Family Ambassadors
First 5 OC believes in integrating parent voice in our projects and with our partners, including parents in the process of decision-making and supporting them as leaders. We have developed a Family Ambassador initiative so parents and caregivers can directly represent their family experience and help us better advocate to reduce disparities in access to quality services for families with young children.
A Family Ambassador provides insight into projects and plans through diverse lenses, offering personal experiences and open and honest feedback. They help make decisions about policies and documents, communicate their interests and concerns relating to their young children, and keep other parents and staff informed on pertinent program and resource information. Family Ambassadors may also participate in program evaluations and recruitment of new Family Ambassadors.
Meet our Family Ambassadors
There are 14 Family Ambassadors. Nine joined in November 2023 and five have participated since the program’s inception in 2021. These five seasoned ambassadors are also mentors to the newest team members.
OC Fatherhood Coalition
Joshua Hayesand Tan Zhiewen participate in the OC Fatherhood Coalition.
The OC Fatherhood Coalition began in 2022. The vision of the fatherhood initiatives is to improve outcomes for children and families by increasing fatherhood engagement in the most underserved populations in Orange County, improve engagement of fathers in programs that support families, and impact future generations. Family Ambassadors support by serving in the coalition and bringing a father’s perspective into programs based on their experience and the experiences of other fathers in the community.
Joshua Hayes
Family Ambassador
Josh Hayes was raised in a military family and lived in various parts of the U.S. and the world before settling with his wife and 3 boys in Orange County. He works full-time as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for a private ambulance company and is a full-time Graduate Student pursuing his Masters in Sport & Performance Psychology.
As a Family Ambassador at First 5 OC, Josh wants to connect and help other Fathers by providing assistance and guidance in fatherhood while also learning about the fatherhood experience of Fathers across Orange County.
ZhiWen Tan
Family Ambassador
ZhiWen Tan is the CEO and founder of MCT Technology, a leading provider of early education and care technology solutions that has revolutionized the industry by connecting and empowering over 8,000 programs nationwide.
With a passion for innovation, ZhiWen steers the company’s product vision and technical strategy. His primary focus lies in product development, where he excels in shaping and implementing advanced systems for child care subsidy programs.
ZhiWen’s leadership extends beyond the professional sphere; he is a dedicated family man, residing in Orange County with his wife, Cecilia, and their two daughters, Michelle, aged four, and Melinda, who is one and a half.
Equity Accountability Plan
Maritza Bermudez and Yohana Rojas are integral members of the Equity Accountability Plan workgroup.
The workgroup is helping First 5 OC to live into our Equity Commitment, which was adopted by the Board in April 2023. The workgroup is creating an Equity Accountability Plan to define how we will hold ourselves and our organization accountable to this Equity Commitment.
Maritza Bermudez
Family Ambassador, Mentor
Maritza Bermudez was born and raised in the City of Anaheim where she continues to live. She has five children, ages 21, 13, 7, 5, and 4. Maritza is active in her children’s schools, PTA, Parent Leadership Institute, School Site Council, and many district committees at Anaheim Elementary School District and Anaheim Union High School District. She loves to volunteer with different local organizations and be active in civic engagement within the city.
Maritza is one of 12 parents selected to a Child Care Aware of America committee of parent leaders across the United States to help develop its next strategic plan to ensure that all families have access to quality, affordable child care. She is the only parent representing California. First 5 Orange County supported Maritza in her application and preparation for this new role and she will bring her learnings back to First 5 OC.
Yohana Rojas
Family Ambassador, Mentor
Yohana Rojas is a mother of two children ages 12 and 5, and lives in Santa Ana. Since becoming a mother, she has been more involved in community programs that support the well-being and development of children.
She is originally from Pueba, Mexico, and has lived in the United States for more than 13 years. Yohana has had culture clashes with education, language, and in general, all the systems of this country. She has been motivated to learn more each day to guide her children in their various unique interests. As a mother, Yohana wants to learn to balance their interests and her own, and establish equilibrium in her daily life.
CHOC Children’s Wellness on Wheels, an Equity in OC initiative
Wendy Lemus is a member of the Wellness on Wheels Equity in OC initiative.
CHOC Children’s, in partnership with First 5 OC, is piloting a community based mobile clinic called Wellness on Wheels in various neighborhoods. The Family Ambassador supports this work by building connections with families who are participating in the clinic and gathering feedback in order to improve access to health services.
Wendy Lemus
Family Ambassador
Wendy Lemus is a mother of two who’s all about making a difference in the lives of children and families. Her journey began with the Kern County Migrant Ed Program, where she helped organize community events to promote kids’ health and education. Helping families understand the resources available in the community, regardless of their status, is her passion.
She works in Orange County with children diagnosed with autism, providing ABA therapy to help those children reach their full potential and support their families along the way.
As a Family Ambassador, Wendy advocates for early childhood development and supports families in the community. Wendy believes in the power of community involvement and is dedicated to creating a positive impact in her city.
Cross-sector Child Care Task Force
Hector Palominos, Tiffany Ortiz Bartlett, and Jasmine Henry participates in the Cross-sector Child Care Task Force.
The Cross-Sector Child Care Task Force includes parents, employers, city and county representatives, child care providers, affordable housing developers, legislators, and philanthropists who are working together to develop and implement local and county-wide solutions to the child care crisis in Orange County.
Hector Palominos
Family Ambassador
Hector is an actively engaged community member, known for his commitment for enhancing the well-being of his neighborhood. As a proud husband and father of three children—aged 16, 7, and 4—with a fourth child on the way, Hector brings a deeply personal and passionate perspective to his community involvement. His experiences as a parent have enriched his understanding of the diverse needs of families, and he is dedicated to advocating for their well-being and development.
Residing in the vibrant City of Anaheim, Hector is a hospitality management professional and currently works as a housekeeping manager. He takes great pride in contributing to the exceptional experience that Anaheim offers to both residents and visitors alike.
Hector is enthusiastic about the opportunity to contribute to the mission of First 5 OC, working collaboratively to support families and children in the area. His vision for this work is rooted in creating an inclusive, supportive, and empowering environment where every family can thrive. Hector is excited to bring his expertise, dedication, and community spirit to this role, and looks forward to making a meaningful impact.
Tiffany Ortiz Bartlett
Family Ambassador
Dr. Ortiz specializes in working with children and families. She has extensive training working with the Birth to Five population and hoping to provide more expertise in early intervention and prevention services. Dr. Ortiz currently works at El Centro De Amistad in Los Angeles County, and also works in a private practice in Orange County. Her experience working with diverse populations and her multicultural approach to understanding families, attachment, and community function has helped her better connect with her clients.
Dr. Ortiz brings to the Cross-Sector Child Care Task Force her professional training and knowledge working with young children as well as lived experience having two children under the age of 5 and the utilization of childcare. When Dr. Ortiz is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, having lots of in-the-moment dance parties, swimming, and loves hearing major belly laughs with her boys.
Jasmine Henry
Family Ambassador
Jasmine Henry was first introduced to First 5 OC when searching for programs to enrich her firstborn’s youth through socialization and play. She is forever grateful for the impact local community resources have made on my children’s lives. Aside from being a mother to her two sons, Jasmine is a nurse. In her line of work, she has found that she tends to wear many hats and requires the help of her team. She has also found this type of collaboration is applicable to parenthood as well.
Jasmine enjoys connecting with other parents who are also learning and growing with their own children. She believes in the importance of community and understanding the perspective of parents in the modern world. Jasmines understands there are many hurdles to tackle and believes there is a lot of potential to support each other.
Family Centered Resource Fair
Maria Sanchez, with support from Chloe Gutierrez and Paola Diaz, is working on the Family Centered Resource Fair.
This group has identified communities that are not served by existing resource fairs and would benefit from support, as shown through the Early Development Index. They want to try a new approach where providers are grouped by resource and sit with families at round tables to discuss the family and community needs and come up with the best fit to address the need.
Maria Sanchez
Family Ambassador, Mentor
Maria Sanchez lives in Orange County and is a mother of three children: a 14-year-old daughter, and two sons, ages 11 and 4.
She loves kids and is working in an elementary school district after working in a Catholic school for many years at her local church. Maria loves to learn new things, especially topics related to the development of the physical and mental health of kids.
She is an avid supporter of First 5 OC and believes in the importance of children’s development during their first five years.
Chloe Medina
Family Ambassador
Chloe Medina is a mother of four boys, ages 14, 12, 10, and 3. Her youngest son has autism.
Chloe serves on the Head Start Policy Council and Executive Board, is the economic captain at Zero to Three, and has visited Washington, DC, to advocate for Early Head Start and Economic Security.
She is passionate about helping and giving back to her community, and she serves on the PTA Board and is the Parent SELPA representative for the La Habra City School District.
She and her family enjoy going to the beach, hiking, exploring, and going to the park.
Paola Diaz
Family Ambassador
Paola Diaz is the mother of one daughter and three sons, ages 28, 24, 16, and14. She also has 2 grandchildren, ages 3 and 2.
Paola has lived in the city of Santa Ana for 30 years. She has been a volunteer mother at her children’s school as well as a volunteer in different organizations. Paola worked as a community worker for an organization for 10 years within the Santa Ana school district.
Paola is passionate about helping the community in different ways, including how to navigate the resources that families might need. Her participation in First 5 is to build a community where everyone feels empowered to contribute their talents and perspectives to create a more equitable and sustainable environment for all.
SEEDS for Thriving Families Coalition (Services, Education, Emotional Development Support)
Nekoda Mattox-Hall is a member of the SEEDS for Thriving Families Coalition.
This collaborative is intended to enhance Orange County’s ability to promote and address perinatal and infant mental health (including perinatal substance use) by supporting care providers and community-based organizations through prevention, education, screenings, and interventions that are informed by parent voice. The Family Ambassador makes recommendations based on lived experience and close connections to peers with perinatal mental health needs and experiences.
Nekoda Mattox-Hall
Family Ambassador
Nekoda Mattox-Hall is business owner, artist, mother of three young children, and a parent advocate.
She experienced a postpartum mental health crisis after her first baby was born in 2018. She has since used the experience to fuel a strong passion for advocating in the community for the support that new parents need.
She has spoken at large and small events to advocate for parents and share her experience, as well as worked in a consulting role to help community programs build needed resources and connect parents to them.
Family Support Task Force
Sydney Reese attends the Family Centered Care Workgroup. Vanessa Castaneda attends the Reducing Stigma and Discrimination Workgroup.
The Family Support Task Force is a supports system involved with families with substance use issues and is assisting with developing a countywide Family Wellness Plan (previously known as Plans of Safe Care) that ensures a comprehensive medical, mental health, and social services response to families in need. Family Ambassadors bring their lived expertise with substance use disorder, provide family voice and a message of hope, and provide input on ways to improve outcomes for families impacted by parental substance use.
Sydney Reese
Family Ambassador
Sydney Reese is a single mother to two daughters ages 3 and 5.
She currently works as a Parent Mentor assisting parents in the reunification process, and aiding parents with extra support and encouragement.
Sydney helps parents navigate local community resources and helps parents get connected with resources to meet their specific needs.
Vanessa Castaneda
Family Ambassador
Vanessa Castaneda is a mother of two wonderful children, her daughter is 10 years old and her son is 9 years old. Both of Vanessa’s children have autism so she has learned to advocate for them and make sure they receive the services in the community and in the school district they attend.
We are working together with family ambassadors to create an
organizational culture where incorporating family voices is the norm in First 5 OC operations.
For more information on Family Ambassadors, please contact Erwin Cox at erwin.cox@cfcoc.ocgov.com.