By Kim Belshé, Executive Director, First 5 LA Fear and uncertainty are not new to many families in Los Angeles. For some, there’s the constant uncertainty that comes from living paycheck to paycheck. For others it’s the fear of losing a job, or having an unexpected...
By Kim BelshéHere in Los Angeles County, the extreme shortage of early learning opportunities for young children is an urgent issue, especially for families with babies and toddlers. According to a recent report, 59% of preschoolers lack access to early learning...
By Kim Belshé and Moira KenneyIn these volatile political times, one thing is clear to the majority of Americans – early education is important. Two polls conducted in 2016 show that voters prioritize early education opportunities. The First Five Years Fund found that...
Esteemed Community Leaders: As the New Year approaches, I’d like to offer some reflections on our work together to support children and families in our communities. We have come a long way, having started the first wave of the Building Stronger Families grants and...
Apreciables Líderes Comunitarios: Al acercarse el Año Nuevo, quisiera compartir con ustedes algunas reflexiones sobre el trabajo que hemos realizado para apoyar a la niñez y a las familias de nuestras comunidades. Hemos hecho grandes avances al haber iniciado la...
First 5 LA would like to congratulate the Best Start Metro LA Partnership for today's feature in KPCC, a Southern California Public Radio public media member.Originally penned by Dorian Merina, translated by First 5 LA and reprinted with permission.La conversación a...
By Mia Foreman, First 5 LA Program Development Officer More than 5 million children in the U.S. have had a parent who lived with them go to jail or prison. That’s one in 28 kids, compared with one in 125 about 30 years ago. This proportion is higher among black, poor,...
By Kim Belshé and Robert K. Ross, M.D.When Jake was a child, his parents would scream at him every day. They told him everything he did was wrong and he was worthless. One day when Jake was 4, his father threw him against the wall three times.It was not until his...
