First 5 Kern

Happy Día de los Libros! Join the celebration of literacy for children of all backgrounds with First 5, TODAY at 10 am on Facebook live. Watch: http://bit.ly/Dia-Storytime

Please join us for a Día de los Libros event on April 30 at 10 am! We’re celebrating online this year with story time, activities for kids & some exciting special guestsall on Facebook live. Let us know if yo#TalkReadSing http://bit.ly/Dia-Storytime#DiaTogether #CA4AllKids #TalkReadSing

Two of our community partners are offering COVID resources this week! Visión y Compromiso is hosting virtual educational workshops about flu and coronavirus vaccines, and Clinica Sierra Vista is offering free vaccines this weekend in #EastBakersfield. Check out the fliers below!

Each week, First 5 Kern seeks out the best news stories on issues impacting young children and their families, and compiles them in a convenient, easy-to-read email we call This Week's Headlines. Visit http://bit.ly/first5kernsubscribe, click the subscribe button, and stay informed!

The @ACEsAware initiative was created by @CA_OSG Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, in partnership with @CAGovernor and the Department of Health Care Services, to recognize and respond to the lifelong effects of ACEs on our patients’ biological systems. Learn more about ACEs Aware at www.acesaware.org #ACEsAware

The Kern County Children's Dental Health Network offers FREE drive-up dental screenings for kids aged 0-5. All kids receive a toothbrush and a referral to a pediatric dentist, if needed. You will also receive a dental form that your child will need for kindergarten registration. Check out the flier for information on how to schedule!

February is Safely Surrendered Baby Awareness Month in Kern County. Please join us in our virtual awareness campaign designed to educate the community about this important law. The Safely Surrendered Baby Coalition, made up of dedicated individuals representing a long list of agencies, non-profits, hospitals, and stakeholders, has worked to ensure residents understand this option for any woman and her baby in crisis. Please follow along each day, as we share information and resources.

First 5 Kern is so happy to be a sponsor for this event, and to help celebrate and support new moms & dads to be! Great job, everyone!

Ice cream for dinner? Lego baths? It's no surprise this article about the "9 Weirdest Pieces of Parenting Advice" list was our most viewed article in last week's First 5 Kern Headlines. Parents are badly in need of a smile these days. https://offspring.lifehacker.com/our-9-weirdest-pieces-of-p

Resilient Kern is offering a "Compassion Connection" event on Dec. 29 via Zoom. The event is designed for professionals who work in the helping professions - medical, clinical, human services, etc. This line of work brings its own unique set of challenges. Working together with others who share that responsibility can build emotional resilience, and that strength can enable you to continue to do your best work in helping others. Join us! Space is limited; email [email protected] for more info or to RSVP.

W2s and 1099 from your employers will be coming in the mail soon! If you made less than $56,000 you might qualify for the #EITC. If you made less than $30,000 you might also qualify for the #CalEITC. Free Tax Preparation will be ready to help locally. Visit MyFreeTaxes.org for free tax help assistance.

We wanted to share info on a webinar this week: "Rebuilding Your Child Care Business". Check out the link for more details, including receiving CEUs for attending. https://www.earlychildhoodwebinars.com//rebuilding-your-/

Kern Medical is hosting virtual prenatal classes, starting right after New Years. Check out the fliers and reach out for more information.

An ITIN is a number issued by the IRS so that people working in the U.S. can file a federal tax return. ITINs can now be used by Californian Taxpayers earning <$30,000 to claim the #CalEITC and #YCTC for parents with children < age 6. It’s Your Money, Get It! Visit www.myfreetaxes.org for more information

The CDSS, Community Care Licensing Division has put together a guide to the most Frequently Asked Questions from child care providers during the pandemic. https://www.cdss.ca.gov//faqs-for-licensed-child-care-faci

Do you have a child under age 6? You could receive up to an additional $1,000 back when you file your 2020 taxes thanks to the Young Child Tax Credit! Learn more: http://bit.ly/3pewWok

The COVID vaccine being distributed was not tested on pregnant women. So if you are expecting, and also interested in taking the vaccine, what do you do? This post from Kaiserhealthnews has a selection of articles from various media and health outlets trying to educate moms-to-be on the risks and the process of approval for vaccines. Worth checking out! https://khn.org//pregnant-breastfeeding-moms-can-opt-for-/

Each week, First 5 Kern tracks down some of the top news stories on issues impacting children and their families. We call it our Weekly Headlines and you can sign up to receive the email here: https://www.first5kern.org/news-and-events/newsletter/ Our most read story from last week's Headlines was an article where moms shared stories about how much it can cost to give birth in the United States. Don't miss out! Sign up to receive our Weekly Headlines release and stay in-the-know! https://www.dailymail.co.uk//American-mothers-share-shocki

Kudos to our friends at Greenfield Family Resource Center for hosting a COVID test site tomorrow! https://www.turnto23.com//kern-county-latino-covid-19-task

More supporting science behind #TalkReadSing!! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_re/2020-11/sfn-ile112420.php

Wasco & Bakersfield - the Kern County Children's Dental Health Network has several events scheduled next week, providing FREE dental screenings and treatment for kids 0-5. They will be set up in the parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter on Gosford Road in Bakersfield on Monday and the Central Ave location in Wasco on Tuesday, as well as at Adventist Health hospital in Bakersfield on Wednesday. Check out the attached flier for more information.

We just enjoyed three great days with our colleagues from First 5s around the state at the annual First 5 Association of California Summit. Though we were all relegated to participating remotely, we enjoyed great discussions, with breakouts on the Governor’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care, Help Me Grow, improving health care connections for infants and toddlers, engaging with parents, the Black Infant Health program and more! This Summit is a wonderful opportunity every year to learn how other commissions are working to improve the outcomes for children and families in our respective counties!

Big thanks to @KernFamilyHealthCare for the article on Help Me Grow in their Fall newsletter! There is great information in the newsletter, and we're happy to provide this service to Kern County. Call 2-1-1 or visit HelpMeGrowKern.org for more information!

Meet James, a pediatrician who lost his son, Aeron, suddenly and unexpectedly. As a doctor at a training hospital, James takes the memory of Aeron to work with him every day, sharing his son’s story with residents he trains and parents. bit.ly/37t10H8 #SIDS #SUID #SIDSAwarenessMonthCA (from California Department of Public Health)

Are you spending a lot of time at home these days? Some sources of lead in and around your home might surprise you! Learn where to check for lead to keep your family safe and healthy and call your doctor to schedule a lead test for your child. #CallYourDoctor

¡Vacunarse contra la influenza durante la temporada de COVID-19 es más importante que nunca! Protegerse a sí mismo, a su familia y a la comunidad contra la gripe. Vacunas gratuitas contra la gripe desde su carro en Shafter. Patrocinado por Dignity Health.

Have you responded to the #2020Census? Your participation will help inform how BILLIONS of dollars in funding are distributed for important programs and services every year for the next 10 years. The time is now; today is the LAST DAY! Don’t risk losing critical benefits, and don’t wait to be counted! Complete your Census today by visiting my2020census.gov or by calling 844-330-2020. #ICount #BeCounted #2020Census

The Kern County Department of Human Services would like to thank all of you who have given to the Holiday Cottage for the last 32 years. Your generosity has hel...ped us grant thousands of Christmas wishes for Kern County foster children. This year, for the very first time, we’re going VIRTUAL!!! For $50.00, you can make the holiday season come to life for a child in foster care. Just go to www.kernpartnership.com and click on the Holiday Cottage present to give any amount. See more

COVID-19 has dramatically impacted the 2020 Census, as have the moving deadlines. The courts have granted additional time to be counted - we hope Kern County takes advantage of it! https://www.npr.org//after-egregious-violation-judge-order

It is estimated that less than half of all households in the area surrounding Frazier Park have responded to the #2020Census. This is a great service by the Mountain Communities Family Resource Center - MCFRC to help make sure families are counted - especially the children, who rely on many programs that are funded by Census data.

Our most popular story from the October newsletter is about the Kern County Children's Dental Health Network drive-through clinics they have scheduled throughout October in various county communities. Additionally, they are teaming up with the Children's Mobile Immunization Program for select events. Find out when/where they are next! ... https://www.first5kern.org/meetings/calendar/ See more

"Navigating the early identification and intervention maze" - an eye-opening look at the path families must try to navigate to obtain the help their children need.

There are only a few days remaining to complete the Census. Each child that goes uncounted costs Kern County almost $2,000 in Federal Funding EACH YEAR for the next decade for programs that benefit children and families. https://www.bakersfield.com//article_493aa56a-f841-11ea-a9

Kern Behavioral Health & Recovery Services has resources to help families and students struggling with stress and anxiety throughout Kern County. If you need assistance, you can reach out to the numbers for providers in each geographic area.