For the past seven years now, wow, yes seven, I've worked as the Scholarship Coordinator for the Moorpark/Simi Valley Neighborhood for Learning through First 5 Ventura County. I know, its a mouthful. You should see what I go through to spell out my email to people over the phone on a daily basis.
First 5 is a non-profit organization that is funded through the tobacco tax Prop 10 that gives tax revenues to go towards education in the community. Our goal is to provide free services to ALL families (no, not just low income). We stand by the philosophy that the FIRST 5 years of a child's life, are the most important in shaping and impacting their lives for the long haul. Our little NFL specially provides free Parent & Me classes, free preschool programs, Parent Education workshops, Dental and Mental health services and referrals, ASL and ESL classes, parent library, children's library, Nutrition classes and offer workshops/classes for children's with special needs and developmental checkups. We offer Soccer classes, Tap and Ballet classes, Swimming lessons and have a Produce giveaway every 3rd Thursday of the Month. We do car seat installation checks, Healthy Families applications, and work with childcare providers in our Quality Improvement program.
And that's just the stuff my 15 coworkers do.
And there is me. When I don't have my mommy or wife hat on, I have my Scholarship Coordinator one on. I run the whole program, helping families that have children infancy to five years of age afford quality child care, by offering partial scholarships to help ease the sticker shock of what sending your child to preschool can really cost. I also facilitate Parent Education classes with a wonderful workshop presenter 12 times a year, run a Scholarship Committee, and work with over 40 child care and preschool centers in the Moorpark and Simi Valley area. Through the Scholarship Program, we're able to help around 100 families a year send their children to preschool or child care.
You know the Jefferson Starship song "We built this city on Rock and Roll?". Well, that's the theme song we hear when we think of our job. We built all these programs from the ground up, through years of grass roots efforts, spreading the work, making connections, speaking anywhere we could about the importance of the first five years, and the importance of supporting families in the communities.
I'm passionate about what I do. We all are. We each hold a very personal stake in seeing our programs succeed. They are our work children, our other babies. We've planted and watered and nourished these thousands of seedlings in hopes that they would grow. And have they ever.
That's why, when people, like the new governor, want to cut our funding, I get cranky, like - really cranky. He proposes to take approximately $1 billion in both state and local Proposition 10 reserves, to essentially help fund other struggling organizations because the State of California does not have the money due to the current deficit we are in.
We've worked too hard and come too far to let that happen.
My child, is a First 5 child. My family, is a First 5 family.
I'm extremely fortunate to work with an organization that understands the importance of being hands-on, full-time parents - even when that means we can't always be there full-time due to our work. For the past seven years, I've had the great benefit of working with e small group of amazing women, all who bring something different to the table. I was given the opportunity when having Sully to work two days a week from home, so I could be home more with him on a weekly basis, hands on. How amazing is that?
Also, every Tuesday, since Sully was 8 months old, we attend Mommy and Me Music Classes through my work. I'm extremely fortunate to be able to work with an organization that promotes us to participate in the services we offer families in the community. These services are free, not just to me because I work there, but to everyone.
I'm amazed every week in the growth that Sully has, purely from participating each week in this class. The shy tiny baby I started bringing who would barely let anybody look at him without bursting out into tears - is finally - emerging from his shell.
And it makes this Mama beam with pride.
Please, be proactive in your communities. Whether that happens to be in California, or any other state you may be hailing from. Lets put a stop once and for all to governments proposed and implemented fund cuts from child centered services. Eliminating funding from programs statewide, not just First 5 - is a disservice to the voters who have out these programs in motion. Its detrimental to the communities of families that have come to rely on services such as ours- - because they grow with us, they learn with us, they volunteer with us, spread the word that yes - our children are the most valued assets we have to combat an unknown future. They rely on us to be the center of their community needs.
If you are a California State resident, and would like more information about First 5 you can check us out at http://www.ccfc.ca.gov/parents/
My First 5 baby in class, working at activity centers, singing in group music, reading, doing the Hokey Pokey and helping teacher Sandi clean up ...
(Did I ever mention he calls all rabbits "Rudys" because of our pet rabbit Rudy at work?)
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