The goal of Family, Friends, and Neighbors (FFNs) Early Childhood Educators is to support its community's culture, language, and values. These informal child care providers, in Greenfield, Gonzales, and King City offer low-cost, high-quality early childhood education so children are academically, socially, and emotionally prepared to enter kindergarten.
Offer resource and referral information that allows FFNs to access essential community, health, and human services.
Develop a learning and support network of FFN providers and build their capacity with activities that provide tools, curriculum, and lessons to enhance early childhood development by providing safe, nurturing environments, that allow providers to assess and create individualized education plans, supporting professional development and licensing, and increasing access to affordable quality child care to improve kindergarten readiness.
Develop metrics to measure children's educational improvement and outcomes.
Teen Mom Claudia Thrives with Home Visit Program Support
Claudia, a determined teen mom, is navigating the challenges of raising her infant and caring for her non-verbal sister-in-law. Despite her responsibilities, Claudia remains focused on her goals, including completing her high school diploma and pursuing higher education. Since joining the Home Visit Program, a program offered to FFNs who are unable to attend playgroups, Claudia has found valuable support in understanding key aspects of child development. She enjoys learning how early childhood experiences shape a child's growth and is committed to supporting her baby’s development. Reading to her baby daily has become a meaningful routine, helping nurture early literacy skills.
Claudia’s sister-in-law, who has been assessed for learning delays, is currently receiving speech therapy and may benefit from enrollment in a Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program. Claudia’s participation in the Home Visit Program has empowered her with knowledge and resources, guiding her through early learning strategies to help both children thrive.
Through the program, Claudia has learned the importance of age-appropriate activities, such as sensory play, fingerpainting, and block-building, to support the development of motor and cognitive skills. She appreciates the program’s handouts and guidance, which address her concerns about developmental milestones. The program has also equipped her with the confidence to ask critical questions during her child's medical visits and seek out activities that promote her baby’s overall growth.
To learn more about the program, please contact Mayra Perez Diaz at mayra.perezdiaz@unitedwaymcca.org.