News, Notes, and Announcements from 4Cs of Alameda County, May 2025

News, Notes, and Announcements from 4Cs

May 2025

A Note From Our Chief Executive Officer

Dear Friend of 4Cs,

Those who know me know that one of my favorite days of the year is 4Cs of Alameda County’s Annual Children’s Fair. Since I stepped in as CEO almost 20 years ago, 4Cs has hosted a day of fun, entertainment, activities, and connection for our families in mid-May. Throughout the decades, 4Cs has welcomed tens of thousands of parents, children, community members, and supporters to our parking lot transformed into a fair filled with arts and crafts, music, dance, food, and fun! This year’s fair was just a few days ago and it was another wonderful day filled with joy and community with 1,600 attendees joining us for the festivities! The 2025 Annual Free Children’s Fair was also a bittersweet one as it was the final Children’s Fair before my retirement. Thank you to the 4Cs team who makes this event incredible every year, including our Board of Directors and staff. A special thanks to our 2025 Fair sponsors – especially Presenting Sponsors Supervisor Elisa Marquez and Kaiser Permanente – for their support. Finally, thanks to all who joined us on Saturday and at past Children’s Fairs, I truly love that you enjoy this annual event as much as I do!

Be well,

Renee S. Herzfeld

Chief Executive Officer

Staff Spotlight

Serena Michel

Family Programs Coordinator

“Everyone at 4Cs is committed to making a difference in the lives of families and children. I’m truly proud of being a part of a team that leads with heart and stays true to our core values.”

For more than five years, Serena Michel has been in integral part of the 4Cs of Alameda County team. After hearing about the impact 4Cs made on a family member’s life, Serena knew working to support and uplift other families was part of her career journey. She began her tenure at 4Cs as Agency Receptionist and now is the Family Programs Coordinator with the Hayward Promise Neighborhoods team. She helps coordinate family programs, including overseeing the success of the Black Fatherhood Series highlighted below. She loves working with parents (and they love her) and is especially touched when she receives notes of gratitude from those who benefitted from 4Cs programs and how 4Cs programs have positively impacted their lives.

News

Thank You for Joining Our 2025 Children's Fair

What an amazing day it was for our Children's Fair last Saturday, May 17th, with our wonderful community – including funders, board members, community leaders, providers, families and friends!

• 1,600 adults and children were in attendance

• 26 community partners shared their resources

• 1,376 free meals were handed out by 5 Sikh Seva

• 900 children's books were distributed by Tandem, Partners in Early Learning

• 756 produce boxes were distributed by Alameda County Community Food Bank

Thank you for joining us at our 2025 Annual Free Children’s Fair! We hope to see you next year! View more photos of the Children's Fair on our Facebook page.

Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors

Presenting Sponsors

Champion Sponsors

Nicole Ford

Caroline Cortezia

Congrats Black Fathers for Completing Our

Black Fatherhood Series

We are happy to announce the conclusion of the Black Fatherhood series on May 9th. The series consisted of six engaging sessions where fathers joined the facilitator Dr. Khalid White, CEO of BLKMPWR, Father, Author & Film Maker to discuss crucial topics such as Money & Finances, Race & Racism, Jobs & Career, Relationships & Family, Health & Wellness, Trials & Tribulations. We are appreciate the participation and dedication of all the fathers who joined Dr. Khalid in these deep and meaningful discussion.

For more resources and a list of father support events, please visit the Alameda Kids Resource Directory.

Successful 2024 Tax Season by VITA

As the 2024 tax season ends, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this year a success.

To Our Clients: Thank you for trusting us with your tax preparation needs. Your confidence in our services is the cornerstone of our mission, and we are honored to serve you.

To Our Volunteers: Your dedication and hard work are the backbone of our organization. Without your unwavering commitment, we wouldn't be able to provide the support that we do. We deeply appreciate the countless hours and effort you put in each year. Your passion and generosity make a real difference in the lives of those we serve.

This season, 4Cs of Alameda County’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program completed an impressive 272 tax returns, resulting in $149,785.00 in state refunds and $275,530.00 in federal refunds for our community members. This achievement is a testament to our team's collective effort and dedication. Thank you once again for your support and trust. We look forward to continuing our work together in the coming year.

Resources

Enroll in 4Cs' Child Care Payment Assistance Program

Do you need assistance - or know of anyone who needs assistance - paying for child care? 4Cs is currently enrolling families living in Oakland, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Hayward, Castro Valley, Newark, Union City, or Fremont in our child care payment assistance programs!

You as the parent or guardian, may qualify for assistance if you meet any of the following criteria:

• Receive cash aid

• Received cash aid in the past 24 months and need child care for work, seeking employment, seeking housing, experiencing homelessness, training, incapacity, or CPS/At-Risk.

• Have low to moderate income and need child care in order to work, are seeking employment or seeking housing, experiencing homelessness, receiving job training, incapacitated, or are involved with CPS/At-Risk.

Parents or guardians may call (510) 582-2182 or visit 4calameda.org/parents-families/child-care-payment-assistance for further information.

Featured Events & Trainings

Learning Sessions for FFN Providers:

Development and Early Identification, Challenging Behaviors, Strengthening Relationships with Parents, Pre-Literacy and Challenging Behaviors

First Session: Friday, June 6th

Second Session: Friday, June 13th

10am-12pm | Virtual

Are you a grandparent, aunt, uncle, family, friend, or neighbor caring for kids? Join us for two Learning Sessions that will cover the following topics: Development & Early Identification, Strengthening Relationships with Parents, Pre-Literacy and Challenging Behaviors. Participants will receive incentives and might be eligible to receive a stipend. Register for one or both sessions in this 2-week series by visiting 4calameda.org/series/learning-sessions-for-ffn-providers.

If you have questions, contact (510) 736-2797 or playgroup@4c-alameda.org.

Hayward Promise Neighborhoods (HPN) Parent Promise Academy

June 2-July 28

Every Monday | 6pm-7:30pm

Virtual (last class will be an in-person celebration)

*SESSION IN SPANISH

Hayward Promise Neighborhoods (HPN) Academia Promesa Para Padres

2 de junio-28 de julio

Cada lunes | 6pm-7:30pm

Virtual

*SESIÓN EN ESPAÑOL

We are excited to announce that our Hayward Promise Neighborhoods (HPN) Department is gearing up for the kickoff of their Spanish Parent Promise Academy. The Parent Promise Academy welcomes parents from all backgrounds to join with others in the community to share and learn from one another's experiences. This program utilizes the Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors curriculum, which focuses on the various developmental stages of children ages 0 to 8 years old. View the flyer here.

If you are interested, please register online 4calameda.org/series/hpn-academia-promesa-para-padres.

For more information and eligibility questions, please contact Serena Michel serenam@4c-alameda.org.

Estamos emocionados de anunciar que nuestro departamento de Hayward Promise Neighborhoods (HPN) se está preparando para el inicio de la Academia Promesa para Padres en español. La Academia Promesa para Padres da la bienvenida a padres de todos los orígenes para unirse con otros miembros de la comunidad y compartir y aprender de las experiencias de los demás. Este programa utiliza el currículo Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors, que se enfoca en las distintas etapas del desarrollo de los niños desde el nacimiento hasta los 8 años. Vea el volante aquí.

Si está interesado/a, por favor regístrese en línea a 4calameda.org/series/hpn-academia-promesa-para-padres.

Para más información o preguntas sobre elegibilidad, comuníquese con Serena Michel serenam@4c-alameda.org.