High Five for North State’s First 5s!

Week of the Young Child stretches from April 6 to the 12, this year. To celebrate this week devoted to raising awareness of the developmental needs of young children, we reached out to First 5 chapters in the North State to learn about what they’re doing to support local families with young children.

What Is First 5?

The First 5 Association of California is an organization devoted to the care of children up to five years old, as well as the support of their parents, caretakers and care providers. First 5 works to ensure the health and success of children in those early years of development by building strong relationships with the community, establishing a network of care and providing parents and guardians with the skills and support to tackle anything that comes their way. The First 5 Association is made up of members from the County First 5 Commissions.

“All First 5s point to a similar North Star, making the community a place where children and young families can thrive,” says Heidi Mendenhall, executive director of First 5 Tehama. “We all know the critical importance of healthy, prosperous communities.” says Karen Pautz, who has been the executive director of First 5 Siskiyou for the past 20 years. “And the No. 1 indicator of a healthy community is how the community offers support, nurturing and care for families – placing children first, and also caring for teachers. That’s what First 5 is about.”

Wendy Dickens, executive director of First 5 Shasta shares literacy enrichment at Mt. Calvary Christian Academy in Redding.

Who does First 5 help?

While many of the First 5 commissions work in tandem with resource organizations such as WIC and local food banks, they have a commitment to help all families and children, regardless of financial status. Each county commission utilizes a strategic plan to identify local needs and allocates their funding accordingly, but they all work to knit a strong support system for everyone under their umbrella.

The First 5s of the North State have support systems woven throughout the community and work interconnectedly to provide the best outcomes possible for young children. While each county commission does a few things a little differently, they have core values in common. “One of the programs we all have a throughline on is called Help Me Grow,” Heidi says.

Karen Pautz, executive director of First 5 Siskiyou, leads parenting and other supportive classes for parents and teachers at local Community Resource Centers.

Help Me Grow helps carers identify young children’s needs

• First 5 Butte
• First 5 Shasta
• First 5 Siskiyou
• First 5 Tehama

First 5 offers a multitude of support services

First 5 assists young families and their support teams in a number of ways. They work closely with Mothers Strong, a coalition devoted to helping people suffering with mental health challenges, so that they can heal and become the parents they long to be. As Anna Bauer, executive director of First 5 Butte, says, “It’s really important to uncouple the stigma from mental health struggles like postpartum depression.”

In addition to Mothers Strong, First 5 supports many organizations and groups including those for guardians raising children and divorced families rebuilding.

First 5 also does the legwork to make finding the help parents need a lot less overwhelming. By acting as a liaison between a child’s carer and service provider, medical and mental health providers, educational materials and other forms of community support, they simplify the process. And they even coordinate home visits, connecting families with providers who speak their native language. Currently, there are providers who speak English, Spanish and Hmong among other languages, with more being added.

Georgia St. Louis (left) and Anna Bauer, executive director of First 5 Butte (right), attend various community events, including the Growing Healthy Children Walk & Run (pictured).

First 5 is a judgment-free zone

One continuing theme throughout the North State First 5 chapters is the importance of offering outreach and support with compassion and no judgment. “It’s about ensuring that parents are supported in their most important work, which is raising healthy children,” says Karen. “We see ourselves as servant leaders and bridge builders with organizations and community service clubs. Anyone who wants to work together, we embrace with open arms. We are here to be a resource and support to our partners. Together, everyone achieves more; which really is the foundation for transformative teamwork.”

It isn’t always easy as a parent or guardian (especially a new one) to navigate the challenges of raising a child. And while every carer wants to do the best they can, it can be hard to admit you don’t know what to do. Creating safe spaces for people to ask questions and not have all the answers is vital. Karen and her team are dedicated to creating safe spaces for every voice to be heard. “That starts with compassion and care for the people within our organization. It’s easy to celebrate successes, but true partnership is when, with that same tone and trust and connection, we talk about the difficult things.”

“People have a lot of knowledge,” Karen says. “But there is also a lot of new knowledge that they might not know. We honor all that they recognize, know and practice and then we just introduce them to something new that builds their capacity and brings them to a new level.” Having a new technique or two at hand adds more tools to a carer’s toolbelt, so they have the right one for any given situation.

Heidi Mendenhall, executive director for First 5 Tehama and former preschool teacher, spends time at Red Bluff library sharing the gift that libraries are for families and local communities.

Five protective factors of child abuse prevention

Siskiyou’s First 5 agency doubles as the local Child Abuse Prevention Council, which allows them to provide services for children up to age 18 and offer tools to prevent child abuse and help support parents toward being their best selves.

Home visits aren’t just for mastering skills like bedtime and child development. It’s proven to be one of the most potent strategies to prevent child abuse and neglect. With the five protective factors in place, families are less likely to become unhoused, to be in danger or have negative outcomes.

The first factor is making sure carers have access to parenting education programs. The second factor is social connections, helping new parents get out of the isolation that usually results from the life shift that having a child creates. Third is to have concrete support in times of need, such as the First 5 network and family resource centers. Fourth is parental resilience, knowing you can find the support you need and recognizing your own power to bounce back with that support in place. And the last one is the emotional competence children gain from trusting that they will be OK even in times of adversity because they know they’re not on an island alone with their struggle.

Learn more about First 5 child and family resources

North State First 5s collaborate to share projects and get the word out to parents about all the resources and support they offer. You can find a wealth of information and resources on their websites, but if you’re on the go, you can also listen to their joint podcast on your run or in the car. “Heidi and I do a podcast together called ‘Champions for NorCal kids,’” says Wendy Dickens, executive director of First 5 Shasta. “We also invite other First 5 executive directors to come and discuss.”

You can help make your community be stronger and more resilient

Wendy, who is particularly passionate about childhood literacy, says there are many opportunities to help young children, families and the community at large. “Support young children and their families by providing opportunities for connection and learning. Provide free books to read while in the lobby of your business or as incentives. Provide family-friendly areas or worksite policies. Childcare is a huge issue that impacts the workforce. Businesses can begin to look at family-friendly workplace policies or childcare stipends, etc. Everything we do to support families helps build a stronger community for everyone.”

High 5s for Children

FREE Community Events that celebrate young children to honor National Week of the Young Child. For more family-friendly events, check out the North State Parent community calendar.

Butte County

Valley Oak Children’s Services Children’s Faire
April 6, 10am-2pm, City Plaza, 132 W 4th St, Chico
Learn about child friendly businesses and agencies. Enjoy live performances and plenty of engaging activities. Be sure you and your child are dressed for messy fun. Stop by the North State Parent booth to enter a raffle and win valuable prizes. We’d love to meet you!
Info: (530) 895-3572.

The Yellow Door Chico Walks for Autism
April 10, walk starts at 8:30 am at Bidwell Park One-Mile Recreation Area
3-mile walk, live DJ, carnival, food trucks and a family carnival and vendor fair hosted in partnership with Little Red Hen.
Click here to get tickets.

Shasta County

The Big Race
April 6, 10am-2pm. Kiwanis Field #1 (Kl), west of the Redding Library
Children and their guardians work together to design, build and decorate their cardboard vehicle. Families can either bring their pre-made race vehicle or build one the day of the event with supplies provided. All participants will receive a trophy and goodie bag for racing.
Info: Bryan Fraser, redding2030@gmail.com

Pizza Family Fun Night Fundraiser and Membership Drive
California Cascade Association for the Education of Young Children.
April 10, 5-8pm
Hosted simultaneously at two separate locations:
Redding: Round Table Pizza, Mt. Shasta Mall,
900 Dana Dr., Suite A15. (530) 223-1975
Anderson: Players Pizza, 2305 Balls Ferry Rd. (530) 365-5473.
Support your local Association for the Education of Young Children, learn about their advocacy work and become a member.
Contact: teacherjula@gmail.com

Airports for Autism
April 20, 8am-12pm, Benton Airpark, 2600 Gold St., Redding
A fun annual community event to help raise awareness for autism spectrum disorders and other disabilities. Includes a 5K Race and 2 Mile Fun Walk run down Benton Airpark’s runway, silent auction and community fair. To avoid long lines at registration, register online at AirportsForAutism.com.

Siskiyou County

9th Annual Kids Day Festival
April 20, 10am-2pm, Bell Air Park, Weed
Free family event. Bounce houses, magic show, live music, children’s activities and games, face painting, food, drink and local vendors. Stop by the North State Parent booth to enter raffle and win valuable prizes. We’d love to meet you! Info: Steven Bryan (530)926-1400.

Tehama County

38th Annual Children’s Fair
May 11, 9:30am-12:30pm, High Point Assembly, 625 Luther Rd, Red Bluff
Free family event. Hands-on activities for kids and much more. Stop by the North State Parent booth to learn how to make inexpensive crafts with your child. first5tehama.org/events for more info.