Community Happenings

Autumn Awesomeness Starts This Weekend! Paso Robles Recreation Services invites you to celebrate during its 2nd annual Fall Family Fun Fest tomorrow, Saturday, September 22nd from 10am until 2pm at Centennial Park. An obstacle course, face painting, live music, crafts and food! #5 on the Children's Bill of Rights for SLO County: "Enjoy daily physical activity and time outdoors." http://prcity.com/301/Special-Events https://www.first5slo.org/bill-of-rights.php

Wait. Stop what you're doing. Have you registered for this important convening and conversation? Two weeks from today... Health & Housing: Building the Connection... Thursday, October 6th from 1-6pm at the Veterans' Memorial Building in SLO. Be a voice at the table for this critical issue in our county! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/health-and-housing-building-the-connection-tickets-47286034803

Mark-It-Down Monday: Helping Children Eat & Thrive! Saturday, September 22nd. Get expert advice on feeding skills in infants and children-- from overcoming struggles with bottle feeding, picky eaters, or behavioral struggles at the dinner table. Cost is $25. CE certificates provided for attendees. Check out the flyer below for more info!

20 Years of First 5 San Luis Obispo County: Sponsorship Funds Available for Early Childhood Events! Click on the release to read about the various opportunities.. and be sure to visit our website for more details on how to apply! https://www.first5slo.org/event-sponsorships.php

What's Up? Wednesday: Toilet Training! And the opportunity to get some expert advice on it next week! Join our partners at Parents Helping Parents and Dr. Tammy Dobbs for a presentation designed specifically for parents of children with special needs. It's Tuesday, September 11th, at 7:30pm in Pismo Beach. Just click on the flyer for more details!

Giving kids a safe place to learn, grow and have fun together! That's what our September 2018 Hands-on Hero is all about! For more than 15 years, Rebecca Britton has worked closely with the Boys & Girls Club of South San Luis Obispo County to ensure that children have meaningful ways after school to bond with friends, learn and contribute to their community. Get to know Rebecca by hitting play! And check out all of our Heroes at first5slo.org ☺️https://youtu.be/WnuNKJlTXXU with San Luis Obispo County Office of Education

Feelgood Friday:Talk.Read.Sing. PLAY. May the holiday weekend bring some fun time together as a family to create, connect and enjoy simple pleasures! ☺️https://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-pediatricians-are-prescribing-playtime-for-kids/

Weekend Watch: stomp your feet, feel the beat and maybe even bust some moves in the bounce house! Once again, the annual Stone Soup Music Festival Street Faire is offering up plenty of family fun this weekend, August 25-26th in Grover Beach! Two stages filled with back-to-back concerts, the Dune Run-Run and Walk, Mardi Paws Dog Parade and an EXPANDED KID ZONE! https://enjoyslo.com/event/stone-soup-festival/2018-08-26/

Friday Funstuff!: Playspace gets graded by some of the most appropriate judges-- toddlers! 😊 Check out the list of best parks in our communities and go enjoy physical activity with the whole family! #5 on the Children's Bill of Rights for SLO County : "May we each enjoy daily physical activity and time outdoors." https://www.sanluisobispo.com/living/family/article215882735.html https://www.first5slo.org/bill-of-rights.php

What's Up? Wednesday: fresh produce & fun prizes! It's National Farmers Market Week, and you'll find us this morning in Arroyo Grande! 8:30-11am in the Smart & Final Parking Lot on East Grande Avenue.🍊🍎🍅🍉🥑🍋🥕🌽🍆 For a list of other locations and times in our area, and additional info, click on the link(s) below: https://slocountyfarmers.org/ https://www.ams.usda.gov/publications/NFMW

Togetherness Tuesday!: A super show of Central Coast support this morning for babies and mamas everywhere! The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors-- issuing a Proclamation in honor of World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7th! 😊

Mark-it-Down Monday: "Get Connected" - Evening Support Group hosted by our partners at Parents Helping Parents, serving Families of Children with Special Needs. This Thursday, August 9th in Atascadero, from 6:30-8pm-- to accommodate busy work and life schedules! A great opportunity to learn about resources, share experiences and insights, and be part of a valuable and supportive network. Just click on the flyer for more details!

Weekend Watch: usher in August with a couple of community events tailored for family fun! The 10th Annual Children's Craft Faire in Los Osos... or the SLO Farmers' Market at Madonna Plaza (Find us and join our First 5 Talk.Read.Sing. kazoo club like the happy 'lil fellow in the photo 😊) Both --- this Saturday, August 4th! Check the flyer and link for more information! https://slocountyfarmers.org/saturday-mornings-slo/

A bevy of benefits for both baby and mama! World Breastfeeding Week is upon us! Join our friends and partners with the Central Coast Breastfeeding Coalition for a celebration and Proclamation!!! ☺️ This Tuesday, August 7th-- 9am at the Board of Supervisors Meeting 1055 Monterey Street. The first 15 families will receive a free pass to the SLO Children's Museum and a local coffee shop gift card! http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/ http://www.centralcoastbreastfeeding.com/

Our thoughts exactly, COE, -- and thank you! Always fun teaming up to tell these inspiring stories of the many dedicated individuals working on behalf of children and families in our community :)

Rhythm, rhyme, song and story time! Our August 2018 Hands-on Hero is music to the ears of little ones and families in our community. Jessica George makes, teaches and shares her gifts with young minds during a critical, wonder-filled stage of development. Hit play and hear why we are so lucky to have such a strong champion for children here on the Central Coast! Thank you, Jessica!☺️❤️ https://youtu.be/s8nB4V2iQ7c with San Luis Obispo County Office of Education Hug-A-Bug Music ARTS Obispo

Mark-it-Down Monday: 20 years of Music Time at Boo Boo Records! Join the anniversary celebration with singers and dancers and graduates of the program! This Wednesday, July 18, 2018 at 10am. Bring the entire family--- to shake out the sillies and belt out favorite songs from the last two decades! 978 Monterey Street in downtown San Luis Obispo. #talkreadsing

Weekend Watch: make a splash and/or scoop up a sweet summertime treat! Two of many fun family events happening this weekend in our area (July 14th, 2018)... The annual Zoofari at the Charles Paddock Zoo in Atascadero and a Water Safety/Free Swim Event at the SLO Swim Center. Check out the flyers and links for more information! http://www.slocity.org/government/department-directory/parks-and-recreation/slo-swim-center https://www.atascadero.org/index.php?option=com_rseventspro&layout=show&id=43:ice-cream-zoofari&Itemid=1943

#7 on the Children's Bill of Rights for SLO County: "Learn and master ideas and skills in and out of school that inspire us, helps us understand and be ready for our place in the world." Our July 2018 Hands-on Hero, Linda Rawlings, is helping children do just that. Hit play and read the profile in the comments to learn more about her involvement with the Children's Museum, 40Prado, CASA and more!

Thankful Thursday... for community partners who help to provide nutritious meals for our children! We've featured a couple of local, summer food programs already-- and here are two more great ones through San Luis Coastal and Lucia Mar (schools). Click on the flyers for times and locations!

More Food-for-Thought Friday: Summer Meals for Kids & Teens, through Paso Robles Joint Unified School District. #2 on the Children's Bill of Rights for SLO County "May we each eat healthy and plentiful meals every day." Check out the flyer and links below for additional programs and sites across the county! http://www.ksby.com/story/38472749/paso-robles-school-district-serving-up-summer-lunches-to-other-districts http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Departments/Library/Library-News/Summer-Meals-for-Kids-Return-to-the-Libraries.aspx https://www.first5slo.org/rights.php

What's Up? Wednesday: Openings at Head Start and Early Head Start, offering child development and support services to infants, toddlers, expectant moms and families. For more details on eligibility and the application process, check out the flyers below or connect with our partners at https://www.capslo.org/. 😊

Tuesday's Truth: As an organization that advocates for California’s youngest children, First 5 is deeply concerned about the forced separation of parents from children as part of U.S. immigration policy. There is abundant evidence that the trauma of disrupting the parent-child relationship through forced separations puts children’s physical, mental, and developmental health at risk. The effects of this trauma are deep and long-ranging and, for many children, additive to the considerable trauma of fleeing one’s home country due to violence, persecution or poverty. We join with the scores of advocates and experts in early childhood development, child welfare, child protection, and juvenile justice in calling for an immediate end to this practice of forcibly separating children from their parents at the U.S. border. To read the letter that 540 organizations, including First 5 Association, signed and sent to DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, click on the link: https://bit.ly/2LtKOHE

Proud to be working in solidarity with so many dedicated partners and programs--- helping to give our little ones the best possible start in life! https://www.first5slo.org/article-details.php?id=2

To the dads out there everywhere-- celebrate yourself! 👋👋👋Then give up some cuddles for the kiddos. 🤗Happy Father's Day from all of us at First 5 San Luis Obispo County!❤️