Board Actions

Parenting Education & Support

Napa Library Triple P: Positive Parenting Program Class

Triple P Parenting will give you peace of mind and confidence. The class teaches typical behaviors at certain ages and stages of children's development.

The class will help you recognize your strengths and use them in parenting. Connect with other parents for support and encouragement. For more information, click this LINK. 

Tuesday, January 09

6:00pm - 8:00pm

Napa Library

Lifeworks Room

580 Coombs St, Napa, CA 94559

Cope Family Center General Parenting Course (8-weeks)

This multi-week course provides you with more in-depth support to help you manage your children’s behavior problems, promote their development and strengthen your relationship. You’ll meet once per week, either virtually or in-person, to learn new parenting strategies and tools. This program is available both in English and Spanish.

Feb. 1st - March 21st

6:00-8:00pm

Virtually on Zoom

Click here to register or call (707)252-1123.

End of Year Highlights

Can you believe 2023 is coming to an end? Here are a few of many highlights of County accomplishments:

Fire

• On January 25, 2023, Napa County held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Carneros Fire Station located at 5260 Old Sonoma Road.
• The Fire Department has increased the number of Defensible Space Inspections, 2,522 Inspections Completed, which can help protect homes against wildfires.
• This year, the Fire Department increased Roadside Clearing Miles (134 miles treated), Strategic Dozer Miles (69 miles treated), and Grazed Acres (353 acres treated) as prevention measures.

Health and Human Services

• The Child Welfare Services (CWS) Adoption Program finalized 16 adoptions in 2023, and one is scheduled to finalize on 12/21, for an anticipated total of 17 finalizations for 2023. 
• As of November 30, the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program currently has 1,562 active IHSS recipients who receive an average of approximately 125 hours of care per month allowing them to remain in their homes.
• Through the CalFresh program, over $1.5 million in CalFresh benefits are issued each month in Napa County, and over $20.3M this year through November 2023. The estimate of the total issuances through December is approximately $21.9M. While the number varies by month, on average each month we have over 5,500 households and over 9,200 individuals receiving CalFresh benefits. Also, the Napa Farmers Market operates a Market Match program that matches CalFresh benefits spent at the market dollar for dollar. They are on track to have matched $70,000 this year.
• As of early December, the Mobile Response Team (MRT) received 576 calls to our MRT phone line. Of the 576 calls, 344 were resolved by phone and another required 232 in-person responses; the majority of the latter resulted in crisis resolution, safety planning and linkages to services.
• I'm excited to share the Child Care Expansion Report, which highlights the positive impact of home-based childcare in our community. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) forgivable loan program, which was supported by the County, there's been a significant increase in our community's childcare supply. This is great news for families and caregivers alike. Read more about the report at this LINK.

Housing

• Over 42 eligible households applied for the County's popular Proximity Housing Program. In 2023 were were able to assist 25 families with a housing loans totaling $2.7 million dollars.
• The Napa County Affordable ADU Forgivable Loan Program is a pilot program that provides forgivable loans to homeowners who are building new ADUs. The program was created in November 2022, and allocated $5 million by the Board. In exchange for the forgivable loan, homeowners agree to a deed restriction that requires them to rent out the unit to individuals who earn up to 80% of the area median income for a period of five years. Since launching, 330 applications have been received. This program provides homeowners with critical supplemental income, and helps to provide essential housing for our workforce.
• In November, he Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) granted Napa County $5M for our Older Adult Rental Assistance Program. The first of its kind in California, the goal is to launch the program in July 2024. We expect to have the application portal online in the Spring, and look forward to expanding services to our older adult population!

Public Works

• Napa County successfully paved over 45 miles of road, a new record! The County accomplished this through substantial investments in our road infrastructure, allocating approximately $35 million to enhance our local roads. Additionally, the County addressed the aftermath of previous storms by repairing 10 major landslides and replacing 3,350 feet of guardrail. Several smaller projects were completed to enhance our local road network.
• For a list of the completed road work and projects underway, visit this LINK.

Sheriff

• The Sheriff’s Office prompted one promotion to Lieutenant, and three sergeant promotions. In addition, six trainees completed the police academies and a total of nine new deputies and four professional staff (non-sworn) were hired on in 2023.

Connect with me!

Supervisor Joelle Gallagher

@SupervisorJoelleGallagher

Managing Holiday Stress

The holiday season is a time of joy and excitement, but it can also be overwhelming. Here are some tips to help you manage the stress.

Cope Family Center Article

Set realistic expectations. Putting too much pressure on yourself and your family to have the “perfect” holiday will lead you to feel overwhelmed and disappointed when the holidays don’t live up to your expectations. Instead, try to focus on enjoying quality time spent with loved ones. The holidays don’t need to be “perfect” for you and your family to create special memories.

Learn to say “no.” Overcommitting to holiday plans and responsibilities will inevitably lead to unnecessary stress. Prioritize experiences that are meaningful to you and your family, and learn to say no to the rest.

Reach out for help. Surround yourself with family and friends who are safe, supportive, and can help you get through difficult times this holiday season.

Prioritize quality time over gifts. The holidays can be a time of increased financial pressure. Remember that spending time with loved ones and creating special memories is more important than spending a lot of money on fancy gifts.

Mentis Wellness Tips

By Jessica Musgrove-Ortiz,

Mental Health Therapist

Meditate lying down. Meditating is a hard but super rewarding habit to form. Lie down on a soft floor (carpet works great) and focus on counting your inhales and exhales. For some guided support, use an app like Headspace or Calm. Keep it cozy by wearing warm socks, and if you have it, turn on a diffuser that’s filled with peppermint and lavender oil to really set the mood.

Enjoy a cup of tea before bed. Tea is scientifically proven to be calming and relaxing while packing a punch when it comes to nutritional benefits. In the cold months, get into the habit of sipping on some herbal teas, which can be great for fighting colds, boosting your immune system, and improving digestion.

Up the ante on your sleep. Sleep is always super important, but it might be even more critical during the holidays. Stay cognizant of how many Zzz’s you’re getting a night, and try not to lose sleep no matter how packed your schedule might be. Squeezing in some afternoon naps may help, too, so if you have the flexibility to doze off for a bit during the day, take advantage of that.

Try yin yoga. Yoga is always a great tool for relaxing your mind. Yin is especially a helpful way to give yourself some self-love. Yin Yoga involves variations of seated and supine poses that are typically held for 3 to 5 minutes, with the goal of accessing deeper layers of the fascia tissues. It’s both intense and extremely rejuvenating.

Eat well with room for indulgence. Food is often the main attraction during the holidays. And while nobody can argue that holiday cookies aren’t delicious, the number of sweets and salts we eat can become stressful. Rather than worrying about an uptick in your cookie consumption, give yourself a healthy bout of room for indulging, while focusing on eating healthy whenever possible. You can eat that extra slice of pie, and then perhaps make yourself a healthful veggie omelet the next morning.

Sheriff Ortiz, Santa, and me at the first NoMa Sleighing It Celebration!

Selecting raffle winners from our NoMa Sleighing it Celebration

Enjoying time with Wanda Williams, the Solano County District 3 Supervisor.

Unique Opportunities

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday and legacy, the Napa County Library, Congregation Beth Shalom, CanDo, AAUW – Napa Branch, Napa County Office of Education and League of Women Voters of Napa County are proud to announce the 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest. 

Essay Prompt

“Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.” (Martin Luther King, Jr - Strength to Love, 1963)

“YouTube philanthropists” and giveaways have never been more popular. But do content creators like MrBeast help to shine a light on issues in society, or do they further illustrate the differences between the “haves and have nots?" What are your thoughts about how Martin Luther King, Jr’s speeches and writings can be used to ensure that economic injustice is addressed to build a nation where everyone has the opportunity to succeed?

Contest Rules

Open to middle school and high school students in Napa County. Entries should be limited to no more than 600 words. All entries must include student’s name, grade level, school, and contact phone number. All entries must be received by Friday, February 9, 2024.

Entries will be judged on thoughtfulness, clarity, content and adherence to length. Length should be 600 words or less.

Find more information at this LINK.

Annual Crop Report Cover Art Contest

Each year the Napa County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office and the Napa County Ag in the Classroom Program invite Napa County students in grades 6 through 12 to enter our annual Napa County Agricultural Crop Report cover art contest. The winner's art will be featured on the cover of our next Agricultural Crop Report.

Submit your piece of art, highlighting the diversity of food crops grown in Napa County, to the Napa County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office (1710 Soscol Ave., Suite 3, Napa) by 5 PM on Friday, January 12, 2024. For more information, call (707) 253-4357. 

For more information and contest rules, please see the full flyers in English and Spanish. 

Not Sure Which County Department to Call?

Napa County's website features a "Good Neighbor Resources" page, which offers a list of County services and contact information for the appropriate department.

What Interests You?

Which County-related issues, departments or programs do you want to know more about? I'd love to hear from you and feature that content in an upcoming newsletter. Send us your feedback LINK.