Early Care
We define our commitment to Early Care by our support of programs that provide the resources, education and quality environments necessary for the healthy development of children aged zero to five and their families.
The Orfalea Foundations' Early Care priorities are:
- To increase the quality of local preschools and other early care settings.
- To increase access for underprivileged children to attend preschool and other programs that build "ready to learn" skills.
- To increase staff quality and support at the preschools in our network of Orfalea Family Foundation California Centers.
- To better the lives of children by increasing the quantity, quality and benefit of their outdoor experiences and environments.
First 5 California
The California Children and Families Act is a state-wide initiative devoted to early childhood development, child care, and health programs to enhance the ability of California’s children to reach their full potential.
"First 5 California," named to emphasize the importance of the first five years of a child's life, provides oversight, technical assistance and statewide education on the importance of child development to the 58 County Commissions.
The First 5 Santa Barbara County Children and Families Commission is committed to improving early childhood development programs, health care for children, and parental and caregiver support.
The Orfalea Foundations have partnered with First 5 Santa Barbara on a number of educational projects and initiatives.
Updates and Resources
- May 21, 2010
- Washington Post article highlights long-term effect of quality early education
Another place to start conversations about the importance of quality early education is with a recent article in the Washington Post entitled: Study finds that effects of low-quality child care last into adolescence. In the May 14, 2010 article, researchers report that the effect of high quality childcare can be traced to teen social and academic success! For the full article, click HERE
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- May 21, 2010
- The President’s Obesity Task Force includes Early Childhood Recommendations
On May 14, 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama and the President's Childhood Obesity Task Force released an extensive plan to combat the growing childhood obesity epidemic in the United States. The plan is titled: Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity within a Generation.
The plan includes an entire chapter focused on early childhood and lists specific recommendations about:
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• strengthening prenatal care;
• promoting breastfeeding;
• evaluating the impact of chemical influences in the environment;
• reducing “screen time;” and
• improving the quality of our nation’s child care settings so they can consistently support our children’s healthy development.
Early education professionals can use this report as a starting point for conversations with parents and co-workers about the importance of healthy practices for our youngest. For the chapter on Early Childhood, click HERE.
- April 27, 2010
- New CA State Legislation on Breastfeeding
This law requires all California employers to provide a reasonable amount of break time and make a reasonable effort to provide a private space, other than a toilet stall, close to the employee’s work area, to accommodate an employee desiring to express breastmilk for her baby.This law requires all California employers to provide a reasonable amount of break time and make a reasonable effort to provide a private space, other than a toilet stall, close to the employee’s work area, to accommodate an employee desiring to express breastmilk for her baby.
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- April 27, 2010
- New Federal Regulations for Nursing Mothers
The new U.S. Health Care Reform plan, in Section 4207, will amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to require reasonable break time for nursing mothers and private, non-bathroom facilities for nursing mothers who work at organizations that have more than 50 employees.
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