Family, Friends & Neighbors

Bright BeginningsAdvocacy, Community

During the pandemic, even more than before, parents with young children have relied on other family members, on friends, on neighbors to help nurture and care for our young children. And, the partners of the Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Development Initiative have been stepping up to support these informal caregivers.

With a grant from the Packard Foundation, United Way Monterey County is offering $500 stipends, tech, and trauma-informed support for 100 informal caregivers – also known as the Family, Friends, and Neighbor (FFN) network, across the county to provide relief and recovery during the pandemic. With this collaborative grant, Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo (CAPSLO)Go Kids, Inc., and First 5 Monterey County are working together to build peer networks and strengthen holistic supports.

This is just one of the many ways that together, we give thanks to the heroes in Monterey County, making sure young children have what they need to succeed.

To learn more about the impact FFNs have in Monterey County, click here.