The First 5 Amador office is currently closed to the public, but we are here working.
If you need assistance, you may contact us at 257-1092. Thank you!
Upcoming Events for Families
Since First 5 Amador will not be hosting our annual Children’s Holiday Festival this year, we are providing “Winter Holidays Around the World-themed” kits as a way to still share information with the community about the many ways that the holiday season is celebrated around the world. What you will see included in all of December's curbside kits, will be examples of one country’s annual holiday traditions. See below for more information on when and how you can get these kits!
Since our Toddler Playgroups follow the ACUSD schedule, playgroups are currently on hold until further notice. However, our fantastic playgroup coordinators have put together some amazing activity to-go kits for local kids aged 0-5, for you to PICK UP, AND TAKE HOME.
Continuing into the Winter, kits will be available for pick up twice a month, with a different kit each time! Click link above, or see below, for new flyer with updated dates of distribution. Catch us next DURING THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 30 (this week)! Please pick up your kit on the regularly scheduled days, times, and locations listed on the flyer. Supplies are limited, and are available to Amador County children on a first-come, first-served basis. One kit per child, aged 0-5.
Tuesday, December 1 (tonight!)
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Open to all parents and child care providers! Numerous researchers have concluded that how parents respond to stressors is much more important than the stressor itself, in determining the outcomes for themselves and their children. Parents are more likely to achieve healthy, favorable outcomes if they are resilient. Resilience is the process of managing stress and functioning well, even when faced with challenges, adversity, and trauma. To get signed up, contact The Resource Connection at (209) 754-1075. Click link above, or see below, for flyer.
Attending this workshop will count towards professional development hours for 'Amador Quality for Kids.' Some limitations apply.
Saturday, December 12
10:00 am - 11:00 am
975 Broadway, Jackson
Come by to grab a kit that will include supplies for putting together fun activities based around a Winter Holiday theme! Dads/grandpas, etc. do not need to be present to pick up a kit.
Supplies are limited, and are available to Amador County children on a first-come, first-served basis. One kit per child, aged 0-5. Click link above, or see below, for flyer.
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Announcements for
Child Care Providers
Amador Quality for Kids Update
Information on renewing (or signing up for the first time) your participation in 'Amador Quality for Kids' for this new fiscal year was emailed out to local family child care providers and preschool staff, last month. Be sure to get signed up, so you can start earning the benefits of participating... like a $100 stipend just for turning in this paperwork with your Quality Improvement Plan (QIP)! For questions and more information on ways that your child care program can benefit, please give us a call at 257-1092. Don't miss out!
Tuesday, December 8
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Join the California Preschool Instructional Network (CPIN) in this interactive session. Participants will explore the various definitions of homelessness, discover the diversity of families experiencing homelessness and practice critical reflection, identify specific teaching strategies in the classroom to support young homeless children. Click link above, or see flyer below. Contact Elena Bromme at (209) 468-4939, to register.
Attending this workshop will count towards professional development hours for 'Amador Quality for Kids.' Some limitations apply.
Thursday, December 10
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Join the California Preschool Instructional Network (CPIN) in this interactive session. Participants will identify STEM components in an early childhood classroom, discuss planning for developmentally appropriate STEM environments, and more! Click link above, or see flyer below. Contact Elena Bromme at (209) 468-4939, to register.
Attending this workshop will count towards professional development hours for 'Amador Quality for Kids.' Some limitations apply.
Thursday, December 17
5:00 - 6:00 pm
NEW! Are you a relative, friend or neighbor (license-exempt) caring for someone else's young children? Pick up your FREE 'BUSY BAG' filled with supplies, and a children's book, needed to create your own Penguin Winter Wonderland-themed fun with the children in your care! These Busy Bags will now be offered every month. Click link above, or see flyer below, for more details.
In addition, we know that many license-exempt child care providers are grandparents who are providing child care for their grandchildren. Check out this very helpful guide just for you, here!
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Provider Profile
I'm Heather Hall, First 5 Amador's Toddler Playgroup Coordinator for the Jackson and Ione sites. This is my second year in this position. Although we have moved to distance learning, I’m enjoying designing Playgroup and Family, Friend & Neighbor Curbside Kits for families to pick up for at-home learning. I live in Jackson with my husband of 15 years, our 12-year-old daughter and our 5-year-old rabbit.
I have been in the Early Childhood Education field for 20 years. I graduated from the University of the Pacific with a B.A. in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. After graduation, I continued to take classes through 'Amador Quality for Kids' and obtained my Master Teachers Permit. I still enjoy furthering my education with Amador Quality for Kids. Through these courses, I’m learning new techniques and skills that I can immediately put into my lesson plans. Not only am I benefiting from these courses, but so are the children that I am working with. I am grateful for this opportunity.
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Winter Wonderland
Penguin Crackers
INGREDIENTS
20 crackers of choice
1/2 c. cream cheese
40 black peppercorns (for the eyes)
20 black olives, halved (for the wings)
20 almonds, halved (for the feet) - optional
shredded carrots, cut into triangles (for the beak)
INSTRUCTIONS
Cover each cracker with cream cheese. Add the black olive halves for each wing. Add the eyes, beak, and feet. Serve on a platter, and enjoy!
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December is National Safe Toys
and Gifts Month
Since December is the biggest gift-giving month in the world, it’s important to keep safety in mind as you’re shopping for the little ones in your life.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 251,700 toy-related injuries were treated by hospital emergency rooms around the U.S. in 2010. Of those, 72% of them were people younger than 15 years old. A few years earlier, toy makers recalled over 19 million toys across the globe due to safety concerns like lead paint and small magnets. Since then, toy safety has improved, but shoppers can take precautions to keep children in their lives safe.
Before making any purchases this year, keep safety in mind. Here are some ways to be sure you’re shopping safely this year...
- Make sure to inspect the toys before you buy them. Try to avoid toys with sharp edges, lots of little parts, or parts that can be easily pulled off. (Especially if it’s for a baby or toddler)
- Make sure the age and skill level marked on the toy matches the age and skill level of the child you’re buying for.
- Label check! Toys should have a label for ATSM (American Society for Testing and Materials) that proves it’s up to standard. ATSM testing is more important than many people realize.
- Do not give toys with ropes, cords, or toys that can heat up, and avoid crayons and markers unless they are labeled non-toxic.
Follow this advice, and your whole family is sure to have an injury-free holiday season!
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Did you know that Amador County now has 33 Little Free Libraries? See the updated map, below! "Take a Book, Share a Book." All this month, First 5 Amador will be placing a selection of children's winter and holiday-based books in our Little Free Library, to share with you all... be sure to stop by (975 Broadway, Jackson)!
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Sign up your child for the Imagination Library today and start receiving one free book every month! This is a FREE program, paid for by First 5 Amador, and donations from local individuals and service organizations. Books are available to all Amador County children aged 0-5 (from birth until their
5th birthday)! Click here to get signed up.
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The First 5 Association is opening their Annual Summit to the public, specifically inviting First 5 partners and advocates in early childhood to join in meaningful conversation around this year's focus: Making Health Connections Across our Network.
The FREE virtual event will be held on Wednesday, December 9, from 9:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., with two breakout times and five sessions to choose from:
9:15 - 10:30 a.m.
- Improving Cross-System Health Care Connections for Infants and Toddlers
- Black Infant Health - State and County Efforts Beyond the BIH Program
- Centering Families in Help Me Grow: Going Beyond Focus Groups
10:45 a.m. - 12 p.m.
- Early Identification and Intervention in Medi-Cal
- Collective Impact of First 5s ACEs Grantees: Stakeholder Collaboration and Provider Engagement on ACEs and Trauma-Informed Care
Attending these breakout sessions will count towards professional development hours for 'Amador Quality for Kids.' Some limitations apply.
To register, click here. Registration closes on Wednesday, December 2.
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If you have a young child who needs specialized care or has a disability, or if you have a concern about your child's development, there is help and support for Amador County! Contact Valley Mountain Regional Center for children aged 0-3, at (209) 754-1871.
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Be sure to "like" us on Facebook, to stay up-to-date on everything First 5-related. Our page is updated almost every day!
Click HERE to go straight there -
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First 5 Amador supports and designs programs for children 0-5 years old and their Families.
For more information call us at (209) 257-1092, visit our website, and follow us on
Facebook and Twitter!
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