Supporting Inclusive Early Care & Education Environments
First 5 Contra Costa is leading a project focused on creating more inclusive early care and education environments for children with disabilities, developmental concerns, and social-emotional delays. This effort aims to ensure that early care and education providers have the tools, knowledge, and resources they need to effectively support the diverse needs of all children.
To help strengthen inclusive practices, this effort will engage parents of young children, early care & education providers, and community organizations that support children with disabilities, delays, or developmental concerns. Through interviews and focus groups, and building on the 2020 Inclusion Blueprint developed by the Contra Costa County Office of Education, we will gather insights and experiences from across the community. The input collected will inform a set of recommendations aimed at building the capacity of early childhood programs—enhancing their knowledge, skills, and resources to more effectively include and support all children.
This project is supported by local county Measure X funding and state Proposition 10 funding that First 5 Contra Costa pledged to add to the project.
To learn more, explore the following:
Inclusion Convening on Neurodiversity
Access highlight videos, full session recordings, and resources shared during the Inclusion Convening on Neurodiversity. The event brought together more than 100 child care providers, and included a keynote speaker, interactive workshops, a family panel, and a resource fair focused on supporting neurodiverse children ages 0 to 5.
Tools and Resources for Early Learning Providers
First 5 Contra Costa is committed to supporting early childhood educators to build inclusive early learning environments. Explore videos and resources that highlight some commonly used tools and strategies for how to adapt your current environment and curriculum to support all children in your care.
Reports & Background Information
Explore our report highlighting key findings and community insights from an engagement process aimed at strengthening early care and education programs’ inclusion of children with disabilities. Learn how this work is supported by local Measure X and state Proposition 10 funding committed by First 5 Contra Costa.
