County Health Services Department secures major funding for key early childhood programs

The Sonoma County Department of Health Services announced today that it has received two grants to support early childhood programs.

Child safety seat education

DHS was awarded a $128,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to support its efforts in educating parents and caregivers about the importance of child safety seats. The grant program runs through September 2025.

“We are thrilled to receive this grant from the OTS to continue our child safety seat education program,” said Brittany Lobo, director of the department’s maternal, child and adolescent health unit. “Proper use of child car seats can dramatically reduce the risk of injury or death in a crash. With this funding, we can provide hands-on training, resources and support so that every family has the knowledge and tools to keep their children safe when traveling.”

Traffic Safety grant funds will be used for a variety of community outreach events, education classes, distribution of child safety seats, and training on the installation and use of child safety seats. The car seat safety program includes:

• Child Passenger Safety Technician training and recertification courses for local community clinic staff,
• Issuing child safety seats at no cost for families in need, and
• Partnering with local community clinics on car seat safety education for Medi-Cal eligible families.

Early childhood wraparound services

DHS was also awarded a two-year grant in the amount of $1.27 million from the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative to support wraparound skill development for adults who work with infants and young children, as well as expectant and new parents and caregivers. “Wraparound” in this case means providing a comprehensive, holistic, youth and family-focused way of responding to mental health challenges among children.

Specifically, this round of Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative grant funding aims to:

• Provide home visiting and consultation services that are culturally and linguistically representative of, and responsive to, the needs of communities they serve,
• Improve coordination of services for pregnant and parenting individuals and their families,
• Strengthen child and parent/caregiver relationships, improve family dynamics and increase parent/caregiver involvement through positive parenting practices,
• Improve caregiver well-being, as well as newborn and child health and development,
• Strengthen the home-visiting workforce by building a diverse workforce and identifying challenges that impact care for populations of focus, and
• Reduce health disparities through improving equitable access to services.

Reflecting the broad needs of the state, the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative brings together organizations representing the community, education and health sectors to build a more coordinated, youth-centered, prevention-oriented and accessible behavioral health system. The Sonoma County Department of Health Services was selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants due to its strong alignment with the broader mission of the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative and its potential to address critical child and youth behavioral health challenges.

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Media Contact:
Sheri Cardo
DHS Communications Specialist
sheri.cardo@sonoma-county.org
(707) 565-8619