Who is involved with the First 5 Service Corps?

In the fall of 2001 the Governors Office on Service and Volunteerism (GO SERV) invited representatives of the First 5 California and the First 5 Association to discuss the utilization of AmeriCorps members in First 5 funded programs and initiatives. Through this partnership, the First 5 Service Corps was developed, and a proposal was submitted to GO SERV for funding consideration in their competitive process. The proposal was awarded AmeriCorps funding, and First 5 California contributed funding to the identified intermediary, the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Sacramento, to provide technical assistance on AmeriCorps policies and procedures and to administer the First 5 Service Corps AmeriCorps Project. In 2004, Prevent Child Abuse California, a subsidiary corporation of the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Sacramento, took over the intermediary role. Currently, 15 of the First 5 County Commissions and their local partners serve as key collaborators in the implementation of this Statewide AmeriCorps Initiative.

What are the statements of need for the First 5 Service Corps?

School Readiness is the foundation for the First 5 Service Corps State Initiative. The programs administered through various First 5 County Commissions share one common mission: to involve community members in national service programs to ensure that children and families receive the support and services they need for children to enter school ready to succeed. The efforts of the First 5 Service Corps are based on the objectives of the National Education Goals Panel, which are:

1. Every parent in America will be a child's first teacher and devote time each day to helping his or her preschool child learn; parents will have access to the training and support they need.
2. Children will receive the healthcare needed to arrive at school with healthy minds and bodies.
3. All disadvantaged and disabled children will have access to high quality and developmentally appropriate preschool programs that help prepare children for school.

What are the goals and objectives of the First 5 Service Corps?

1. Increase the knowledge and skills of parents so that as their child's “first teacher”, they can effectively care for their child's early learning needs.
2. Increase the knowledge and improve the attitudes and skills of parents in such a way that they are enabled to access and use preventive health care for their children, ages 0-5, to improve their children's physical readiness for school.
3. Increase the knowledge, improve the attitudes and strengthen the skills of childcare providers, both licensed and unlicensed, to enhance the quality of preschool care.

How can my agency utilize AmeriCorps members to support efforts of the First 5 Service Corps?

1. Parent Education:
   First 5 County Commissions utilize AmeriCorps members as home visitors in programs evaluated as being effective in family support services and in reaching families with newborns, as well as in home visitation programs with an early literacy focus. This expansion of Home Visitation services to families with children 0-5 years of age has also demonstrated counties' ability to leverage First 5 County Commission funds. AmeriCorps members assist in public information efforts and in the development of Family Resource Centers, providing preventive outreach to families to reduce isolation and increase awareness of the support resources in the community. AmeriCorps members distribute the First 5 California Kit for New Parents, facilitate parent education classes, and provide outreach services to increase the utilization of Family Resource Centers.
   
2. Access to Health Care:
   First 5 Service Corps members serve in low achieving schools, where they link families with children ages 0-5 to necessary health services, including social and oral health, facilitate health plan enrollment; and link families to a “medical home.” AmeriCorps members serving as Home Visitors also provide follow-up assistance and referrals to a variety of resources, including prenatal care, mental health counseling, and nutrition services. AmeriCorps members are also involved in efforts to track immunizations and to implement a national, immunization registry system.
   
3. Quality Childcare and Preschool:
   AmeriCorps members serving in the First 5 Service Corps are promoting safe, healthy, and developmentally supportive preschool or childcare environments. In homes and in center-based facilities, members distribute and provide orientation to the Kit for New Parents, which emphasizes child development milestones, age-appropriate expectations, and positive, nurturing care. They also provide outreach information as well as preparing for and facilitating child development classes at Family Resource Centers and other convenient community meeting locations. On home visits, in Family Resource Centers, and at community events, First 5 Service Corps members provide families with information on selecting quality childcare for their children.