- a weekly column published in the Pioneer Press

With Proposition 10 in 1998, voters imposed an additional 50 cents a pack tax on cigarettes to be set aside for the health and development of young children from before birth to 5 years old. Money is divided among the counties based on birth statistics. Each county has a Children and Families or First 5 Commission that identifies needs for the health and development of its young children and how best to satisfy those needs. I serve as one of the seven Commissioners appointed by the Board of Supervisors.

First 5 will focus its efforts over the next years to improve: (1) child health; (2) child development; (3) family functioning; and (4) school readiness.

The Commission originally helped to establish several community teams throughout the county. These have evolved into nine Family or Community Resource Centers (FRCs/CRCs.) Each has attained its own non-profit status and has membership in a countywide Network, which meets on a regular basis. The Centers collaborate on mutual issues and share resources, expertise and ideas.

Every FRC or CRC has agreed to provide certain “core services.” These include child development activities; parent/child interactive programs; drop-in availability; resource and referral; peer-to-peer support; life skills and advocacy; Healthy Families Insurance enrollment; nutrition education; car seat/helmet education and distribution; first year home visitation and presentation of a welcoming “New Parent Kit;” and parent education. Recently, several FRCs were part of a collaboration with various county agencies and non-profits that received a large parenting education grant from the Ford Family Foundation. FRC staff will become trained in the delivery of the curriculum.

Over the next several years, First Five will continue to provide basic funding for the FRCs/CRCs to provide core services, focusing on the 5 priorities of the Commission.

In the area of child health, First 5 has sponsored car seat and helmet distribution, nutrition and physical education, home visitations in the first year of life, an early childhood dental screening and education program, and assistance is enrolling in the Healthy Families state insurance program.

Research indicates that the development of a child’s physical brain is affected by trauma that may occur in the emotional, physical and intellectual environment to which he/she is exposed.  Dr. Bruce Perry is an expert in this field. Siskiyou County is working to bring Dr. Perry to the area in November. Karen Pautz, FRC Network Coordinator is among those being trained in Dr. Perry’s techniques, which will be brought to local agencies and FRCs.

Increasingly, pre-schoolers are being expelled from pre-school for behavioral problems. An innovative collaboration has been established to provide parenting education and coaching through prenatal - first year home visits to families on a voluntarily basis. Childcare providers are receiving training and support in techniques for helping children and families. Parents who decide that they need and want professional assistance are referred for professional child counseling.  

Under the CARES program (Comprehensive Approaches to Raising Educational Standards,) First Five has funded incentives for child care providers to continue education in the child development field. The Commission also funds a School Readiness Coordinator to provide resources and materials to family childcare providers, childcare centers and FRCs/CRCs to meet the challenges of ensuring that children arrive at kindergarten healthy and ready to learn.

Funding from First 5 has provided a foundation to launch a system of community-based organizations (FRCs/CRCs.) As non-profits, these centers have begun to expand their focus through Board development and tapping into other sources of funding to serve adults and senior populations with resource referral and other services. Some centers are beginning to offer senior exercise, nutrition and recreation. All have pledged to engage their communities on issues such as affordable housing, unemployment, illiteracy, substance abuse, transportation, mental health, poverty, education, and family violence prevention.   

FRCs, CRCs are located in Fort Jones, Happy Camp, Yreka, Montague (with satellite programs in the Shasta Valley,) Weed, Mt. Shasta, McCloud, Dunsmuir and Tulelake. They all need community volunteers. Why not give it a try.