Highlights across Contra Costa County: Coffee & Kids, advocacy efforts, kindergarten celebrations, and community connections making an impact.
Help Spread the Word: 2nd Annual Ready Kids East County Resource Fair
Help spread the word to families with African American children under age 5 who live in East County! We are excited to be bringing together 30 community partners who will participate in a resource fair for African American families on Saturday, April 11 at the Marina Community Center in Pittsburg. It will be a fun, joyful, family-friendly day dedicated to connecting families to services, and making personal connections. The event is part of the Ready Kids East County effort that is working to build a network of community partners to better support school readiness and well-being for African American families with young children in the eastern part of our county.
Help us spread the word about this magical day of connection, play, and learning for the whole family!
- Get a FREE tote bag and shirt, designed by two local artists, for the first 100 families!
- Fun for the whole family: inflatable bouncy house, balloon artist, and face painting
- Explore First 5 California’s Stronger Starts Roadshow: a hands-on, sensory adventure with interactive stations
- Meet The Rolling Reader, the Library’s all-electric van: storytimes, free books, and early learning activities
- Free lunch from Taco Tone for all attendees
- Feel the rhythm of a drumming performance, by The Peaceful Warriors
- Discover an indoor wonderland: arts & crafts and activities that spark imagination
- Access resources for your child’s development, from “womb to classroom”
- Connect with Black-led child care programs that nurture, educate, and empower young learners
- Hourly giveaways, raffles, and so much more
Saturday, April 11, 2026
11am-2pm
Marina Community Center: 340 Marina Blvd., Pittsburg 94565
RSVP Here
Click here to download a flyer to help spread the word!
Celebrate the Launch of the Contra Costa Early Childhood Systems Map
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the Contra Costa Early Childhood Systems Map, a powerful new tool designed to help communities, providers, and policymakers work together to improve outcomes for young children and their families.
The Systems Map offers a countywide, bird’s-eye view of programs and services, showing how public investments intersect across systems. It highlights both community strengths and areas of unmet need, using data and stories from residents. Whether you’re planning programs, making policy decisions, or coordinating services, the Systems Map provides insights to help you make evidence-informed choices.
In February, First 5 Contra Costa hosted a webinar introducing our new Early Childhood System Map to county decision makers and community members. Over 40 attendees, including representatives from elected officials’ offices and advocacy organizations, learned why the map was developed, how it supports evidence-informed policy and budgeting and our key takeaways from the system map.
Click here to watch the full webinar, panel discussion, and how-to walkthrough.
First 5 Contra Costa Executive Director Speaks at Women’s History Month Town Hall
In honor of Women’s History Month, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier hosted a Town Hall on Advancing Women’s Equality on March 12, in Orinda. We were thrilled that Dr. Ruth Fernández, our Executive Director, joined as a special guest, along with Janet Hoy, Civic Engagement Chair for the League of Women Voters Diablo Valley.
The conversation covered important topics impacting women and families, including civic engagement, access to child care, attacks on women’s health, and more. Ruth shared her personal experiences as a community leader and highlighted First 5’ Contra Costa’s work in early care and education and its connection to advocating for equality, opportunity, and stronger support for families across our community:
“Supporting young children begins with supporting the incredible women in their lives; mothers, grandmothers, neighbors, teachers. It will take all of us to speak up, often and collectively to keep children’s and women’s issues at the center of policy decision making. Our children’s wellbeing is everyone’s responsibility!”
Thank you to Congressman DeSaulnier for hosting this engaging discussion, and to everyone who attended and participated in celebrating women leaders and the critical work supporting families in our community.
Spotlight: Two of our County’s State Legislators Supporting Child Care Bills
First 5 Contra Costa is is monitoring state legislation for the 2026 legislative session and is excited that some of our county’s state representatives are supporting bills related to child care. Our team stays in regular communication with state elected representatives to advocate for policies and funding that address the most urgent needs of families with young children in Contra Costa. .
We are tracking several newly introduced bills aimed at strengthening California’s child care system, including Assembly Bill 2258, a spot bill by Assemblymember Anamarie Ávila Farías intended to expand access to affordable, high-quality childcare. Spot bills are placeholder measures filed early in the session, allowing lawmakers to secure a spot on the agenda while finalizing policy details. We’re also excited to be tracking the progress of Senate Bill 902, introduced by Contra Costa Senator Tim Grayson, which seeks to meaningfully modernize the child care subsidy administration process.
Our team will continue to review updates to these and other bills that could impact young children and families in Contra Costa County as more information becomes available. Please join us in thanking our two state representatives for championing the importance of child care.