“In large part due to Denise’s vision we [Tehama Early Childhood and Family Systems] are well-positioned to launch into this new decade with the necessary cross-system and collaborative efforts to affect significant positive change for families,” shared Mendenhall. “Denise left behind great interagency partnerships with strong relationships and even stronger communication. These partnerships not only made for an easy leadership transition but also made navigating the new ‘normal’ possible.”

In addition to personnel changes, First Five Tehama moved to a new location. You can now find us at 958 Washington Street in Red Bluff. We are delighted to be sharing our space with the like-minded folks at Expect More Tehama.

Perhaps our most significant and most transformative shift transpired as a direct result of the pandemic. Pivoting to virtual services was a must in 2020 and proved to be that “just right” move to round out our organization’s offerings. As shelter in place orders continued, our team developed new low or no-contact ways to continue servicing First 5 Tehama’s mission. School Readiness pivoted to hosting online playgroups and phone-based or zoom-based home visitation became a viable support system. P2P outreach shifted to drive-thru events such as our popular Libros y Lunch held monthly last summer at the Tehama County Library. Professional development opportunities grew to include national experts thanks to online platforms and new First 5 programs were born including our popular Book Club.

“Although shifting to virtual ways of communication has been challenging at times, it has been an excellent way to generate opportunities and form new partnerships in the community, “ offered First 5 Tehama Community Capacity Coordinator Angie Brinkman. “For example, hosting virtual and drive-through readings resulted in new opportunities for our CHP and Red Bluff Police Department to show their partnership with early literacy.”

As we reflect on a trying year, there is a silver lining in the chaos. 2020 set the stage for a bright and prosperous road ahead. One of our biggest takeaways during this last trip around the sun was that family support services are critical. And, not just as we’ve known them in the past. It is paramount that we follow the need. Case in point, home visits. In a time when distance is mandatory, the data quickly showed the need for individualized home visits over other one size fits all services. Finding ways to offer safe face-to-face connection was essential. This year, home visitors utilized the Parents as Teachers method to provide parents with education as well as to conduct health and developmental screeners. In 2020, 206 caregivers and 195 children (102 aged 0-3; 93 aged 3-5) received services. In a time when health and wellness were at the top of everyone’s minds the impact of home visits is clear. Of Tehama county families participating in the intensive Parents as Teachers program, 66% were up to date on dental visits, and 88% were current on immunizations compared to families not receiving Parents as Teachers home visits averaging 37% and 66%, respectively.

Improved Child Development Home Visitation

First 5 Tehama is committed to following the statistics to build a stable system around this continued need. This allegiance to strengthening family services through home visits as well as all pregnancy to preschool programs laid the foundation for our organization to land the First 5 California Systems Coordination Grant, which will provide our team with $200,000 during the next two years. This will help increase system connectivity by:

• Building and strengthening the county-wide vision for how a coordinated local early childhood development and family support system (including home visiting) can address the needs of families impacted by COVID-19.
• Strengthening (or rebuilding) coordination and alignment across home visiting and family support agencies to address the effects of the pandemic on family support systems to help families recover from the effects of the pandemic. 
• Strengthening early childhood development and family support systems (including home visiting) by increasing inter-agency system navigation as a critical component to helping families recover from the effects of COVID-19.

“This work will take us beyond this year and will allow us to create an even stronger system,” offered Mendenhall. “A system that will continue to build on the transitioning needs of families while being strengthened by our experiences as a community.”

On a final note, 2020 inspired many robust collaboration opportunities. One such joint effort deserves a closer look. As children transitioned in and out of distance learning, it was evident that family child care providers, afterschool programs, and the early child care centers that remained open were invaluable resources to countless parents. Many of these outlets continued to function even when PPE and other imperative resources were scarce. Noticing this need, First 5 Tehama collaborated with the Tehama Department of Education, Child Care Resource and Education, and Shasta County Office of Education to supply materials to 30 plus family child care providers. Items such as diapers, wipes, cleaning products, and masks were provided free of charge due to this collaboration.

For more success stories and an in-depth look at our latest data, click the button below to explore our 2020 First 5 Tehama Annual Report.

As we look back to look ahead, it is evident that 2020 paved the way for future growth and success. Despite tricky and downright challenging circumstances, First 5 experienced countless achievements this past year. It’s a testament to our organization’s passion and an unrelenting drive to build upon, reimagine, and create new ways to serve local youth.