For Parents &
Families

Parents and caring adults have the biggest influence on a young child’s ability to thrive. Find resources and tools to help you as a parent.

As a parent, you are the most important person to your child. Your relationship is the foundation from which your child will learn about the world.

Parents and other caregivers are better able to build warm and consistent relationships with children when they have resources and support. That’s why we fund and partner with programs that provide ongoing, individualized, professional services and support to children and their families. 

We are partners in your parenting journey.

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Resources for Parents & Families

In their first five years, children grow and learn from everything around them. Supporting your child is simple. You can help your child’s healthy development by actively engaging with them—talking, reading, singing and playing. These resources can help.

Local Family Resources

Get connected to information about young children and local resources to help your family.

Early Childhood Development

Developmental screenings help you keep track as your baby develops from birth to age five.

Kit for New Parents

A welcome gift for your new baby from First 5 San Mateo. Information is delivered to your door.

Learn about your child's development

You can tell a lot about how your child is growing up by watching how they play, learn, talk, behave, and move. These things they do are called milestones. Milestones are what most babies and kids learn to do at different times as they grow up, like smiling, talking, and walking. Every child learns and grows at their own pace, but these milestones can give you an idea of what to expect as your child grows up.

Click on the links to learn more about each stage of development from the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Healthy Children website and keep reading to find resources that support your child and family in every stage of their development.

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Prenatal

Pregnancy is a time of anticipation, excitement, preparation, and, for many new parents, uncertainty. The nine months of pregnancy are time to have your questions answered, calm your fears, and prepare yourself for the realities of parenthood. 

Learn about pregnancy

Baby: 0-12 months

It doesn’t take long to develop the confidence and calm of an experienced parent. Your baby will give you the most important information—how she likes to be treated, talked to, held, and comforted.

Learn about the first year

Toddler: 1-3 years

Your child is advancing from infancy toward and into the preschool years. During this time, his physical growth and motor development will slow. You can expect to see tremendous intellectual, social, and emotional changes.

Learn about toddlerhood

Preschool: 3-5 years

Before you know it, your child has turned four and then five years old. You may find that your somewhat calm child of three has now become a dynamo of energy, drive, bossiness, and sometimes out-of-bounds behavior.

Learn about the preschool years

Featured Blog Posts

"Parents are their child’s first and most important teacher. You have the power to change your child’s future."
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