LAKE COUNTY >> On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors approved Carly Swatosh, Education Specialist for the Lake County Office of Education and Allison Panella, Representative of a local medical, pediatric, or obstetric agency for Sutter Lakeside Hospital, two vacancies under First 5 Lake Commission. The Board voted unanimously to appoint them both.
First 5 Lake County is a program that works to inspire and promote healthy, safe, and family-centered experiences for children between the ages of zero to five, with the help from local service providers and families. Under the County, the program aims to “establish a Commission, Trust Fund, require development of a Strategic Plan describing how programs, services, and projects relating to early childhood development within the County.”
In late February, an ad hoc committee was formed to recruit, screen, and interview individuals for the two at-large vacancies on the Commission. The Commission approved of both Swatosh and Panella by June and was then sent to the Board for final appointment.
According to First 5, Swatosh will fulfill her duties as an educator specializing in early childhood development and as a recipient of project services, including the First 5 Strategic Plan. This plan aims to provide aid for child development, despite a child’s physical, emotional, or environmental conditions, in order to prepare for schooling in a physically, emotionally, and academically healthy way. An example of services available under the Strategic Plan is the Imagination Library, a program offered in several counties across the country. The program was funded by First 5 to offer resources for strengthening family literacy. This is done so by mailing a book monthly to a child between the ages of zero to five and inciting parents to develop a reading routine. With recent fires, the program was interrupted, but children continued to receive books through their preschools. Based on the 2015-2016 First 5 Lake Evaluation Report, 567 new children and their families registered for the Imagination Library program and a total of 1,033 books were delivered to homes across the County. Recently, First Five launched online registration for the program. Swatosh, who taught kindergarten at Konocti Unified School District for six years and has a master’s degree in early childhood education, hopes to continue the efforts that the plan has thus achieved.
She said serving on the First 5 Commission will allow her to help “all of our children in the community have a healthy and supportive home to grow in…and help them [families] raise children in safe and literacy-rich environments.”
Panella, who also has a degree in early childhood education, has served as a preschool teacher and serves in several clubs and organizations including the Heroes of Health and Safety Fair, Hope Rising, and the Kelseyville Sunrise Rotary Club. Just prior to being recently appointed, she served as a Community Benefit Specialist at Sutter Lakeside Hospital. She will focus her duties as a representative of local medical, pediatric or obstetric agency with Sutter Lakeside Hospital.
“My heart and soul is with our youth, I care about this community wholeheartedly and I truly believe that we must invest in our children,” said Panella in a statement.
