These Commission Summaries are intended to provide highlights of the First 5 LA Board of Commissioners’ actions to advance the outcome areas of First 5 LA’s 2015–2020 Strategic Plan. Highlights from the February 8 Commission meeting include an announcement of the...
Oh, what a difference a year makes. In January 2017, Yanci Panameno was “saddened” when Governor Jerry Brown released his budget proposal for the 2017–18 fiscal year, which would have suspended funding for nearly 3,000 new preschool slots in the state. At the time,...
LOS ANGELES – Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed budget for FY 2018-19 takes a significant step forward in prioritizing children from birth to age 5. In this third and final year of promised multi-year funding, Governor Brown fulfills his commitment to expand access and...
Editor’s Note: With proposals emerging from Washington, D.C. threatening First 5 LA’s mission, values and goals that put child opportunity and well-being at the center, First 5 LA’s new strategic direction and role as an advocate for policy and systems change are more...
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...
“You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson On Tuesday, December 12, First 5 LA Parents hosted a Facebook Q&A on “Cultivating Kindness” with special guest Sonia Smith-Kang. Sonia is the founder and...
My Shot: Finishing the Choose Children 2018 series of interviews with gubernatorial candidates in Palo Alto, First 5 LA’s Vice President of Policy and Strategy Kim Pattillo Brownson joined leaders of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) on December 7 for a...
Who Is Katie Fallin Kenyon, Ph.D.? Looking back at her childhood, two simple pastimes stand out the most for Katie Fallin Kenyon: fond memories of playing outside until dark, and the countless hours she spent taking care of her “baby” doll. These positive and healthy...
A third generation teen mom trying to break the cycle for her children. A low-income family facing a 1,337 percent increase in their child care costs. A Russian family with a newborn about to pitch a tent for shelter. From struggle to success, these stories from the...
