First 5 LA is pleased to share the Pathway to Progress report which acts as the baseline for assessing progress on the implementation of our 2020-2028 Strategic Plan. As such, the indicators presented in this report are forward-looking, providing critical information to guide our work in the years to come.

This inaugural edition will coincide with the first three years of our Strategic Plan implementation. Among the Report’s goals are to establish a baseline for assessing our progress towards the results for children and families identified in the Strategic Plan; to build our knowledge on current conditions children and families face; and, to identify and address gaps in our work to improve conditions for young children and their families in Los Angeles County.

The Report’s population-level data and subgroup data, where available, will bring the disparities more clearly into view – revealing inroads being made and real struggles being experienced by our county’s young children and their families.

By raising important questions about why certain things are happening and what we can do to change them, we are compelled to dig into the key metrics of child and family well-being, including disaggregated data, to help us examine and better understand the systemic issues that are holding inequitable conditions and outcomes in place and to identify what First 5 LA’s contribution can be to strengthen child- and family-serving systems.

Together with our partners, we will work to build momentum where we see progress and implement real and lasting change where we see gaps. Complicating this work is the dramatic impact that the global coronavirus pandemic is having on many families with young children. It is important to note that the data in this report reflect “pre-COVID-19” conditions; the “post-COVID-19” context is likely to look markedly different. Going forward, the impact of the pandemic on the data will increase the challenge of measuring the progress made on improving conditions for children and families.

For questions about the report, please email in*************@fi******.org.

Download (PDF): Pathways to Progress: Indicators of Young Child Well-Being in Los Angeles County




Help Me Grow LA: Connecting the Dots to Healthy Child Development

Help Me Grow LA: Connecting the Dots to Healthy Child Development

By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer March 27, 2025 Shakur was 2 when he started crossing his fingers. It happened a lot. His mom, Brooklynn, noticed that the behavior happened every time they visited the local park. That's when she did some sleuthing online and...

First 5 LA Board Explores Prevention First Initiative

First 5 LA Board Explores Prevention First Initiative

By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer March 27, 2025 First 5 LA's Board of Commissioners Meeting was convened on March 13. The meeting focused primarily on First 5 LA's Prevention First Initiative, one of the four key initiatives through which the organization will...

Women’s History Month: Dr. La Tanga Hardy, EdD 

Women’s History Month: Dr. La Tanga Hardy, EdD 

March 27, 2025 Dr. La Tanga Hardy, EdD is a Faculty Member at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College where she is also the director of the Child Development Center. Dr. Hardy is a passionate educator and advocate for early childhood education. She holds a Bachelor's in...

Women’s History Month 2025: Nancy Hurlbut, Ph.D.

Women’s History Month 2025: Nancy Hurlbut, Ph.D.

March 27, 2025 Nancy Hurlbut is an emeritus professor in Early Childhood Studies at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She earned her Ph.D. in Life-Span Human Development from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. For over 45 years, she has been a...

Women’s History Month 2025: Jan Fish, Ed.D.

Women’s History Month 2025: Jan Fish, Ed.D.

March 27,2025 Jan Fish, Ed.D., has been in the field of Early Childhood Education (ECE) since the late 1960s. Inspired by Head Start’s emphasis on child, family, and community engagement—as well as cross-cultural and dual language learning—Jan became bilingual in...

Women’s History Month 2025: Dr. Denise Kennedy, PhD 

Women’s History Month 2025: Dr. Denise Kennedy, PhD 

March 27, 2025 Professor Denise Kennedy, PhD is Chair of the Early Childhood Studies Department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy and a Ph.D. in Human and Community...

Translate