First 5 Sonoma County

When a family has nowhere secure to land, the effects ripple through every stage of the perinatal journey, from pregnancy through the earliest months of a child's life. The absence of stable housing can disrupt prenatal and postpartum care, compound mental health struggles, and deepen the very disparities that already put too many parents and infants at risk. Join the BUILD Initiative for this webinar on Sep 30, 2026 11:00 AM.

Join us for the Held and Housed webinar on September 30 from 2 – 3:30 ET for an in-depth look at the human toll homelessness takes on maternal and child health and how, with the right support, families can flourish.

This webinar will examine how homelessness and gaps in maternal, perinatal, and infant care reinforce one another, and why solutions must cross sectors that too often work in isolation. We’ll explore approaches that treat stable housing and quality maternal and infant care not as separate goals, but as intertwined foundations for family stability and thriving communities. You’ll leave the webinar with a deep understanding of the damaging effects homelessness has on pregnant people and families with young children and how states and communities are working across sectors to provide the safety and stability these families need.
https://buildinitiative.org/events/held-and-housed-protecting-maternal-and-infant-well-being-from-the-harms-of-homelessness/

Community Opportunity | Oportunidad para la comunidad

🌟Commissioner Application Now Open🌟
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The First 5 Sonoma County Commission is seeking applicants who represent community-based organizations focused on promoting family resiliency and nurturing parenting of children aged 0-5 to apply to join the Commission.

The Commission’s role in the recruitment process is to conduct outreach and interview interested candidates and then to recommend appointment to the Commission by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the First 5 Sonoma County 2026-2031 Strategic Plan as well as to observe a First 5 Commission public meeting. The next meeting will be held on September 28, 2026 3:30 – 5:30 pm via Zoom.

Learn more and find the application link on our website: https://first5sonomacounty.org/first-5-sonoma-county-commissioner-recruitment-2026/

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🌟Ya Se Aceptan Solicitudes Para Un Puesto de Comisionado🌟

La Comisión de First 5 Sonoma County está buscando solicitantes que representen a organizaciones comunitarias enfocadas en promover la resiliencia familiar y la crianza cariñosa de niños de 0 a 5 años, para que apliquen a formar parte de la Comisión.

El trabajo de la Comisión en el proceso de reclutamiento es realizar actividades de difusión y entrevistar a los candidatos interesados, para después recomendar su nombramiento a la Comisión ante la Junta de Supervisores del Condado de Sonoma.

Se recomienda ampliamente a los posibles solicitantes familiarizarse con el Plan Estratégico 2026-2031 de First 5 Sonoma County, y asistir a una junta pública de la Comisión de First 5. La próxima junta sera el 28 de septiembre de 2026, de 3:30 a 5:30 pm por Zoom.

Para obtener más información y obtener la solicitud, visite: https://first5sonomacounty.org/es/first-5-sonoma-county-commissioner-recruitment-2026/

September is National Literacy Month 📚️, and the easiest way to celebrate is to read with your children. [Español abajo] Research shows a single daily story builds real language skills by a child’s first birthday.

Start a daily reading tradition with your family 📖! Find books at your local library or by signing up to get free books sent to your home through the Sonoma County Imagination Library: https://www.sonomacf.org/scil/

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Septiembre es el Mes Nacional de la Alfabetización 📚️, y la forma más sencilla de celebrar es leer con su hijo. Las investigaciones demuestran que un solo cuento al día desarrolla habilidades lingüísticas reales antes de que el niño cumpla su primer año.

¡Empiece una tradición de lectura con su familia 📖! Encuentre libros en su biblioteca local o registrándose para recibir libros gratis en su hogar a través de la Sonoma County Imagination Library (Biblioteca Imagination del Condado de Sonoma): https://www.sonomacf.org/scil/

📚 Back-to-school season means paperwork, meetings, questions—and plenty of advocacy! You don’t have to tackle it alone.

Join us for our September IEP Study Hall!

📅 Friday, September 11
⏰ 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
📍 Common Ground Society
1260 N. Dutton Avenue, Suite 220, Santa Rosa
💚 Free to attend!

This month, we’ll be joined by a special guest expert from SELPA who specializes in 504 Plans, plus Larkin O’Leary will give us a special back-to-school pep talk to help families feel encouraged and ready for the year ahead!

Bring your IEP, 504 Plan, IFSP, IPP, or any other special education, disability, medical, or advocacy-related paperwork. Whether you have a beautifully organized binder or an overwhelming stack of papers, you are welcome here! We’ll have snacks, supplies, reference materials, and support from people who get it.

🎟️ Registration is required:
https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/tVhSiA?vid=1ryxxu

Questions? Contact Heidi at [email protected].

Made possible by Community Foundation Sonoma County and Matrix Parents at Marin Center for Independent Living.

📣 Parents and Childcare Providers! Help shape child care scholarships for infants and toddlers! [Español Abajo]

First 5 Sonoma County is developing a new Child Care Scholarship Model for Infants and Toddlers to help more Sonoma County parents access child care and early learning, funded through Measure I. What's proposed is a possible scholarships to help cover child care costs for qualifying families for children who enroll before age 2.

Parent and child care provider feedback will help shape the final model. The Feedback window will run from September 1–30, 2026.

🌟Virtual Feedback Session: Parents
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 - English @ 6:00 PM
Thursday, September 24, 2026 - Spanish @ 6:00 PM

🌟Virtual Feedback Session: Childcare Providers
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 - English @ 6:00 PM
Thursday, September 17, 2026 - Spanish @ 6:00 PM

Give feedback today or register for a feedback session on the First 5 Sonoma County website https://first5sonomacounty.org/resources-for-parents/child-care-scholarships-for-infants-and-toddlers/
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¡Ayuda a dar forma a un modelo de becas para el cuidado infantil de bebés y niños pequeños!

First 5 Sonoma County está desarrollando un nuevo Modelo de Becas de Cuidado Infantil para Bebés y Niños Pequeños para ayudar a más familias del condado de Sonoma a acceder al cuidado infantil y a la educación temprana, financiado a través de la Medida I. Se propone unas becas para ayudar a cubrir los costos de cuidado infantil de familias elegibles, destinadas a niños inscritos antes de los 2 años.

Los comentarios de los padres y de los proveedores de cuidado infantil ayudarán a dar forma al modelo final. 📅 El periodo de comentarios sera durante el mes de Septiembre – del 1 al 30 de septiembre de 2026.

¡Acompáñenos a una sesión virtual de comentarios!

🌟Sesión virtual de comentarios para Padres
Miércoles 23 de septiembre de 2026 - En inglés @ 6:00 pm
Jueves 24 de septiembre de 2026 - En español @ 6:00 pm

🌟Sesión virtual de comentarios para Proveedores de Cuidado Infantil
Miércoles 16 de septiembre de 2026 - En inglés @ 6:00 pm
Jueves 17 de septiembre de 2026 - En español @ 6:00 pm

Regístrate hoy para una sesión de comentarios en el sitio web de First 5 Sonoma County https://first5sonomacounty.org/es/resources-for-parents/child-care-scholarships-for-infants-and-toddlers/

It's Back to School season, and we know that preschool, TK, or Kindergarten readiness may be on your mind. [Español abajo]⁠
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The Sonoma County Office of Education has shared helpful information on how you can support your child during this transition.⁠
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And if TK or Kinder is still a year away, that's okay too. This is a great time to start learning about the skills and abilities your child can work on now to feel confident and prepared when the time comes.⁠
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Below are some links to access additional information from the Sonoma County Office of Education's website https://www.scoe.org/for-educators/21csla/universal-transitional-kindergarten and a link to access our First 5 Sonoma County Parent Resource Guide https://first5sonomacounty.org/resources-for-parents/parents-resource-guide/ from our website.
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Es la época en que empiezan las escuelas y sabemos que la preparación para el preescolar, TK (Transitional Kindergarten) o Kínder puede estar en su mente. La Oficina de Educación del Condado de Sonoma ha compartido información sobre cómo usted puede apoyar a su hijo o hija durante esta transición.⁠
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Y si el TK o Kínder todavía está a un año de distancia, no hay problema. Este es un buen momento para empezar a conocer las habilidades y destrezas en las que su hijo o hija puede ir trabajando desde ahora, para sentirse con más confianza y preparación cuando llegue el momento de empezar.⁠
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Haga clic en los siguientes enlaces para obtener mas información del sitio web de la Oficina de Educación del Condado de Sonoma https://www.scoe.org/for-educators/21csla/universal-transitional-kindergarten y para leer nuestra Guía de Recursos para Padres de First 5 Sonoma County https://first5sonomacounty.org/es/resources-for-parents/parents-resource-guide/ desde nuestro sitio web.