Pasitos Playgroups

Overview

The goal of the Pasitos Playgroups program is to increase school readiness for low-income, Spanish-speaking families in Sonoma County. Pasitos Playgroups are structured, educational, evidence informed groups that served over 300 families each year across the county. The no-cost groups provide parents and their children between the ages of 1 ½ -4 years with information to promote optimal child development and their child’s readiness to enter kindergarten. For the children, the weekly groups provide fun and engaging opportunities to enhance skills that are essential to entering school ready to succeed, including fine motor, early literacy, and social/emotional skills.

We have successfully implemented this program for the past 14 years and currently have ongoing funding from First 5 Sonoma County, Sonoma County Vintners’ Foundation, and Santa Rosa City Schools Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) funds. We have partnered with over 15 school districts and other community-based organizations including Burbank Housing. We have developed a survey that tracks parents’ knowledge and shows each year substantially increases their understanding of their role as first teacher as well as such important aspects of parenting such as increased reading, importance of routines, knowledge of resources, and use of positive parenting techniques.