Families First in Cabarrus County

🌱 Food Insecurity in Children: A Silent Crisis 🌱 ✨ Partner Highlight Series: Feeding Kannapolis Hunger ✨ At Families First, we’re fortunate to have incredible partners like Feeding Kannapolis Hunger, making an impact in the fight against food insecurity. Led by Jim, this amazing organization goes above and beyond to bring fresh, nutritious food to our community. 🌽🥕🍎 During the gleaning season, Jim delivers 10-20 boxes (each 25 lbs!) of fresh produce directly to us, enabling us to provide healthy food to families we serve through ParentChild+. In the off-season, our collaboration continues as we work together to secure grants and food vouchers so families can access fresh foods year-round. Why it Matters: Food insecurity in young children is more common than many realize. By partnering with Feeding Kannapolis Hunger, we’re helping to bridge this gap, ensuring that children and families have the nourishment they need to thrive. 📢 Get Involved: Feeding Kannapolis Hunger hosts food drives and other community initiatives. Discover how you can support their mission and help feed local families: https://lnkd.in/etfkf7Aq Stay tuned for more partner highlights as we celebrate those making a difference with us! 💙 #PartnerHighlight #FeedingKannapolisHunger #EndChildHunger #StrongerTogether

🌟 Immersion Preschool: Zumba Fun Every Monday! 🌟 Every Monday, Ms. Courtney Jant, owner of Dancing On The Go, LLC, brings energy, excitement, and learning with Zumba to both locations. 💃 The kids absolutely LOVE her, and it’s a perfect time for our teachers to recharge or get moving too! 🕺 It’s all about supporting our amazing teachers and keeping everyone active! We love you, Ms. Courtney! ❤️ #SupportYourTeachers #Zumba #PreschoolFun #HealthyBodiesHealthyMinds

We couldn’t be prouder of our incredible teachers! 🌟 Their dedication to fostering a love for learning helps open doors for our little ones, empowering them to thrive in both English and Spanish. 🗣️📚 Thank you for making a lasting impact in our community and ensuring that every child feels seen, heard, and valued. ❤️👶🌍

🌟 Remembering a special visit in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month! We were honored to welcome Governor Roy Cooper to our Bilingual Preschool and organization, highlighting the importance of our Latino families and children in our community and economy. Governor Cooper's visit recognizes the invaluable contributions of our Latino community, celebrating their culture, resilience, and dedication to building a brighter future for all. ✅ Our Bilingual Preschool is more than just a learning space—it’s a hub of cultural pride and a testament to the strength and value of Hispanic families in our state. We remain committed to providing inclusive, high-quality education that honors our heritage and empowers our children. Let’s continue to uplift, support, and celebrate the vibrant Latino families who are the heart of our community! 💪🏽❤️ #HispanicHeritageMonth #BilingualPreschool #GovernorRoyCooper

#ICYMI: A Love Letter to FFN Caregivers 💚 "My aunt wasn’t trained in child development, but she was an expert. She knew it was important to slow down, to feed my imagination, to care about the things that were important to me, whether that was dancing to the Nutcracker in my socks or dressing my dolls in their snowsuits before taking them out in the cold." - Alexandra Patterson, Director of Policy & Strategy, Home Grown #ChildCare #FFNCare Read the full blog post: https://lnkd.in/eavywqQz

🎉 Happy 5 Year Work Anniversary to Miss Nida! 🎉 Today, we honor Miss Nida, a dedicated teacher, a passionate advocate for early childhood education, and a true inspiration to our team and families! ⭐ Originally from Pakistan, Miss Nida has spent the last 5 years making a profound impact on the lives of our diverse families. As she nears the incredible milestone of graduating with her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, we couldn’t be prouder of her commitment to learning and her unwavering love for every child she teaches. 📚🎓 Miss Nida’s favorite book, “It’s Okay to Be Different” by Todd Parr, perfectly reflects her belief in the beauty of diversity and the importance of celebrating every unique child. Her joyful spirit and inclusive approach remind us daily that every family and culture enriches our community. Join us in celebrating Miss Nida’s 5 years of dedication, her journey toward graduation, and her passion for embracing all families with open arms! 💖👏🏽 #FamiliesFirst #EarlyChildhoodEducation #WeLoveMissNida #DiversityInclusion

To all our incredible teachers and yours, may your weekend be filled with well-deserved joy and relaxation. You truly deserve it!

🎉 We’re so honored! After months of strategic planning, the University City Child Care Network took its first mission-centered action step by serving the community, no strings attached! 🌟 Yesterday, over 100 children received backpacks filled with supplies and books, while families enjoyed delicious hamburgers, hotdogs, and free Kona Ice 🍔🍧. The smiles on everyone’s faces made it all worth it! 😊 We’ve put in the work over the years, thanks to supporters of UCCN, including The Blue Cross NC Foundation, they are moving their mission forward: “To increase community advocacy, promote education, and cultivate wellness for childcare professionals and families.” Together, UCCN believes: “All families and early childhood educators deserve comprehensive support to thrive.” 💪 Thank you to everyone who made this incredible day possible! Let’s keep pushing for a brighter future for all. 🌈📚 #CommunityFirst #FamiliesThrive #ChildcareMatters #MissionDriven #UCCN #BackToSchool #BlueCrossNCFoundation

It has been such a joy to participate in this heartfelt week! Fittingly, we hired another PC+ ELS (recent MSW intern) to train, graduated 2 FFNs (🎉!), and enrolled 4 new FFN providers in the PC+ Home-Based Child Care model. Thank you Home Grown for putting this together and of course, such a joy to serve with the tools, training, and support of ParentChild +. These partnerships truly empower our FFN providers and community. What a week!! Let’s keep going. #ffncareisalwaysthere

The saying 'it takes a village,' has always been something that people understand intuitively. While that may not be apparent, there is a vast network of village keepers providing family, friends, and neighbor care. Also referred to as home-based care, these represent our neighbors, our kin, who have come to role of care with the collective in mind. They are a part of raising the future and supporting our elders and those physical disabilities in their dignity. Think about who you know who is a home caregiver. For me it's my neighbors who have weekly been the caregivers for their dearest grandkids through their lives; it's my auntie and cousins who have daily been the people who have been the rock for my living grandmother; it's co-workers who are very much sandwiched raising the children in their lives, perhaps a neighbor's child and doing so while making care plans for moms and dads. When we think about realizing a vision to ensure economic inclusion for families with children, it cannot be done with acknowledging how deeply valuable the role of a caregiver is. This week as we celebrate #FFNAppreciationWeek, I encourage you to send that note of appreciation forward for all the caregivers you know.... My bigger hope is that we make permanent changes that demonstrate that we understand our interdependence rests on the wellbeing of caregivers, like simple universal child benefits and caregiver remunerations, so that every family can live life to its fullest and thrive. #CareMakesEverythingElsePossible #RWJF