Professional Resources

Smiling baby holding a ball and looking at her mom

First 5 Orange County is committed to supporting early development of children ages 0-5 and of embracing making a system-level impact to ensure kids grow up happy, healthy and ready for kindergarten.

As part of that function, First 5 Orange County takes an active role in enriching parent involvement and resources, encouraging innovation and investing in systems of care that benefit the whole child.

Below are resources for providers that also serve to optimize young children’s health and development by promoting the importance of early childhood.

Safe Spaces Professional Learning Modules Launching Summer 2023

In Summer 2023, the Office of the California Surgeon General will release a free, online professional learning module designed to help early care and education personnel respond to trauma and stress in children. The training has two goals:

1. Provide greater awareness of the impact of stress and trauma on health, development and learning

2. Provide key mindsets and strategies to respond with trauma-informed principles and help create the conditions for safe and supportive learning environments for everyone.

Early care providers can access the CECO log-in page for the first module for ages 0-5 in English here and in Spanish here.

Orange County Perinatal Mental Health Toolkit

Legal Problem-Solving and Flourishing Handbook

This handbook was designed to assist in embracing legal problem-solving as a strategy and to provide a bigger toolbox that taps legal problem-solving resources both inside and outside the sector, so that perinatal and early childhood systems, programs, and teams can more effectively meet their mission of supporting families to flourish. Get the handbook here.

The handbook is available in Spanish, Vietnamese, Cape Verdean Creole, and Haitian Creole here.

Toolkits for Providers

We need your help in sharing these necessary resources to inform and educate parents, families and caregivers about important issues affecting their communities and supports being provided. By acting together, we can leverage our voices and underline the connection between educating families and the well-being of them and their children. Thank you for sharing!

Child Care in Orange County Social Media Toolkit

Child Care and its Impact on Orange County’s Economy.

Stigma Free OC Toolkit

Stigma Free OC is a county-wide movement which aims to clear the stigma associated with mental illness and addiction. This campaign is dedicated to raising awareness of these illnesses by creating an environment where people are seen and supported in their efforts to achieve wellness and recovery.

Perinatal Substance Use for PN-3 Providers

Recognizing perinatal substance use disorder as a significant consideration when addressing perinatal mental health system-wide, First 5 Orange County adapted a series of short videos originally produced in Florida, as a resource for local healthcare and other prenatal-to-3 service providers. The videos demonstrate recommended screening and intervention strategies for perinatal substance use, appropriate language and attitudes to reduce stigma, the use of motivational interviewing, and how to establish a Plan of Safe Care in order to keep mother and baby together safely upon discharge from the hospital. Partners are encouraged to utilize the videos when training staff or offering education to their clients.

Please refer to page 15 of the Orange County Perinatal Mental Health Toolkit for available substance use screening tools and local recovery resources.

After watching the videos, please share your feedback by taking a short survey. Contact us through this survey if you are interested in customizing this video for your area.