The deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor are tragic reminders of the country’s legacy of racism and discrimination that harm all our communities.

First 5 San Mateo County stands against racism, oppression, and inequality in all its forms.  We stand in solidarity with our fellow First 5s across California and with all who pursue equity, justice, and human dignity.  We know that experiences of bias, social, and systemic racism begin before a child is even born.  The resulting fear, stress, and trauma steal away the full potential from each child and family.

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Society states “Structural racism is more harmful to the health and well-being of children than infectious diseases, including COVID-19.”

Our work is about seeing inequity in the lives of children and families and trying to do something about it.  We look forward to continuing to partner with parents and leaders throughout San Mateo County and at the state to change conditions that affect child development and family well-being.

The mission of First 5 is more important now than ever:  all children have the right to grow up healthy, safe, and with every opportunity.

Kitty Lopez
Executive Director

Resources:

EmbraceRace.
EmbraceRace provides tools and resources to help us raise children who are resilient, inclusive, and able to address racial equity. https://www.embracerace.org/

Beverly Daniel Tatum, Is my Skin Brown Because I Drank Chocolate Milk?
In sharing a story about her preschool-aged son, Dr. Tatum explains how it is the things we don’t say that find their way into racist dialogue and thinking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_TFaS3KW6s&feature=emb_title

NAEYC, Becoming Upended: Teaching and Learning about Race and Racism with Young Children and Their Families.
Schools, in collaboration with families, have an important role to play in fostering young children’s positive racial identities. Here is an extensive resource for early childhood educators to learn and teach about race and racism.
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/may2018/teaching-learning-race-and-racism

Teaching for Change.
Teaching for Change provides teachers and parents with the tools to create schools where students learn to read, write and change the world. https://www.teachingforchange.org/