Embedded into First 5 LA’s 2020-28 Strategic Plan is a review and refinement process – an opportunity for First 5 LA and its Board of Commissioners to reflect and ask: How can we sharpen our focus to achieve an impact worthy of L.A. County’s youngest children and their families? 

Taking place every three years as outlined in the 2020-28 Strategic Plan, the first cycle of the review and refinement process has been underway since July 2022 and will continue through 2023.  

On November 10, 2022, First 5 LA’s Board of Commissioners approved a refined North Star that reads: Every child in Los Angeles County will reach their full developmental potential throughout the critical years of prenatal to age 5. The refined North Star grounds First 5LA’s focus on the importance of the prenatal to age 5 window for strengthening connections, building resilience, and closing disparities.  

During the November 10, 2022 meeting, the Board of Commissioners also approved an overarching systems change goal: Public systems most critical to children’s development prenatal to 5 advance belonging and justice for communities which experience significant inequities. Commissioners also approved four inter-dependent long-term systems outcomes describing the systems changes we seek.   

Throughout 2023, First 5 LA will continue to review and refine our 2020-28 Strategic Plan. Below is a list of Board-endorsed refinements made thus far. As we continue sharpening our focus for greater impact, we will be making updates to this page to highlight our strategic plan refinements. 

Board-Approved Strategic Plan Refinements as of November 10, 2022

Strategic Plan Element  2020-28 Strategic Plan  Refined Language 
North Star  By 2028, all children in Los Angeles County will enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school and life.  Every child in Los Angeles County will reach their full developmental potential throughout the critical years of prenatal to age 5. 
Four Results for Children and Families 
  • Families optimize their child’s development. 
  • Children receive developmental supports and services.
  • Children are safe from abuse, neglect, and other trauma. 
  • Children have high-quality early learning experiences.
 Overarching Systems Change Goal: Public systems most critical to children’s development, prenatal to 5, advance belonging and justice for communities which experience significant inequities. 
Long-Term Systems Outcomes 

Accessible: Public and community systems provide equitable access to quality supports for all young children  

Quality: Public and community systems reflect parent priorities, diverse community needs, and standards that drive results for children  

Aligned: Public and community systems connect and link quality supports for children and families  

Sustainable: Funding, policies, and public support advance sustainable and equitable investments in young children 

Accessible: Public systems are connected, aligned, and seamless 

Equitable: Public systems eliminate systemic biases in mindsets, policies, procedures, and practices 

Power Sharing: Communities and public systems share power in the development, implementation, and improvement of policies, procedures, and practices that impact children and families 

Financing: The financing mechanisms of public systems are sufficient and incentivize a whole child, whole family, prevention-oriented approach 

November 14, 2019

“There has never been a more exciting time at First 5 LA than now.”

First 5 LA is excited to announce that on November 14, 2019 our Board of Commissioners unanimously approved our 2020-2028 Strategic Plan.

The plan boldly articulates the goal of our “North Star” – that by 2028, all children in Los Angeles County will enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school and life.

First 5 LA is grateful to our Board, stakeholders, partners, grantees, community members and staff for their valued insights, feedback and commitment to our county’s young children and families.

The new plan will help guide and accelerate all that we do to make a tangible difference in the lives of children today and tomorrow and articulates our commitment to making systems more family-centered and child-focused. In short, the Strategic Plan will help make systems work better for all L.A. County families.

Through continued collaboration with partners who share our aspirations for children, we will strengthen families and children through policy and practice change and public-will building and bring a more intentional equity focus on the children and families facing disparities in outcomes and opportunities.

Click here for a deeper understanding about our systems change goals and strategic priorities.

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