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Expanding and Improving Early Learning Facilities in San Mateo County through the Build Up Family Child Care Expansion Grants

In San Mateo County, there is a critical childcare shortage, and Build Up San Mateo County was awarded a $50,000 grant from Gilead Sciences to expand the capacity of childcare providers during the pandemic. With Gilead’s investment, ten $5,000 Family Child Care (FCC) Grants were awarded to small at-home childcare programs. The lack of access to licensed child care, preschool, and afterschool programs impacts families, children, and the overall wellbeing of the region. Read more about who these grants helped, and how the grantees used these resources to expand and improve for San Mateo County families. 

Build up is an initiative to grow and improve the supply of early care and education facilities in San Mateo County, and is a funded partner of First 5 San Mateo.

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Headshot of Kitty Lopez

Kitty Lopez has served as the Executive Director of First 5 San Mateo County since 2013, focusing on strategic investing, community leadership, policy and advocacy development for young children, 0-5, and their families.

Kitty has served as Co-Chair of the Advisory Body for Build Up for San Mateo County Children’s Initiative, with Board of Supervisor, Dave Pine, since 2018.  Congressman Kevin Mullin is Honorary Co-Chair.  This initiative was established to preserve, grow, and increase the number of early care sites in San Mateo County.  

Kitty previously served as the Executive Director of Samaritan House, one of San Mateo County’s leading Core Service Agencies and safety-net nonprofits serving low-income families and individuals with food, shelter, clothing, health care, counseling, education classes, and holiday assistance from 2002 to 2013. 

Kitty taught kindergarten, second grade, and high school in southern California and San Francisco and was a consultant in schools with children who have autism and special needs. Additionally, Kitty worked in a residential substance abuse treatment center in San Francisco and psychiatric hospital for children and youth in San Diego.  Kitty’s roots in supporting children began as a 16-year-old volunteer at the Braille Institute in Los Angeles where she taught swimming to children and adults with visual impairments.

She attended University of California Santa Barbara earning a California Teaching Credential and B.A in Psychology. Kitty is active in her community serving as Vice Chair of the San Mateo County Event Center, and Past President and Current Member of the San Mateo Rotary Club.  She is currently serving as Past President of the First 5 Association of California. On March 2022, Assembly Speaker pro Tem Kevin Mullin selected Kitty Lopez as the 2022 Assembly District 22 Woman of the Year.