From the political, business and academia worlds, along with top professionals in the private and public sectors - hundreds gathered together in downtown Los Angeles on Oct. 20 to welcome U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan during his nation-wide tour in support...
Policy Pick: Governor Signs Kids-Friendly Bills
Gov. Jerry Brown closed out the 2014 state legislative session last week by taking action on hundreds of bills, a number of which were aimed at improving the health and early learning of young children. In addition to a number of education budget trailer bills that...
Speaking Up for Children on Capitol Hill
First 5 LA is off to a strong start in its efforts to advocate for young children in our nation's capital.Buoyed by the public policy advocacy efforts of The Raben Group - with which First 5 LA contracted in July 2013 - much has been accomplished to further the...
Policy Pick: State Lawmakers Consider First 5 LA-Supported Bills
One of the major factors affecting the fate of a piece of legislation is its potential cost. A number of California legislators will be considering just that when they return from summer recess this week, as several hundred bills make their way through the fiscal...
More Than Half of California Children Affected by Adverse Childhood Experiences
New research on adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, reveals that 57 percent of children in California have had such experiences, with economic hardship as the most common, followed by divorce, alcohol abuse by caregivers and violence in the household.The research...
A Hearty Welcome
More than 100 community leaders and elected officials gathered at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood on September 2 to celebrate Welcome Baby, a free and voluntary maternal home visiting program funded by First 5 LA and designed to partner with parents to enhance...
Policy Pick: CCDBG Reauthorization Sees Movement in Congress
After nearly 20 years since the federal child care subsidy law saw any significant modifications, Congress is finally taking action on this important federal program that provides child care assistance for families and funds child care quality initiatives.Last week,...

Strategic Plan Discussion Focuses on Trauma-Informed Care
As part of an effort to be better informed on priority outcomes for the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan, First 5 LA Commissioners heard a panel of experts speak at the September 11 board meeting on the topic of trauma-informed care."This panel discussion is very timely in...
FREE DOWNLOAD: Best Start Community Perspectives
We are excited to share with you "Community Perspectives"—inspiring stories of leadership and change from our 14 Best Start communities in Los Angeles County. Click below to download your copy in English or in Spanish:Community Perspectives 2014 English (pdf)Community...
Community Member Spotlight: Pat Henson
It’s no surprise that a 70-year-old woman with 38 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren would eventually tire of running a children’s daycare center. But a year after closing her center, Pat Henson reopened it, and she credits Best Start with providing the...