Merced
Introduction
Merced County is located in the Central Valley of California, north of Fresno and southeast of San Jose. The state government’s population bureau lists a January 1, 2006 estimate of 245,658. The county seat is Merced. The county is named after the Merced River.
First 5 coordinated and funded the planning effort for the Merced PFA Feasibility Study, with AIR providing technical assistance. The final document was published in 2006 after about a year of work. Many local community agencies are acknowledged in the report for their participation in the effort, although interest in preschool issues in Merced County has increased greatly since its release.
Merced County places a major focus on preschool expansion. Through their Preschool for All/Power of Preschool program and the School Readiness Initiative, the Merced County Office of Education and First 5 Merced are working together to ensure all children enter school ready to succeed. Both programs place an emphasis on and provide critical support in the areas of early child education, parenting, curriculum guidelines and staff development. Visit the Merced County Office of Education website.
| Article Title | Authors | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 California Child Care Portfolio for Merced County | California Child Care Resource… | 1/01/06 |
| Merced Master Plan (2006) | Kayce Garcia Rane, Robert… | 8/01/06 |
