Senator Bill Dodd secures $5M budget allocation for Early Learning Center in Vallejo

July 1, 2022

SOLANO COUNTY – Senator Bill Dodd secured a $5 million dollar allocation from the State budget for the County of Solano/First 5 Solano Children and Families Commission (First 5 Solano) to support the establishment of the Vallejo Early Learning Center.  This Center will provide quality early care and education for 300 children, including infants, toddlers, and PreK. 

“I’m happy to secure this critical funding to benefit early learning in Solano County,” said Senator Dodd, D-Napa.  “First 5 Solano has been instrumental in providing quality care and education to our children, and this renovation will allow a significant expansion of these key services.”

The funding will be used to renovate the Beverly Hills Elementary School site in Vallejo to provide the needed facilities for these young children. The project is a collaboration between First 5 Solano, the Vallejo City Unified School District, the Solano County Office of Education, Child Start, Inc., and a variety of private childcare and early learning providers.

The project is currently in the pre-construction stage with construction expected to begin in late summer/early fall of 2022. The goal is to complete construction in fall 2023.  In addition to modernizing the interior of all 18 classrooms, the multi-purpose room and kitchen will be renovated, the exterior and interior of the school site will be refreshed, and the playgrounds will be replaced with age-appropriate play areas. The Center will support parent choice with options including Head Start and Early Head Start and private childcare and early learning providers. 

“We appreciate Senator Dodd’s efforts to secure funding for this project so that we can provide much needed childcare and early learning for working families,” said Erin Hannigan, District 1 Supervisor and First 5 Solano Commissioner. “The early years are critical to the health and wellness of children and lay the foundation for future learning and success.”

While the new Vallejo Early Learning Center is being constructed, parents and caregivers can visit the Vallejo First 5 Center, located at 3375 Sonoma Blvd. Suite #10 in Vallejo.  The Vallejo First 5 Center is an innovative hub created to engage families and allow children ages 0-5 to play, learn and grow. Parents and caregivers have a safe and welcoming environment where they can receive information and holistic support to meet family needs and be connected to appropriate resources in the community. All services and programs are free to attendees.  Visit the @VallejoFirst5Center on Facebook for more information.

Contact Lorraine Fernandez at First 5 Solano by email at [email protected] and (707) 784-1337 for more information on First 5 programming.