As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child, and First 5 Santa Barbara County is stepping in to support families every day, setting children on paths toward their brightest possible futures. First 5 prepares children for kindergarten through a variety of services that help families grow strong and resilient, in areas such as, health, education, nutrition, family planning, and more. They also work to widen the availability of high quality childcare and preschool and support home visiting workforces.
We sat down with two people ― Catelynn Kenner, MPH, and Evaluation Manager for First 5 SBC and Project Director for the Central Coast Home Visitation Project; and Kelley Barragan, RN, PHN, MS, and Director of Santa Barbara County Health, Maternal Child & Adolescent Health Program ― to learn about the noble work they do and their Home Visiting Week Celebration.
What do your organizations offer to Santa Barbara parents?
Catelyn Kenner: First 5 Santa Barbara County has been working over the last two years on a regional collaboration to strengthen the home visiting systems along the Central Coast. We work to support home visiting workforces and ensure that programs work seamlessly with one another and referring providers. We are conveners and catalysts in this work. While we do not currently provide or fund direct services, we spotlight and advocate for home visiting in our community to both professionals and families. As our “sister” department, Santa Barbara County Health has played an integral role in this partnership…