help that was provided.

Current funders of 211 in Contra Costa County include United Way of the Bay Area, First 5 Contra Costa, John Muir/Mt. Diablo Community Health Fund, Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation, and Pacific Gas & Electric Company.  Local First 5 commissions are the single largest funder in the state of 211.

In addition to 211, the Contra Costa Crisis Center also manages a database of health and human services for Contra Costa County called the 211 database and provides Regional Guides listing essential services for local residents.

Regional Guides