On a recent flight from Los Angeles to Sacramento, First 5 LA Commissioner Yvette Martinez spoke with a fourth grade teacher about the lack of early developmental screenings for young children, which includes diagnosing autism. With less than 30 percent of young...
New, Regional Structure of Best Start Communities Intended to Help Amplify Voices for Young Kids LOS ANGELES – Acting on broad-based input gathered from the communities it serves, First 5 LA announced the next phase of its place-based Best Start communities effort....
Download this press release » First 5 LA Urges Billion Dollar Investment in Early Learning for Infants and Toddlers Backs Gov. Brown, Legislative Leaders’ Inclusion of First-ever State-level Support of Home Visiting LOS ANGELES – This morning Governor Jerry Brown...
Capitol Lawn Event Marks 20th Anniversary of Voters' Approval of Prop 10 that Created First 5 Network, Honors Several State Legislators as "Champions for Children" First 5 commissions representing counties throughout California gathered at the State Capitol on May 2,...
By Kim Belshé, Executive Director, First 5 LA The Board of Commissioners meets on the second Thursday of each month at 1:30 p.m., unless otherwise indicated, at the First 5 LA offices. All meetings are open to the public, and agendas are posted on our website at least...
By Daniela Pineda, Ph.D. In this digital society, we share ideas freely on Pinterest, give our opinions on products online and learn from “how-to” videos on YouTube. But once we step foot in the office we so often fail to follow the same openness in sharing and...
We live in a complex world. One in which the solutions to society’s greatest problems are not easily identified or implemented. Within that complexity lie both challenges and opportunities to building better communities where all residents can thrive.Today’s societal...
Early Identification and Intervention: The early years of a child’s life are critical for building the foundation needed for success later in school and in life. Research shows that brain development is most rapid in the first years of life. In fact, 90% of a child’s...
A new baby brings joy, along with lots of new challenges. For many parents, bringing a newborn home can be overwhelming. But, there are services and supports that can help. Home visiting is a powerful proven tool to support and strengthen families. Voluntary home...
The early years of a child’s life lay the foundation for success in school and life. According to research, 90 percent of a child’s brain is developed by age 5. To support this critical time in a child’s early learning and development, it is essential for families to...
