"I had a difficult time getting my son up in the morning. I would scream and just get frustrated—it was as if he would only get up after hearing my loudest voice. After attending the parenting classes, I realized there were other parents struggling like me and all of us just want to be better parents. I learned better ways to problem-solve and after talking with my son, we set up a plan with a behavior chart. I told him I would only call his name twice, and after that, he would receive a consequence (a shortened amount of time on electronics) and as a reward for getting up on time, he could have more time on his electronics before going to preschool. As a result, I’m yelling less and enjoying the time with my child."

"I use the Family Language and Culture Interview/Dialogue Form when meeting with families to learn about children’s language experiences and cultural background, and in support of emotional wellness, I foster self-confidence, family and community pride, and positive identity."

Our First 5 Centers offer workshops, classes and activities that help all parents and caregivers develop healthy relationships with their children that foster their development. In recent years, centers offered programming tailored to support fathers are parents and caregivers. A recent survey of participating fathers found that 95% of fathers reported “feeling welcome at First 5 Center activities and programs,” and 84% reported that by participating in center activities they received helpful information about their child’s development and growth.

The Board and staff of the Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) would like to thank First 5 Contra Costa for your grant
of $130,000 to provide relief to over 100 licensed Family Child Care Homes in Contra Costa County who are experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19—including 8 facing foreclosure or eviction.

"Thanks to a childcare subsidy for essential healthcare workers, our daughter was able to enter preschool. She was reserved and slow to warm-up to the environment, cried often, and missed her family. Through quality support and care at the center, she slowly bloomed into a vocal and confident young child and successfully transitioned into kindergarten. We are grateful for the experience and support from the child care center and hope that all children and families have access to quality care."

In a segment of Shawn Bryant's yearlong anti-bias anti-racist trainings, Introducing and Teaching Young Children Science: Key Points to Consider, 42 participants joined a virtual training to share their experiences with science as well as gain new insights into how to implement science education in their early childhood spaces. The two-part training focused on teaching science in an equitable and age-appropriate way and the participants self-report that 88% of the learning objectives were met—including considering equity in presenting science experiences to young children, especially Black children.