First 5 Tuolumne County | Helping Children Thrive, from Birth to 5

Our Funded Programs

First 5 Funded Programs

Every 4 years, First 5 Tuolumne provides grant opportunities for specific priority areas. The current grant cycle ends after the 2026/2027 fiscal year.

Imagination Library- REGISTER HERE

With support from the Sonora Area Foundation, Friends of the Tuolumne County Library, and Adventist Health Sonora, First 5 Tuolumne is proud to offer the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. This fantastic program provides free books to all Tuolumne County Children from ages 0-5, mailed directly to them, at no cost. It is a great way to build your child’s love of reading, boost brain development, and relax at bedtime.

Click HERE to sign up today

Help Me Grow Tuolumne

Because your child’s first 5 years are so important, we want to help you provide the best start for your child. Help Me Grow Tuolumne County is a no-cost service to families of young children, birth to age five.

Click Here to learn more.

Dental Help Fund

The Commission will provide up to $3,000 during the current fiscal year to provide crisis dental care to young children whose families are uninsured or under-insured. The Commission has provided funding for this fund since FY 03-04.

IMPACT

This program, which focuses on improvements in early childhood education, is funded by First 5 California and supported by local leveraged funds and resources. Teachers are supported with opportunities for professional development linked to the Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS). (First 5 CA grant supports services at approximately $82,000/year through FY 20-23).

Infant Child Enrichment Services (ICES) Raising Healthy Families

ICES will receive up to $901,573 over a four year period (FY 23/24 through FY 26/27) to provide home visiting services and parenting instruction to families who have been identified as at risk of child abuse, expanding these services to more families in the community. The program will also provide a number of age-specific parenting classes to parents with young children throughout Tuolumne County. The Commission has provided partial funding for this program since FY 01-02.

Click Here to find out more.

Quality Counts Tuolumne

This program, which focuses on improvements in early childhood education, is funded by the California Department of Education, California Social Services, and supported by local leveraged funds and resources. Teachers and In-Home Family Child Care Providers are supported with opportunities for professional development and coaching linked to the Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS).

Smile Keepers Early Dental Prevention and Treatment

Smile Keepers, operated by the Tuolumne Co. Office of Education was awarded $297,996 over a four year period (FY 23/24 through FY 26/27) to provide dental screenings, cleaning and fluoride/varnish treatments to preschool children, and to provide dental education classes to expectant parents or parents with children ages 0-5. The Commission has provided funding for this program since FY 01-02.

Click here to learn more.

Supporting Early Education and Development (SEED)

The Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools Office will receive up to $418,362 over a four year period (FY 23/24 through FY 26/27) to administer the SEED Program. Funds shall be used to promote the social and emotional development of young children. Activities will include ongoing consultation and training at early childhood education sites, with a focus on implementing elements of the evidence-based tools, curriculum and approach of the Center for Social-Emotional Foundations for Learning and CLASS social-emotional components. The program will also provide individual consultation for children who have significant social-emotional delays. The Commission has provided funding for programs that promote social-emotional development since FY 03-04. Tuolumne Co. Behavioral Health PEI funds provide $20,000 in support.

Click Here to learn more.

Free Online Developmental Screenings

Because your child’s first 5 years of life are so important, we want to help you provide the best start for your child. You’ve been invited to participate in two different Ages & Stages Questionnaires.

The ASQ-3, online screening will help you keep track of your child’s development. The questionnaire may be provided every 2-, 4-, or 6-month period. You will be asked to answer questions about some things your child can and cannot do. The questionnaire includes questions about your child’s communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social skills

Click here for the ASQ Online

The Ages & Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional, online screening will provide a quick check of your child’s social and emotional development. You will be asked to answer questions about some of your child’s behaviors. The questionnaire includes questions about your child’s ability to calm down, take direction and follow rules, communicate, perform daily activities (e.g. eating, sleeping), act independently, demonstrate feelings, and interact with others.

Click here for the Social-Emotional Online questionnaire.

Kick It California

Kick it California is a free program that helps Californians kick smoking, vaping, and smokeless tobacco with the help of proven, science-based strategies. Take the first step toward quitting.

Improve Family Functioning

Our goal is to build healthy families by promoting parental resilience, social connections, concrete support in times of need, and knowlege of parenting and child development.

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Improve Child Development

First 5 is working to ensure children are healthy and have the social-emotional and cognitive skills to enter kindergarten ready to learn.

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Improving Quality

A QRIS (Quality Rating and Improvement System) is a systemic approach to assess, improve, and communicate the level of quality in early and school-age care and education programs. Similar to rating systems for restaurants and hotels, QRIS awards quality ratings to early and school-age care and education programs that meet a set of defined program standards. By participating in the State’s QRIS, early and school-age care providers embark on a path of continuous quality improvement. Even providers that have met the standards of the lowest QRIS levels have achieved a level of quality that is beyond the minimum requirements to operate.

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