Jan 2015

Community Grants Initiative 2015-2017 Funding Opportunity

Application guidelines and additional information are available on the First 5 Alameda County website as of January 2, 2015. Applications are due by 5:00 pm, February 23, 2015. Please review all application materials carefully and contact a member of the First 5 Alameda County Grants Team with any questions.

Go to http://www.first5alameda.org/2015-17-Grant-Cycle for details!

 

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Kindergarten Registration Time

It's time for Kindergarten! School Districts throughout Alameda County are preparing for (and some have even started) enrollment for the September 2015 Kindergarten class. For families with children turning 5 this year, find out what parents need to know for a smooth start to school. 

 Helping families to make early connections to school can have lasting benefits for the child.  When families are involved in transitioning their child into school, they tend to remain involved throughout their child’s school career. This family engagement can be critical in a student’s school attendance, sense of confidence and achievement. That’s why the K registration process is so key.  Make sure you understand your individual school district’s registration process and timeline.  There are resources in place to help support families understand and have success in insuring their child is enrolled and ready to begin school on the very first day. 

2015-16 Kindergarten Age Requirements

  • If your child turns 5 on or before September 1, 2015 he or she will be starting Kindergarten in the fall of 2015.
  • If your child turns 5 between September 2 – December 2, 2015 he or she may qualify for a Transitional Kindergarten(TK) program – also starting in the fall of 2015. TK provides children with a year of early education prior to entering Kindergarten.
  • For specific information about your local school see the list of Alameda County School Districts Websites.

See www.First5Alameda.org/school-readiness for updated contact information for each of the districts in Alameda County along with a Kindergarten Readiness brochure with parent tips for enrollment. The goal is to remove any stumbling blocks or challenges to make the registration process accessible, convenient and informative for families.  If you need more information, feel free to contact Carla Keener at (510) 227-6942.


Touchpoints Reflective Groups

Touchpoints© is a strengths-based approach to working with families that helps providers  use a child development lens and follow the lead of parents and caregivers. 

 Using Touchpoints© principles and strategies, professionals strengthen partnerships with families, connect with parent’s strengths and stcreate a shared understanding of each child. Since 2013, 89 Hayward Promise Neighborhood (HPN) providers from a variety of agencies including, CSU East Bay, 4Cs of Alameda County, Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center, Brighter Beginnings and the Hayward Unified School District have participated in 3-day interactive Touchpoints trainings. These providers, who include professionals from mental health, social services, and early education, say that they have increased their ability to talk to families when a child has a developmental concern and their ability to help parents see strengths in themselves they didn’t know they had. The HPN early learning collaborative has supported their providers with monthly reflective practice groups where they reflect together on their successes and challenges in bringing Touchpoints© principles to their work with families. First 5 Alameda County congratulates HPN and their community of service providers for their commitment to family strengths. One participating provider describes how she is using Touchpoints©

“I will use it in “not being the expert” but allowing [and] acknowledging the parent/caregiver is the expert and empowering them in this role!”


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