activities · 6 groups
What they do
-
Parenting Education and Support Programs 2 activities
- Hosts virtual and special events for families and expecting parentsOrganizes Zoom classes, park outings, virtual workshops, and collaborative events with partners throughout the year. Includes a dedicated support group for expecting mothers and special guest lectures on mental health, community resources, and early childhood development.
- Provides parenting education and expert-led workshopsDelivers parenting education through weekly sessions and special workshops covering topics such as positive parenting, nutrition, breastfeeding, postpartum self-care, infant sleep, child safety, and child development. Sessions are led by professionals and include Spanish-speaking facilitators to support diverse families.
-
-
Early Literacy Promotion 1 activity
- Distributes monthly children's books to promote literacyProvides a carefully selected children's book to families once per month to encourage at-home reading and help build home libraries. This initiative supports early literacy and has been associated with increased reading frequency, rising from 1.4 to 6.8 times per week among participating families.
-
-
Volunteer Engagement and Capacity Support 1 activity
- Engages volunteers in program delivery and educational projectsInvites student, senior, and professional volunteers to support classroom activities, organize educational projects, and deliver presentations on parenting and child development topics.
-
-
Play-Based Early Childhood Education 1 activity
- Facilitates weekly parent-child group sessions for early childhood developmentOffers weekly group programs for families with young children, including separate sessions by age group (under 2, 2–5 years), held on Saturdays in Port Chester and on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Mamaroneck. Sessions are facilitated by trained early childhood education experts using a structured curriculum to support cognitive, verbal, social, and physical development.
-
-
Student Progress Assessment & Program Evaluation 1 activity
- Measures and reports child development outcomesTracks developmental progress of program participants, with graduates scoring 50% higher on average across 80+ developmental measurements compared to non-participants. In 2019, 96% of graduates met or exceeded national developmental expectations, and multiple children transitioned successfully into Head Start with above-average performance.
-
-
Uncategorized 1 activity
- Supports organizational capacity and governance developmentBuilt strategic partnerships with local school districts and transitioned from founder-led to board-led governance between 2020 and 2023 to strengthen organizational sustainability and program scalability.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$310K
Contributions & grants$285K92%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$31K10%
Other revenue$-6K
expenses
Total expenses$164K
Program expenses73%
Admin / overhead18%
Fundraising9%
Salaries & benefits$116K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$655K
Cash$653K
Investments$0
Liabilities$2K
Net assets$652K
Liquid reserves47.7 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +64.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisa Field | Executive Director | 20 | $36K |
| Guy DeSanctis | Treasurer | 5 | $825 |
board members · 13
- Al Mariani — Director
- Amy Kesavan — Director
- Ann Magalhaes — Director
- Carolee Brakewood — Director
- DrKiren Patel — Co-President
- DrMary Versfelt — Co-President
- Ilaria St Florian — Director
- Kristin Jautz — Director
- Lori Haffey — Director
- Moises Ochoa — Secretary
- Otoniel Lopez — Director
- Rachel Fleming — Director
- Sheri Zarkower — Director
relationships · 26
Who they work with
- 914 Cares Partner — Community partner organization
- All Souls Community Center Partner — Hosts the organization’s operations in its facility since 2021.
- Amy Kesavan, MSN, RN, IBCLC Partner — Registered nurse and certified lactation consultant providing breastfeeding support.
- Ann Magalhaes, MBA, CPE Partner — Positive parenting professional contributing to parenting education.
- CRCNY Partner — Community partner organization
- Carver Center Partner — Community partner organization
- Community Resource Center Partner — Hosts the organization's weekly program for families with infants under 12 months in Mamaroneck.
- Headstart Partner — Provided classroom space on Spring Street for the organization's initial program in 2014.
- Ilaria St. Florian, CDN Partner — Nutritional education counselor providing guidance on healthy eating for mothers and babies.
- Kiren Patel, DDS Partner — Pediatric orthodontist contributing expertise to the program.
- Maria Ramirez Partner — Contact person for program registration and information.
- Mary Versfelt, MD Partner — Retired pediatrician with over 35 years of experience contributing to the program.
- Meals on Main Street Partner — Community partner organization
- NYCLU Partner — Community partner organization
- Open Door Medical Partner — Community partner organization
- Port Chester Government — Program based in and serving the Port Chester community, particularly its immigrant population.
- Port Chester Public Schools Partner — Community partner organization
- Rye City School District Partner — Collaborates with the school district to support program development and family engagement.
- Rye Nature Center Partner — Community partner organization
- Rye Presbyterian Church Partner — Community partner organization
- Rye Presbyterian Church Partner — Hosts volunteers and supports grant initiatives through church-affiliated committees.
- Sharing Shelf Partner — Community partner organization
- United Way of Westchester and Putnam Partner — Community partner organization
- WIC Programs Partner — Community partner organization
- Westchester Children's Museum Partner — Community partner organization
- info@5stepstofive.org Government — Email contact for donation and volunteer inquiries
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Parent Empowerment Through Community and Peer Supportmethodology: peer_support_modelBy combining expert-facilitated peer support groups with community-building practices, the organization strengthens parental confidence and skill adoption, because shared learning and social connection reduce isolation and increase engagement in child development practices.
- Parent-as-First-Teacher Modelmethodology: parent_as_first_teacherBy empowering parents as their child's first and most influential teacher, the organization improves early childhood development outcomes, because responsive, nurturing caregiving directly shapes brain development and school readiness.
- Structured Five-Practice Developmental Frameworkmethodology: five_practice_developmental_frameworkBy guiding parents through a consistent, evidence-based sequence of five key practices—Nurture, Talk, Play, Read, Explore—the organization fosters holistic early brain development, because repeated, intentional engagement across these domains builds cognitive, emotional, and social skills.