Children are our most precious resource

“First 5 is great because it provides
us with the opportunity to tailor programs to each individual county. There are guidelines and goals, but we have the autonomy to do what benefits our county.”

It’s an old saying, and one that can often get lost with the many challenges humanity faces today. But a local agency called First 5 San Benito is working hard to make sure children don’t get lost in the shuffle.
“We fund programs that help children get ready for school and ready to learn,” said Casey Castillo, First 5 San Benito’s executive director. “We also fund a variety of other programs, such as health care programs and family support programs.”
First 5 San Benito is an offshoot of the state First 5 program created in 1998, after voters passed Proposition 10, or the California Children and Families First Act of 1998. The act mandates a 50 cent per pack tax on cigarettes, with funds to be used for early childhood education programs. Eighty percent of these funds are distributed to all of the state’s 58 counties; the remaining 20 percent supports statewide programs and research.
The San Benito County Children and Families Commission was created in 2000 to administer local programs funded with these monies, which today include parent education and health and childcare programs from prenatal through age 5. Its vision is for San Benito County children and their families to reside in a safe, healthy, nurturing environment, promote family and community responsibility and have equal access to resources.
The state commission has identified four outcomes they would like local First 5 groups such as First 5 San Benito to accomplish – improved child development, improved child health, improved support systems for families and improved family functioning.
Accomplishing this vision, however, requires the collaborative effort of several local health and child care organizations, schools and government agencies as well as many hours of hard work.
One group First 5 San Benito works with is the county’s public health department, which helps provide services such as prenatal care, well-baby checks, and immunizations. Another project the two groups are currently collaborating on is Healthy Families, a nutritional and recreational activity program for local preschools.
“San Benito County ranks first in the state in childhood obesity,” Castillo said. “So this program is really about teaching children and parents what is healthy food and what kind of snacks to send with lunch. There is taste-testing, so children are able to try out different kinds of foods. We are trying to take a creative approach in offering healthy foods to children, along with teaching them the value of physical activity.”
A workshop on this subject will be held in January, and Castillo said First 5 San Benito is working to help local preschools implement policies about nutrition.
First 5 San Benito offers other health services as well, including dental hygiene workshops held in local preschools, health screenings, and aid to families with special needs children.
Improving how well a family
functions is about creating a safe,
supportive home, and First 5 San Benito provides many educational support groups through its Family Resource Center for expectant parents and parents that reinforce physical, social, and emotional child development. First 5 San Benito also makes sure that expectant parents and parents in their programs know about all
available county services and resources, such as health care or childcare
services.
A major part of accomplishing this particular goal locally is the Great Beginnings program, where in-home support is provided to families who may need extra help.
“We send people into homes, and we make sure the children and their families are safe,” Castillo said. “We offer many classes, such as classes for new parents, classes on normal childhood development so parents know what to look for in their child, and a play and grow program, where parents can learn how to play with their children.”
First 5 San Benito works with the local Mental Health Department to provide parent/child interactive therapy, which teaches parents how to play and talk with their children, as well as how to discipline them.
“Children don’t come with a manual,” Castillo said. “Parents have children, they have a lot of demands on them, and life puts demands on all of us in many ways. All of us can use a little guidance at times.”
Another area First 5 programs focus on is the School Readiness Program, which is intended to better prepare children for kindergarten specifically, and school in general.
One way First 5 San Benito is accomplishing this goal is by increasing the availability of Head Start, a preschool program which operates on a subsidized and sliding fee schedule basis, and creating other quality preschool/childcare programs. They are currently working with both the Hollister School District and the Aromas-San Juan Unified School District to fund preschool and family support programs. First 5 San Benito even has a preschool on site, and operates a migrant preschool as well.
Other ways include programs to help teen parents stay in school, support groups for parents with infants or special needs children, better and additional training for child care providers, encouraging parent involvement and the development of school-site, and other community based programs in cooperation with the schools. First 5 San Benito is working with the Youth Alliance and San Andreas Continuation High School to implement a variety of programs, and Castillo said she hopes to start a support program for young fathers to encourage involvement with their children.
While the goals may seem challenging, Castillo said there have been definite signs of encouragement in the five years since First 5 San Benito was created.
“We are really having a positive impact on the families and children of our county,” she said. “First 5 is great because it provides us with the opportunity to tailor programs to each individual county. There are guidelines and goals, but we have the autonomy to do what benefits our county.”