December Bulletin

First 5 Riverside Bulletin December 201 8

A MESSAGE FROM TAMMI Dear Friends, As this very busy year comes to a close, I wanted to take another opportunity to thank those who have played a role in the success of First 5 Riverside during the past 20 years.

The year 2018 will be memorable to me as a pivotal time in our history because it has allowed us to reflect on the work we have done during the past two decades; but also because of the possibilities to broaden our footprint and make an even greater impact as we look to the next 20 years.

On behalf of our First 5 Riverside family and the two million children, parents and providers we have invested in since 1998, I wish you a joyous holiday season.

Sincerely, Tammi Graham Executive Director

GOAL AREAS UPDATE QUALITY EARLY LEARNING

By Heather Hernandez, Program Coordinator Quality Start Riverside County - Coaching Model As Quality Start Riverside County (QSRC) continues to grow in the number of participating providers, it was necessary to reflect on the best way to deliver quality improvement supports. We are pleased to present QSRC’s new Coaching Model to meet the needs of participating providers and supporting their quality improvement objectives.

One strategy to meet the needs of providers is the convening of Communities of Practice (CoP). A CoP is a group of people who share a common interest for something they practice and learn from each other to do better, collectively or individually, as they interact regularly. Through a CoP, early learning providers are connected with other professionals to learn from one another, improve their skills around specific topics, and to improve the quality of services they provide to children and families. Quality Start Coaches facilitate and support the providers in determining the topics to be discussed during the CoP gatherings, which vary from addressing areas for improvement in classroom environments, to teacher-child interactions, curriculum, and business practices.The CoPs are held throughout the county in English and Spanish.

Coaches have observed seasoned providers demonstrating a willingness to share their expertise with each other at the CoPs, resulting in quality approaches being implemented and networks being built among providers.

Recent CoPs are pictured below:

In Murrieta, Kim and Jim Meyer presented on childcare best business practices and their approach to marketing, tuition contracts, managing employees, record keeping, and licensing issues. Their presentation included handouts, books, and sample forms.

In Palm Desert, Sue Andrews and Priscilla Blancarte presented on appropriate diapering and hand washing techniques. The presenters brought props and provided resources based on best practice.

COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH & DEVELOPMENT

By Piera Causley, Administrative Services Manager Help Me Grow Inland Empire Summit Over 100 participants from across San Bernardino and Riverside counties including experts from behavioral health, Riverside University Health System, pediatricians, public health specialists, early learning educators and legislative representatives attended the The Help Me Grow (HMG) Inland Empire Summit on November 28 in Riverside.

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The summit featured a panel of community leaders including: Diana Walsh-Reuss, Ed. D., Riverside County Office of Education Associate Superintendent and First 5 Riverside Commissioner; Edward Curry, MD, FAAP, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Pediatrician, Kaiser Permanente; Ronald J. Powell, PhD, Special Education Consultant and former First 5 San Bernardino Commissioner; and Chad Vercio, MD, FAAP, Chair of Pediatrics at Riverside University Health System & Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Loma Linda School of Medicine.

Panel members set the context for the importance of early identification and intervention and the need for coordination and integration of services and referrals through the health system as well as the early education system.

There was targeted discussion regarding outreach, screening, referral and follow up with the intent to include participants in the design of the HMG system for our region. Upcoming summits will progress the design and work to ensure integration is optimized and ensure children and families access services in a holistic and seamless manner.

Help Me Grow Inland Empire Summit panel members.

Left to Right: Tammi Graham, First 5 Riverside Executive Director and Karen Scott, First 5 San Bernardino Executive Director.

RESILIENT FAMILIES

By Kristi Van Heule, Program Specialist

First 5 Riverside Funded Home Visitation The intent of the Commission’s investment in the Home Visitation initiative is to raise children to be healthy, safe and secure by focusing on strengthening and supporting families by: building relationships, teaching problem solving skills, encouraging positive parent-child relationships, supporting early child growth and development, and caring for children with special needs.

To date, 134 parents have been served by 29 staff members from the following partner agencies: Blindness Support Services, Family Service Association, John F. Kennedy Foundation, Jurupa Unified School District, Riverside University Health System-Public Health, and Parentz@Work.

Evidence based programs implemented by these agencies include: Parents as Teachers, Safe Care, Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP), Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY), Nurturing Parenting Program (NPP) and Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP).

Staff from these agencies have been trained in the implementation of the ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2 developmental and social-emotional screening tools.

All agencies participate in Quality Start Riverside County as alternative sites.

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INCREASED TRANSPARENCY MORE WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED F5R has added several new platforms to help you stay connected including: Instagram ISSUU (digital publishing) Storymaps As a reminder, all commission documents are posted to our website (on the "About Us" page) at least 72 hours in advance of regularly scheduled meetings.

Follow us today!

F5R FUNDED PROGRAM IN THE NEWS RAISING A READER HITS COACHELLA VALLEY SCHOOLS "The program will initially serve 875 kindergarten children in the Coachella Valley Unified School District and 485 preschool children in the Desert Sands Unified School District. The program is funded by United Way of the Desert from a grant provided by First 5 Riverside."

View the news report here.

NEW STAFF

Patricia Perez, Contracts & Grants Analyst

Veronica Law, Accounting Technician II

Vanessa Ortega, Office Assistant -4-

About First 5 Riverside First 5 Riverside, the Riverside County Children & Families Commission, is a division of the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services. The Commission is funded by tobacco taxes generated by Proposition 10, which passed in November 1998. The act created a system of programs that promote, support, and improve the early development of children from the prenatal stage to five years of age.