Early Childhood

Looking for quality childcare and preschool options? The SCOE Early Education and Instruction Department provides support, resources and professional development opportunities for early childhood education programs in our area. We ensure federal and state compliance of our California State Preschool programs. These high quality part-day preschool classrooms are located on various school district campuses throughout Shasta County. Visit Early Education & Instruction. for more information.

We like to say that education begins in the womb. Reach Higher Shasta partners with the Shasta County Office of Education and  First 5 Shasta to provide a variety of learning resources for laying the earliest foundations for children ages 0-5.

2-1-1 Shasta
Get connected to a wide range of resources; includes a Children & Family category. Search the web site or call 2-1-1 to get assistance from a Live Call specialist.

40 Developmental Assets for Early Childhood
The Search Institute’s building blocks of healthy child development for ages 3-5.

Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ)
Check your child’s growth and development in the first 5 years; free screening tools from 1 month to 5 years.

Bridges to School Success
Free mental health services for children ages 0-to-18 having difficulties with challenging behaviors that disrupt their ability to participate fully in their learning.

Bright Futures
Eastern Shasta County program with activities to strengthen families and connect to valuable resources.

First 5 California Parents
A great first place to go for everything children 0-5. Features health, learning and reading tips, activities, and parent support information.

First 5 Institute
The education extension of First 5 Shasta offers workshops, conferences, trainings, and learning adventures for professionals, providers, and families with children ages 0-to-5.

Flavors Hook Kids
Learn how the tobacco industry uses flavors and familiar images to market products to a young audience.

Healthy Babies Program (maternal depression)
Pregnant women and moms parenting children under age 2 can get help finding the right treatment for anxiety and depression.

Healthy Shasta
Information to help you eat healthy and be active at home, work, and school. Local maps include walking guides, bike maps, and playgrounds.

Kit for New Parents
Free kit of parent education materials from First 5 Shasta; DVD and materials address a range of parenting topics and the surprises of caring for a newborn. Check the list of distribution sites to get yours!

Little Free Libraries Map
Free places to get children’s books or donate books.

Moms Everyday 
First 5 Shasta video segments featuring local experts with early childhood tips especially for moms – also see the segments on Action News Channel 12/24 serving Chico and Redding!

Next Stop: Kindergarten (listed under Additional Resources)                                                                                                   Free guide to help families prepare their age 3-4 child for a successful start in kindergarten. Need a print copy? Contact First 5 Shasta 

No Butts
Free quit smoking app for i-phone! Personalized quit plan, info about effective quitting aids, personal log of smoking triggers, motivational reminders, and quit smoking tips.

Playground Map
Support your child’s health and development with visits to playgrounds designed especially for young children! Features age-appropriate equipment.

Shasta County Child Abuse Prevention Coordinating Council
Family support activities including Parent Cafes, Parent Partner Programs to link parents to resources, and a walk-in Family Resource Center.

Shasta County Nurse-Family Partnership
First time mothers are paired with a nurse home visitor throughout pregnancy and until baby turns 2; geared to healthy pregnancy, improving child health and development, and women becoming more economically self-sufficient.

Shasta County Resource & Referral
Help finding child care providers in Shasta County that match a family’s specific needs.

Shasta Strengthening Families
Introducing the 5 Protective Factors that help strengthen families, promote optimal child development, and protect against child abuse and neglect.

Text4Baby
Your baby has you. You have tex4baby. Sign up for free text messages that support you throughout your pregnancy and your baby’s first year. Topics include prenatal care, baby health and safety, parenting, and more.

Triple P Shasta
Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) is for every parent! Help for parents dealing with common issues such as tantrums, disobedience, and bedtime drama. Support for simple to complex challenges.

Week of the Young Child
Annual celebration of young children that takes place every April in Shasta County and all across the nation! A new calendar of events and activities is available each year for families and all community members.

Teaching Our Youngest: Guide for Preschool Teachers, Child Care and Family Providers
This guide discusses how to help children develop their language abilities, increase their knowledge, become familiar with books and other printed materials, learn letters and sounds, recognize numbers, and learn to count.

Helping Your Preschool Child
How well children will learn and develop and how well they will do in school depends on a number of things, including their health and physical well-being, social and emotional preparation, and language skills and general knowledge of the world. This booklet highlights techniques parents can use to encourage their children to develop the skills necessary for success in school and life by focusing on activities that make learning fun. En Español | More “Helping Your Child” publications

If You Think There’s a Problem—Helping Your Child Become a Reader
When a child is having a language or reading problem, the reason might be simple to understand and deal with or it might be complicated and require expert help. En Español

Learning to Talk and Listen
An oral language resource for early childhood caregivers.

Words All Around
Language Building Tips for Center-Based and Home-Based Child Care Providers

Shining Stars: Toddlers Get Ready To Read: How Parents Can Help Their Toddlers Get Ready To Read
Shining Stars: Preschoolers Get Ready To Read: How Parents Can Help Their Preschoolers Get Ready To Read
Shining Stars: Kindergartners Learn To Read: How Parents Can Help Their Kindergartners Learn To Read
Shining Stars: First Graders Learn To Read: How Parents Can Help Their First Graders Learn To Read
Shining Stars: Second & Third Graders Learn To Read: How Parents Can Help Their Second & Third Graders learn to Read
These publications for parents describe strategies proven to work by the most rigorous scientific research available on the teaching of reading.

Tool Kit for Hispanic Families
How to help your child succeed in school and resources that can help.

Parent Power, Build the Bridge to Success
This guide has tools to help parents take responsibility for their child’s success.

Typical Language Accomplishments for Children, Birth to Age 6—Helping Your Child Become a Reader
Learning to read is built on a foundation of language skills that children start to learn at birth—a process that is both complicated and amazing. Most children develop certain skills as they move through the early stages of learning language.