West Marin Fund is now The Fund for West Marin – Read More

Early Childhood Equity

Grants Awarded

This initiative aims to improve the availability and quality of childcare for low-income families, build parent knowledge and involvement in the care and education of very young children, bring together diverse partners with a commitment to achieving early childhood equity, and increase access to and strengthen existing preschool services.

2024

  • Parent Services Project – San Rafael
  • $80,000 (24 months) · Expand early childhood developmental playgroups in West Marin by establishing a bi-lingual program in Tomales that is accessible and affordable for BIPOC and low-income families.
  • Postpartum Support Center – San Rafael
  • $90,000 (24 months) · Address critical gaps in child safety, access to essential supplies, and maternal wellbeing for low-income infants, toddlers, and their families in West Marin.
  • San Geronimo Valley Community Center – San Geronimo
  • $43,000 (12 months) · Increase early childhood equity for low-income families by expanding access to bilingual developmental playgroups. Improve access to early intervention services by fostering collaboration among providers and hosting a pediatric health fair for families.

2023

  • Parent Services Project – San Rafael
  • $50,000 (24 months) · Expand the quality and availability of early childhood developmental playgroups in three centers in West Marin, particularly for BIPOC and low-income families with young children.

2021

  • Bolinas Community Center – Bolinas
  • $7,500 (12 months) · To support early childhood development opportunities for families with children ages 0–3 by providing “Music for the Very Young” on a weekly basis and “Baby Gym” on a bi-monthly basis.
  • Marin County Free Library – San Rafael
  • $36,000 (24 months) · To strengthen family support and K-readiness for children ages 0–3 by continuing to distribute “Little Learner & Summer Engagement” kits, hosting “Play Dates in the Library,” and developing community hub “Play and Learn Spaces” throughout West Marin and on West Marin ranches.
  • Marin Promise Partnership – San Rafael
  • $20,000 (12 months) · To continue support for district-held preschools in West Marin by developing a network of nonprofit and district preschool directors, providing expert coaching, increasing county-wide communication and advocacy, and creating financial and administrative tools to benefit all preschool directors.
  • Papermill Creek Children’s Corner – Point Reyes Station
  • $40,000 (24 months) · To continue supporting professional development opportunities for staff with a focus on DEI and culturally responsive teaching practices. To support the recruitment and retention of diverse, qualified individuals by maintaining cost of living raises and increasing benefits for staff.
  • Parent Services Project – San Rafael
  • $20,000 (12 months) · To provide high quality, engaging, and developmentally appropriate school readiness activities to children and families through weekly interactive in-person and virtual bilingual playgroups with 50% of participants self-identifying as BIPOC.
  • San Geronimo Valley Community Center – San Geronimo
  • $7,500 (12 months) · To support the hire of a youth coordinator to launch weekly recreational playgroups for children ages 0–3 and to provide families with wellness resources and skills while addressing isolation, economic hardship, and developmental delays that were magnified by COVID-19.
  • Shoreline Unified School District (Tomales Preschool) – Tomales
  • $40,000 (24 months) · To support financial stability as Tomales Preschool becomes part of the Shoreline Unified School District public preschool program. To provide scholarships so more children learn K-readiness and social-emotional skills while providing working families with reliable childcare.

2020

  • Community Action Marin – San Rafael
  • $20,000 (12 months) · To support the hire of a West Marin Family Child Care Provider to expand access to affordable childcare options in West Marin for children of color whose families face social and economic instability.
  • Marin County Free Library – San Rafael
  • $20,000 (12 months) · To support access to early childhood education opportunities in West Marin especially for children of color and low-income families by distributing 635 Little Learner kits to children and reaching 99 families in West Marin.
  • Papermill Creek Children’s Corner – Point Reyes Station
  • $20,000 (12 months) · To support program stability and reduce high staff turnover by offering cost of living raises and other benefits for staff.
  • Parent Services Project – San Rafael
  • $17,600 (12 months) · To support access to early childhood learning with bi-weekly developmentally appropriate “Baby Gym” playgroups for children ages 0–5 and their families in West Marin.
  • Shoreline Acres Preschool – Tomales
  • $20,000 (12 months) · To support preschool program stability by offering signing and resigning bonuses to retain four teaching staff and hire two additional teaching staff.
Child in a pink hair bow painting a toy dinosaur at an outdoor table

Photo by Lourdes Romo for Papermill Creek Children’s Corner