5 Things We Love About Child Care
Child care is not just a necessity for working parents; it plays a vital role in our society as the backbone of our economy, enabling
Child care is not just a necessity for working parents; it plays a vital role in our society as the backbone of our economy, enabling
Read about the 2022 Child Care Needs Assessment, share stories about what child care means to you, hear from Family Connections’s Eric Valladares about why
The San Mateo County Child Care Needs Assessment found a critical child care shortage in San Mateo County with serious implications for our community. We
The Child Care Needs Assessment was launched by the San Mateo County Child Care Partnership Council, San Mateo County Office of Education, San Mateo County
First 5 San Mateo County, along with the First 5 Association of California, is applauding Governor Newsom’s proposed 2023-24 budget plan, which was released Tuesday.
When you’re a parent, you may not know what you don’t know. Children are complicated! If you feel like you have questions about your child’s
Safe, healthy parents are imperative to raising safe, healthy children. CORA (Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse) is San Mateo County’s only provider of comprehensive intimate partner
Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, families have weathered unforeseen impacts with strength and fortitude. The Silicon Valley Community Foundation set out to collect family stories of
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
“Wow, I don’t know how you do it.” When early learning and care providers talk about work, they often encounter responses like these from their
© 2024 First 5 San Mateo County
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.
