McKinley Child Development Center in Santa Clara County serves as a model program, preparing young children to enter school confident and ready to learn.

First 5 California Executive Director Kris Perry and members of her executive team, including Deputy Director in charge of the Program Management Team Sarah Neville-Morgan and Chief of Legislative and Government Affairs Marsha Jones, visited the center April 16. They were accompanied by FIRST 5 Santa Clara Executive Director Jolene Smith, Community Program Director Cathy Andrade and WestEd E3 Institute’s Director Yolanda Garcia.

A representative from State Senator Elaine Alquist's office also participated in the site visit, as well as representatives from the offices of Assemblyman Jim Beall and Assemblyman Joe Coto.

Jonathan and his classmates enjoy the benefits of quality preschool due to First 5 California's PoP programs.

The visitors walked through the preschool, observing children using their gross motor skills, negotiating their tricycles around a path, dipping measuring cups into a water table and painting vivid artwork on a plexi-glass screen.

“We’re here to see how it all happens,” Perry told the administrators as they watched the children engaging in hands-on math games and building on their concept knowledge. During the visit, teachers took time to ask and answer questions and comment on the children’s activities.

The discussion focused on policy that contributes to the success of the preschool. The host administrators, including Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools Charles Weis, pointed to the unique collaborative of different organizations that utilize a distinctive model of "braiding" funds to increase space and deliver quality early learning services.

Jolene Smith referenced the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding when she acknowledged optimism about providing continued quality early learning services. “Where we are today is a milestone,” she said. “We now have an opportunity with the federal expansion dollars and the ability to bring this type of experience to the vast number of children still waiting.”

“Today, we witnessed true learning in action,” Perry concluded at the end of the daylong site visit, “It was rewarding to provide assistance to Early Head Start and see first hand how well they are doing with the resources they currently have.”

First 5 California and 58 county commissions have utilized funds to create a number of innovative partnerships with Head Start, state-funded preschool programs. Learn more about this partnership.

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