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First 5 Solano announces construction date for learning center

Site at Coronel Avenue to begin in March, set to open by June 2026

Six months after First 5 Solano announced its purchase of the former Beverly Hills Elementary School on Coronel Avenue, construction is scheduled to begin in March to create the first Multi-Agency Early Learning Center in California.

The center, slated to be completed in June 2026, will be a hub for early learning that will provide a variety of early care and education opportunities for infants through preschoolers and families of all income levels, while creating economic opportunities for providers and filling a critical need in the county.

Read the complete article here: https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2024/01/12/first-5-solano-announces-construction-date-for-learning-center/

 

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Child Start Board Member Wins National Recognition Award

A Child Start Board of Directors Member and Secretary has been awarded the “I Love My Librarian” award sponsored by the American Library Association.  Mychal Threets was chosen as one of 10 winners nationwide from a pool of over 1,400 librarians.  Today at the Solano County Board of Supervisors meeting, Mychal was acknowledged by Supervisors and the Director of Library Services for receiving the award and for garnering national attention about the value of public libraries to local communities.

Congratulations Mychal!  You truly deserve it!

To see Mychal’s recognition and his own speech, please click on the link below and fast forward to the 19:00-minute mark.

https://solano.granicus.com/player/clip/2411?view_id=8&redirect=true&h=b171ffb5d181f2bc64cd3610be7dd963

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Early Learning Center in Vallejo

The Solano County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution today declaring the former Beverly Hills Elementary School site located at 1450 Coronel Ave, Vallejo, California as surplus property and transferring the property to Child Start, Inc. subject to deed restrictions requiring Child Start to use the property as an early learning center for at least 25 years.  Further, the Board approved the Funding and Construction Agreement with Child Start to renovate the existing facility for use as an early learning center and authorized the County Administrator to execute the Funding and Construction Agreement and any other documents necessary to complete the restricted deed transfer of title to Child Start, Inc.

Comments about the Early Learning Center and the County’s relationship with Child Start can been seen at the link below at about the 32:35 minute mark for Supervisor Hannigan and at about the 35:00 minute mark for Supervisor Brown.

https://solano.granicus.com/player/clip/2411?view_id=8&redirect=true&h=b171ffb5d181f2bc64cd3610be7dd963

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Positive Parenting Awareness Month 2024

Child Start in the Limelight!

Congratulations to Andrea Calderon, who represented Child Start at the Solano County Board of Supervisor’s meeting on Tuesday, January 9th.  Andrea is the Family Services Manager for Child Start and the Positive Parenting Awareness Month lead for Head Start programs throughout Napa and Solano Counties. In her presentation, she shared how implementing the Triple P program through workshops, group meetings and one-on-one sessions virtually or in-person, have created positive impacts on families throughout the entire county.  Triple P offers a solution for every parent whether they have a young child, a teen, a child with a disability or other needs.  Most importantly, Triple P, as a research-based curriculum, has demonstrated that, when implementing Triple P across a county-wide system like we have in Solano County, can lead to:

  • Fewer hospitalizations from child abuse injuries (13% lower)
  • Fewer out-of-home placements (21% lower), and
  • Slowed growth of confirmed child abuse cases (31% lower)

Thank you, Andrea, for representing Child Start so well!  To cheer her on, other members of the Child Start team were there, including Family Services Specialist, Zeba Manzoor.

If you would like to see Andrea’s speech, click on the link below and fast forward to the 12:00 minute mark.

https://solano.granicus.com/player/clip/2411?view_id=8&redirect=true&h=b171ffb5d181f2bc64cd3610be7dd963

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Head Start to reach SNAP-eligible families

ELIGIBILITY NEWS!

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NHSA thanks HHS for administrative change to allow Head Start to reach SNAP-eligible families.

Yesterday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that children who qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can now be considered eligible for Head Start. After nearly a decade of advocacy from the Head Start community, we are celebrating this change that will further Head Start’s ability to prioritize service to families and children who most need it. Learn more in NHSA’s statement.

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Over 50 California Organizations Call for State Funding for Head Start

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Over 50 California Organizations Call for State Funding for Head Start

Assembly Majority Leader issues letter of support Sacramento, Calif. (June 2, 2021) – Over 50 California organizations showed their strong support for state funding for Head Start programs. In a letter to legislative leaders led by Head Start California, they urged the lawmakers to allocate $50 million for Head Start programs in the 2021-22 budget.
This follows Governor Newsom’s announcement of the state’s $75 billion budget surplus and a proposal to expand Transitional Kindergarten (TK) to all four-year-olds.
The letter is signed by a diverse group of educational organizations –– from the California Federation of Teachers to First 5 California –– making the case that Head Start requires state funding and resources so it remains strong through this expansion. Head Start is a vital component of the early childhood education system and without additional fiscal support, their ability to accommodate this change will be jeopardized.
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Early Head Start is celebrating 25 years

Happy 25th Birthday Early Head Start!

 

Early Head Start (EHS) is celebrating its 25th year working with infants, toddlers, and families. Watch this heartwarming video to learn about the impact EHS programs have had on our communities. Through the years, EHS programs have served 3 million children—and counting! #EHS25

Read More    Early-Head-Start-25th-anniversary

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Thanks to you! Napa Valley Vintners

Child Start, Inc. would like to extend the warmest ‘Thank You’, to The Napa Valley Vintners for their generous support of Child Start’s mission and those of so many of our partner community agencies.  Their generosity makes it possible to provide resources that best serve those in our community. We are proud to be able to provide our future generations with a Head Start!

 

 

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Head Start Inspires Alum to Become Superintendent, Advocate for Education Equity

To celebrate Head Start Awareness Month this October, NHSA is catching up with Head Start alumni who are doing amazing work in their fields.

One day this past summer, Tyrone Olverson stumbled upon NHSA’s office. He was in the neighborhood attending a meeting for school superintendents, and he noticed the “National Head Start Association” sign on our building. Being a Head Start alumnus himself — and a curious and ever-eager learner — he came inside to share his story and hear about ours.

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Head Start Highlighted on NBC Nightly News

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — When federal officials inspected this city’s Head Start program five years ago, they found moldy classrooms, exposed wires, leaking sewage, a sagging roof and trash-strewn playgrounds littered with safety hazards. A teacher had jerked a student so hard she dislocated the girl’s shoulder.

Now run by Lutheran Services Florida, Jacksonville’s Head Start program has cleaner classrooms, more teachers with college degrees, a full-time teaching coach and rising scores on the federal government’s main yardstick of classroom quality. Once in the lowest 10 percent nationwide, Jacksonville now has scores that approach the national average.

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Napa Valley Vintners Awards $2.5 Million to Children’s Education in Napa County

The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) trade association announced $2.5 million in grant funding for children’s education in Napa County, including $200,000 for Child Start. Helping children enter kindergarten ready to learn, supporting students in achieving academic goals and assisting young people in developing healthy behaviors are just a few of the ways in which this round of donations from the NVV will help Napa County youth thrive in school and in life.

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Opened Menlo 4

Opened Menlo 4

May and June of 2010 – Opened Menlo 4, Setterquist, and Fairmont Early Head Start sites.

Awarded American Resource & Recovery Act

Awarded American Resource & Recovery Act

October 2009 – Child Start awarded American Resource and Recovery Act (ARRA) funding to open three new Full Day Full Year Early Head Start centers in Napa, Vallejo, and Fairfield.

Fully implemented EHS

January 2005 – Fully implemented EHS with Therapeutic Child Care Center, Black Infant Health, Child Haven, and Healthy Moms and Babies

First PRISM Evaluation

March 2003 – First PRISM evaluation by ACF, awarded exemplary status

Awarded American Resource & Recovery Act (ARRA) Funding

October 2009 – Child Start awarded American Resource and Recovery Act (ARRA) funding to open three new Full Day Full Year Early Head Start centers in Napa, Vallejo, and Fairfield.

Awarded Grants

October 2000 – Awarded grants to Early Childhood Education Career Development

Administrative Offices Open

October 2000 – Opened consolidated Administrative Offices at 439 Devlin Rd. Napa

Established CSI as 501c3

March 2000 – Established CSI as 501c3

Becomes a Single Purpose Agency

May 1998 – Initiated Interest-Based Negotiations to become single purpose agency

Opened Operations in 14 Solano Sites

January 1996 – Opened operations in 14 new Solano sites, filled 111 staff positions

Awarded $3 Million Grant

September 1995 – Awarded $3 million grant to operate Solano Head Start Program

Expansion Grants Awarded

September 1995-2000 – Awarded 6 competitive expansion grants, opened one new HS center each year

Grants Awarded

January 2002 – Awarded grants to operate Raising A Reader in Napa and Solano Counties

Awarded Grant to Operate Head Start

June 2001 – Child Start Inc. awarded grant to operate Head Start for Napa and Solano Counties

Incorporated as Child Start Inc.

December 1999 – Incorporated as Child Start Inc.

May and June of 2010
Opened Menlo 4, Setterquist, and Fairmont Early Head Start sites.

October 2009
Child Start awarded American Resource and Recovery Act (ARRA) funding to open three new Full Day Full Year Early Head Start centers in Napa, Vallejo, and Fairfield.

January 2005
Fully implemented EHS with Therapeutic Child Care Center, Black Infant Health, Child Haven, and Healthy Moms and Babies

March 2003
First PRISM evaluation by ACF, awarded exemplary status

January 2002
Awarded grants to operate Raising A Reader in Napa and Solano Counties

October 2002
Awarded $800,000 competitive grant to operate Early Head Start for Napa and Solano Counties

June 2001
Child Start Inc. awarded grant to operate Head Start for Napa and Solano Counties

October 2000
Awarded grants to Early Childhood Education Career Development

October 2000
Opened consolidated Administrative Offices at 439 Devlin Rd. Napa

March 2000
Established CSI as 501c3

December 1999
Incorporated as Child Start Inc.

May 1998
Initiated Interest-Based Negotiations to become single purpose agency

January 1996
Opened operations in 14 new Solano sites, filled 111 staff positions

September 1995
Awarded $3 million grant to operate Solano Head Start Program

September 1995-2000
Awarded 6 competitive expansion grants, opened one new HS center each year