Newsletter | March 2023 - April 2023
The Next Decade of Thriving Families:
The Need for Comprehensive Child Care
The Child Care Needs Assessment was launched by the San Mateo County Child Care Partnership Council, San Mateo County Office of Education, San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools, First 5 San Mateo County, and Silicon Valley Community Foundation to find out how well San Mateo County is meeting families’ child care needs. What we found? The need is critical.

A childcare shortage of this proportion has serious implications for our community and economic vitality; we need to join our voices and call for action now. We need to mobilize policymakers and community leaders to ensure that our communities have equitable access to high-quality childcare. One of the most striking results is that 73% of survey respondents stated that they have turned down work due to a lack of childcare. Affordability of childcare was the highest consideration for families; 65% of respondents indicated that affordable childcare was somewhat or very hard to find.
Share Child Care Stories from the
Littlest Neighbors in San Mateo County
Families in San Mateo County benefit so much from child care and early education resources. We want to know how child care has made San Mateo County families' lives better. Stories from your community make it possible for more families to have access to key child care resources. 

Please share this opportunity with the families you work with. Stories can share anonymously, in Spanish, or however makes storytellers most comfortable! The responses to these questions will be used to tell the stories of real San Mateo families on social media (including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn). Thank you for your help putting community faces to the value of child care!
Director of Family Connections, Eric Valladares Talks about Why He Vaccinated His Kids
When so much in the world is uncertain, parents do everything they can to protect their kids from the unknown, and the COVID-19 Pandemic has certainly been unknown. Now, children over 6 months old are encouraged to get vaccinated. This is the best way to ensure that kids are safe from the virus and can lead their normal lives. 

But, deciding what’s best for your children can be hard, especially when there is conflicting information out there. Eric Valladares, the Executive Director of Family Connections, a family service and child care center in San Mateo County, is here to tell us why he chose to vaccinate his little ones. 
Free Webinar: LGBTQ Issues for Young Children
Kids develop concepts of gender, families, and love before the age of five, so they need adults who have the information to support young children in feeling safe and confident in their bodies, families, classrooms, and world. Learn how to navigate questions like, "What everyday influences shape my child’s sense of what it means to be a 'boy' or a 'girl'?", "How do I support a child’s exploration through play of concepts like family and gender?", "What strategies can I use to encourage children to feel safe and confident in their bodies?"

Join this free webinar (in English) for parents, caregivers, and anyone who wants to create a more expansive, welcoming world for young children. Join us for scenario practice, interactive games, and demonstrations to support children all across the rainbow. It will be facilitated by Azisa Todd (Lead Trainer for the San Mateo County Pride Center) and Nathanael Flynn (Early Childhood Educator and co-author of Supporting Gender Diversity in Early Childhood Classrooms). Closed captioning will be available.

This webinar is being offered three more times to ensure everyone has a chance to make it work for their schedule. Register now at a date and time that works for you!
 Calm Down & Pretend You're a Dragon
The Dragon Song gives families the resources to help their children regulate their emotions calmly. Remember, when you're tired and you're grumpy and you want to shout, pretend you're a dragon and let it all out! Use the resources in the Dragon Song Toolkit to share the dragon song with families in your community.