Community Advisory Councils also present their overall findings and recommendations to the First 5 Contra Costa Commission
Each Spring, First 5 Contra Costa hosts the Community Advisory Council (CAC) end-of-year celebration. This annual event gives CAC members an opportunity to present their data collection findings, recommendations, and to be celebrated and thanked for their year-long efforts.
For each of the First 5 Centers, a CAC is created and composed of volunteer parents and caregivers attending or participating in services at the Center. The CACs provide a community “voice” to inform each Center’s planning and implementation of programs and activities through community assessment and community engagement.
At the celebration, the CACs from each Center presented their overall findings and recommendation areas after their year-long process of data collection and reflection.
Antioch:
- Build stronger social connections by creating an inclusive environment where families feel recognized and appreciated, including celebrating different cultural occasions and holidays to understand and embrace diverse cultures.
- Increase support by creating a safe space where parents feel confident that concerns they raise will be acknowledged, reviewed, and resolved without fear of retaliation.
Delta:
- Help caregivers understand their children’s social and emotional development by sharing practical parenting tools and strategies for handling big feelings.
- Foster parental resilience by building tighter connections with co-parents, caregivers, children, and community, and recognizing the value of these relationships.
East County
- Strengthen concrete supports by working towards eliminating and addressing barriers to accessing community resources.
- Help families strengthen social and emotional skills by providing opportunities to learn strategies and tools for regulating emotions, focusing on real-life situations.
Monument:
- Provide a safe space for parents who feel isolated to connect with one another, share experiences, and de-stress.
- Develop supportive spaces for parents of newborns focused on postpartum emotional well-being, shared experiences, and access to mental health resources.
West County:
- Increase knowledge of educational resources and learning opportunities, including school options, parent rights, coping skills for separation and transitions, and social-emotional approaches for children
- Increase access to resources on developmentally appropriate strategies for screen time, content selection, and support for children’s self-regulation.
During the coming fiscal year, Center staff will begin integrating the CACs’ recommendations into their work to guide programming, efforts, and family supports, ensuring that family voices continue to shape services across the Centers. To recognize their dedication, CAC members were celebrated with certificates, words of appreciation, and a small token of thanks from First 5 Contra Costa for their meaningful contributions.
Presenting to the Commission:
On June 22, the CAC continued its annual tradition of presenting their findings and recommendations to the First 5 Contra Costa Commission. Commissioners thanked the CAC and recognized the value of community-informed recommendations. As staff begin implementing this year’s recommendations, the Commission looks forward to seeing how family feedback will continue to shape programs, services, and partnerships in the year ahead.
Click here to review the presentation to the commission, including CAC’s work and recommendations.