The First 5 Service Corps Initiative is a statewide initiative to enhance and expand programs serving young children through the placement of AmeriCorps and VISTA members in community agencies. The purpose of this three-year initiative is to engage community residents in providing services to children 0-5 and their families that enable children to enter school ready to succeed. The First 5 Service Corps provides a unique opportunity for agencies with limited resources to leverage both financial and human resources for their programs. This initiative provides several benefits to the community, host agencies, and members alike. The community's young children and their families will be able to take advantage of expanded and quality enhanced programs; host sites will benefit from increased organizational capacity and skills; and members will develop and build valuable professional competencies in the field of the human services. The initiative's emphasis on human services workforce development will also produce a long-term investment in local human capital. The AmeriCorps and VISTA programs are two of several national service programs funded by the federal government under the administration of the Corporation for National and Community Service. As a collective, national service programs foster the growth of a service ethic as they engage volunteers in meaningful community activities. AmeriCorps members are generally recruited from the surrounding community and enhance programs by providing direct services to clients. VISTA members are typically recruited from a national pool of candidates and provide indirect services such as community outreach, fundraising, collaboration and partnership development, and other capacity building activities. In this first year of the program, First 5 San Mateo County will recruit eight volunteers from the federally funded AmeriCorps and VISTA programs and place them within community-based agencies currently implementing school readiness activities. Member placements include the Prenatal-to-Three county-wide public health home visitation program; the Child Care Coordinating Council; Coastside Children's Program; South Coast Collaborative; Daly City Peninsula Partnership; and Redwood City Child Development Programs. Examples of VISTA Member responsibilities include managing the development of a public health resource library; and assisting with curriculum development, NAEYC accreditation, and with the overall coordination of an integrated preschool program. AmeriCorps member responsibilities will be targeted to the Coastside region of the County and will include conducting home visits to families; conducting health education and outreach activities; enrolling families in health insurance programs; conducting immunization campaigns; completing and processing insurance applications, and implementing a "healthy habits" nutrition promoting curriculum in child care programs. Higher numbers of volunteer placements are anticipated in Years 2 and 3 of the initiative. In order to ensure that members benefit fully from their year of service and maximize their professional growth, members are provided with training and professional development opportunities tailored to their individual interests and site placements. Members serve in a variety of different capacities and across many different service areas, including home visiting, public health, and early care and education programs.