For Immediate Release
June 20, 2008

Early Childhood Studies at UCR Extension awarded $1.3 million in grants

RIVERSIDE, CALIF. – Early Childhood and Family Studies at UCR Extension has been awarded two educational support grants to assist early care professionals and child development students living and/or working in San Bernardino County. Awarded $1,329,445 from First 5 San Bernardino, the monies will be used to provide reduced-cost education and financial stipends to qualified early child care providers and educators who live or work in San Bernardino County.

That's good news for the parents and children who live in San Bernardino County, where there is a critical need for trained early childcare providers. In 2001, San Bernardino County ranked 57th among California's 58 counties in its supply of licensed child care slots, according to the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network.

"Our region desperately needs highly qualified early childhood caregivers and quality childcare programs. We greatly appreciate the support that First 5 provides to the students and programs offered at UCR Extension," said Sharon Duffy, interim dean of UCR Extension and Summer Sessions Programs.

The first grant of $864,437 is designated for the SBC-CARES program, a statewide initiative that is funded locally by First 5 San Bernardino and provides incentive stipends, mentoring services and professional training to eligible family child care providers and staff members at eligible child care centers.

The second grant of $465,008 is designated for the SBC-CONNECTIONS project, which is an educational support grant designed to aid Child Development students and Early Care professionals living and/or working in San Bernardino County. Through the SBC-CONNECTIONS project, UCR Extension provides tuition assistance, textbook assistance, participant stipends, educational materials vouchers, reduced-cost training, career mentoring and college credit for child development training.

"The news of renewed investment by First 5 San Bernardino is very rewarding," said Margi Wild, who oversees the Early Childhood and Family Studies program. "With this generous financial investment, UCR Extension can continue to offer a stellar public service to the children and families of San Bernardino County through numerous retention and educational support activities."

To ensure greater accessibility to the training programs, Extension offers orientations and classes in English and Spanish.

To browse other UCR Extension classes or register online, visit www.extension.ucr.edu or call (951) 827-4105 or toll-free at (800) 442-4990. To receive a free UCR Extension catalog, which includes a complete listing of all our current courses and certificate programs, call (951) 827-3806.

UCR Extension is the continuing education division of the University of California, Riverside. Extension offers more than 3,800 courses and 90 certificate programs in a variety of academic programs, including agriculture and landscape, arts and humanities, business and management, education, forensic investigations and public safety, teacher's credentialing, English, environmental management, geospatial analysis and technology, health services and behavioral sciences, information technology, languages, law and public policy, Native American studies, natural sciences, and yoga.