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A group of 18 local people, most Indigenous People, stand and sit together around the trainer on a large screen who taught via Zoom. And the Mendocino Doula community grows with Indigenous Doulas.
May 22, 2024Community Partners, Newborn, Parent Support, Prenatal, Uncategorized, , , , , , by

New Indigenous Doulas Train to Diversify Support for Mendocino Families

First 5 Mendocino held a training for Indigenous Doulas with Melissa Brown of Zaagi’idiwin! From around Mendocino County, 14 Indigenous Doulas and 4 allies attended this training at the beautiful Redwood Valley Rancheria Learning Center. Melissa is a Dine and Anishinaabe Midwife, a Registered Midwife and an Indigenous Doula Trainer. Zaagi’idiwin is her training organization. Local Indigenous Cultural Practitioners- Rose Steele and Martina Morgan supported the training by sharing local birth, cultural traditions, and practices of Tribal communities including the Elem, Yokayo, Pomo, and Kashia Band of Pomo. Wait a minute . . . what’s a doula? To learn more about doulas, check out our previous blog posts.  Why Train Indigenous Doulas? For equity and justice! Mendocino County has the 3rd highest percentage population of Indigenous People in California. In the US and in the Mendocino area, more Indigenous babies are born with low birth weight, preterm, without adequate prenatal …
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March 29, 2024Infants, Newborn, Parent Support, Prenatal, , , , , , by

Strong Starts – World Doula Week 2024

We are big fans of doulas. There are more than a few reasons why. On our team, we have personal experience having doulas attend our own births and some of us even trained and worked as doulas. There’s also the science. It tells us doulas help families come out stronger. What’s a doula? Centered around the birthing family, doulas are important partners in the birth care team, along with nurses, midwives, and doctors. Here’s a little bit of what doulas do: Doulas and the Birth Team Some people don’t realize this- that doulas are not health care providers. They are helpers! Doulas focus on care, support, and advocacy. And they are important part of the birth team! Doulas share hours together with families during pregnancy. They stay with families through the whole labor while nurses, midwives and doctors in the hospital usually must divide time between families to ensure everyone gets …
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March 14, 2024Child Health & Development, Community Partners, Early Learning & Care, Parent Support, , by

First 5 Mendocino Hosts Another Successful Children’s Mental Health Summit

We are thrilled to announce the incredible success of the State of the Child Summit, which took place on March 6 and 7 at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center. The summit brought together nearly 150 professionals, representing 42 different agencies, serving Mendocino County families to hear from renowned experts and speakers, including Tina Payne Bryson, PhD, MaryCatherine McDonald, PhD, Georgie Wisen-Vincent, and Gaelin Elmore, to address critical issues related to children's mental health and well-being.
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February 06, 2024Uncategorizedby

Positive Parenting Awareness Month 2024 – Advocacy Day at the Capitol

On January 23rd, along with three dozen other advocates for Positive Parenting, three of our staff at First 5 Mendocino went to the Capitol in Sacramento to advocate for Positive Parenting.
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January 30, 2024About our Team, Child Health & Development, Community Partners, Early Learning & Care, , , by

First 5 Mendocino Hosts Children’s Mental Health Conference

On March 6 and 7, First 5 Mendocino will host its annual two-day children's mental health summit, State of the Child, at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center, 200 S. School Street. The free event provides an opportunity for Mendocino County professionals who work with foster youth, foster parents, child caregivers, and community members to engage with nationally recognized and local presenters to gain valuable insights into children's mental health, trauma-informed care, and strategies for promoting resilience in children and youth.
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