WEST SACRAMENTO HOME RUN
ANNUAL REPORT 25-26
OUR VISION Through the West Sacramento Home Run, the City of West Sacramento will be a thriving community that benefits children, families and local businesses by providing access to highquality early learning for all children, opportunities to develop valuable workreadiness skills, and financial assistance for postsecondary education and training.
OUR OBJECTIVES 1
SUPPORT QUALITY EARLY LEARNING FOR ALL CHILDREN.
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IMPROVE FINANCIAL LITERACY AMONG FAMILIES.
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IMPROVE CAREER READINESS AMONG LOCAL YOUTH.
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ENCOURAGE SAVINGS AND PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR POSTSECONDARY ATTENDANCE AND COMPLETION.
TABLE OF CONTENTS YEAR IN REVIEW
QUALITY EARLY LEARNING
READY, SET, SAVE!
INTERNSHIPS
COLLEGE PROMISE
DIGITAL MICRO-CREDENTIALS
25/26 OUTREACH & NETWORKING DAY
529 DAY WINNERS
FUTURE PLANS
Making West Sacramento the best place to grow up, raise a family, and find talent.
YEAR IN REVIEW Hi, I’m Justine, Manager of the Home Run, and I am delighted to welcome you to our annual report where you can discover how the Home Run has grown and developed this past year! We again expanded access, serving more children, youth and families, and provided meaningful learning opportunities to children and educators across our community. In summer of 2026 we placed the highest number of high school students in our program’s history in summer internships! The internships provide youth with more than valuable work experience— they also have opportunities to build confidence, develop professional skills, explore career pathways, and see themselves as leaders and contributors within the community. In 2025/26, twenty early learning and care sites benefited from California’s Farm to Early Care and Education grants, creating opportunities for young children to explore the basics of gardening and nutrition through hands-on learning. These investments strengthen the foundation for lifelong healthy eating habits and excitement about agriculture and biology, while helping early
educators create environments where children can explore, ask questions, and develop a deeper connection to locally grown food and community. Youth leadership remains at the heart of our work. We were able to bring back two of our experienced interns to support staff working parttime throughout the school year. Their contributions extend well beyond the traditional internship experience as they assist with a wide range of projects, mentor and encourage other young people, and bring their creativity, perspective, and growing professional skills to our work. Their leadership demonstrates what is possible when young people are trusted with meaningful responsibility and given opportunities to grow. Be sure to read our Future Plans section, to see what exciting developments are coming next year!
Justine Jimenez
Home Run Manager
QUALITY EARLY LEARNING
*The size of each school icon represents the number of students served. Larger icons represent preschool centers, while smaller icons represent family child care providers.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS - FARM TO EARLY LEARNING Our Quality Early Learning providers benefitted from a $200,000 Farm to Early Care and Education grant from California Department of Food and Agriculture this year. Twenty-seven early learning and care sites received deliveries of locally grown organic produce, and 15 sites got funding for gardening projects. Garden boxes, greenhouses, and other infrastructure were built, and children experienced hands-on planting, harvesting, and preparation of freshly grown vegetables and fruits! The grant built a foundation for our QEL providers, and instilled a life-long love of growing and eating healthy produce in our youngest learners.
CHALLENGES - UNIVERSAL TK Universal Transitional Kindergarten (TK) rolled out its final stage in fall of 2025, making all four-year-olds in California eligible for this new grade. We are also experiencing a decline in the number of young children living in the state, with lowered birth rates and families moving away. This created significant enrollment challenges for the majority of our programs. Some reduced services, while many say they are in danger of closing imminently. One Family Child Care stated, "We consistently had between 6-8 children enrolled, and this year I have 2. I won't be able to continue for long like this".
SOLUTIONS - PARTNERSHIPS To address these challenges we are building on our relationships with providers to track key information, and report their needs to our Local Childcare Planning Council (Yolo LPC). The Yolo LPC used data collected from our providers to apply for emergency funding and a county-wide grant focused on addressing specific childcare needs. The Home Run is also working with several key City staff to create a responsive program utilizing Childcare Impact Fees. This program will enable providers to make improvements so they can expand their services to infant/toddler or after-school care. WSHR is consistently ahead of the game while scaffolding on what the State built 20 years ago. - Joyce Lee, Early Learning Specialist
We had the pleasure of visiting PJ’s Kids and observing the children as they explored their creativity through imaginative play.
READY, SET, SAVE! During the past year, 186 new Ready, Set, Save! accounts were opened, and participants claimed a total of $31,856 in incentives. While this represents a small percentage decrease from the previous year, the program continues to provide meaningful financial support to West Sacramento youth and families. These accomplishments reflect the continued engagement of participants who are taking advantage of opportunities to build their savings and strengthen their financial futures. Two participants, Anahi Enriquez and Farzana Abed, demonstrate the long-term impact of Ready, Set, Save! Both are now using their savings to support their college journeys. Farzana will attend UC Davis this fall to major in Health Sciences, while Anahi will attend UC Berkeley to study Economics and Politics. Their accomplishments highlight how Ready, Set, Save! helps students and families prepare for higher education and turn their savings goals into amazing opportunities. Looking ahead to the 2026–27 program year, the team plans to establish a stronger and more consistent presence at local high schools through monthly campus visits and outreach activities. By connecting directly with students, our goal is to increase awareness and encourage new account sign-ups. These efforts will help the program strengthen engagement and reach the next generation of students preparing for postsecondary education.
YEAR IN NUMBERS Incentives Earned
$31,856 Accounts Opened
186 ScholarShare 529 Deposits
$402,026
INTERNSHIPS This summer, our Home Run Internship Program continued to grow, placing 62 high school interns at worksites throughout West Sacramento and nearby communities. All 62 interns successfully completed the program! Through our outreach efforts, we secured new internship sites in high-demand career fields. These sites included new partners such as Invicta Foam Products, Ecojoyous LLC, and TM Process & Controls, Inc. Interns explored a variety of career pathways and gained hands-on experience in engineering and entrepreneurship, two areas of strong interest among participants. In addition to their worksite experience, interns participated in weekly professional development trainings designed to build workplace skills and career awareness. The program continues to connect local youth with professionals and meaningful experiences that help prepare them for their future educational and career goals.
NUMBER OF YEARLY PARTICIPANTS 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
RACE/ETHNICITY 29%
Asian Hispanic / Latino
25.8%
Multiracial
21%
White Black
16.1% 8.1%
INTERN GENDER
38
24
Female
Male
WEST SACRAMENTO RECIPIENT DEMOGRAPHICS
67
24%
recipients of the West Sacramento Promise in the school year 25-26: 62 during Fall 2025 and 5 during spring 2026.
of recipients were first generation college students.
Ethnicity
Gender
Fall 2025
Male 44%
Multi-Race 15% Pacific Islander 4%
Hispanic /Latino 37%
White 41% Unknown 3% Female 53%
Asian 4%
Filipino 0%
Spring 2026
African American 4%
Hispanic /Latino 20%
White 40%
Female 100%
African American 20%
Native American 20%
COLLEGE PROMISE The West Sacramento College Promise Program continues to create opportunities for local students to pursue higher education by helping reduce financial barriers and making college more accessible. During the 2025–2026 school year, 62 students benefited from the West Sacramento College Promise Program. Of these students, 24% were first-generation college students! Student demographics reflect the diverse community the program serves. In Fall 2025, 53% of participating students were female and 44% were male. Students represented a range of ethnic backgrounds, including 37% Hispanic/Latino, 41% White, 15% multiracial, and 4% each Asian, African American, and Pacific Islander. By Spring 2026, the reported student population reflected additional diversity, with students identifying as White, Hispanic/Latino, African American, and Native American. These demographics help illustrate the program’s reach across West Sacramento’s student community. The West Sacramento Home Run is committed to the continued growth and success of the West Sacramento College Promise Program and will continue outreach efforts to ensure more students and families are aware of the resources available to them. Through this program we can promise our West Sacramento residents that college is truly free for their first two years.
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DIGITAL MICROCREDENTIALS The Home Run continued to build on the success of its digital microcredential and badge offerings this year. Through professional coaching and hands-on experiences, participants had the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and strengthen essential skills. Throughout the 2025–2026 fiscal year, 164 digital micro-credentials and badges were issued, with 105 awarded to Home Run Interns and 59 to Early Learning professionals. These accomplishments reflect our continued commitment to providing opportunities for soft skill development and recognizing the hard work and dedication of our interns and Quality Early Learning providers. We look forward to building on this momentum in the year ahead!
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The Home Run team attended 30 events this year, collaborating closely with community partners such as WUSD schools, Community Schools, and Early Learning sites.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS Through our community outreach efforts, we have had the pleasure of attending events throughout West Sacramento connecting with families and community members. From Harvest Festivals to Safe Trick-orTreat Street, we have enjoyed opportunities to share information about The Home Run, raise awareness about our programs, and build meaningful relationships within the community. These events allow us to engage with residents and answer any questions or concerns they have about the program. We are grateful for these opportunities to be present in the community and continue supporting the families and children of West Sacramento.
NETWORKING DAY Every year, we partner with the Chamber of Commerce to help us place interns and promote our program to local employers. This year, the chamber took on the project of hosting a Networking Day called “Meet the Professionals” for all of our interns. We worked together to schedule employers, coordinate intern schedules, and ensure the day ran smoothly, especially since we were working within a limited timeframe. Based on intern feedback, they loved the experience and would like to see more events like this in the future!
529 DAY WINNERS This year’s 529 Day winner Estrella received $1,529 in college savings, and her favorite teacher Mr. Kehley was awarded $500 for his classroom!
FUTURE PLANS FOR THE WEST SAC. HOME RUN EARLY LEARNING STEM INITIATIVE Through a generous donation from the American Water Charitable Foundation, and a partnership with Count, Play, Explore, a multi-agency
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effort across the state promoting positive and confident math, science, and computer science outcomes for children from birth to 8 years old, the West Sacramento Home Run will launch a STEM initiative for our Early Learning providers. This will include Transitional Kindergarten, Head Start, and State Preschool classrooms! Funding will enable us to deliver training, hold Communities of Practice to improve learning outcomes, and provide every early learning provider with a kit containing high quality books and curriculum they can take back to their classroom.
EXPANDED FUNDRAISING EFFORTS The West Sacramento Home Run is expanding our fundraising activities through our partnership with the West Sacramento Foundation, relationships forged in our community, and our work with the West
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Sacramento Chamber of Commerce. We have built an annual calendar, and will be focusing on specific programmatic needs during fundraising events like Giving Tuesday, Big Day of Giving, as well as focused campaigns like Dine and Donate opportunities through local restaurants. We are excited that this past year yielded approximately $26,000 in donations to benefit the Home Run programs. These donations came from individuals, grants, and corporate philanthropy, and with our renewed efforts, we have set a goal to double that number.
QUALITY COUNTS CALIFORNIA BADGING PILOT PROGRAM California DOE, in collaboration with F5CA and in consultation with the
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California DSS is implementing a statewide site-level badging system within the QCC framework to recognize early learning settings’ strengths through three non-rating-based pathways: Family Partnership, Inclusion and Belonging for Children with Disabilities, and Multilingualism and Multiculturalism. WSHR programs were selected for each of the three badges. This was especially significant given that WSHR already has an established microcredential badging program for providers based on the quality matrix which has been in place for many years.
WEST SACRAMENTO HOME RUN Making West Sacramento the best place to grow up, raise a family, and find talent.