By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer
October 21, 2024
Hopeful, one person typed into the chat box.
Inspired, said another participant.
Heard, added a third person.
The responses continued: Excited. Connected. Motivated. Awesome. Included. These were just some of the one-word answers community members volunteered when asked to describe how they were feeling at the conclusion of First 5 LA’s Partner and Community Feedback Session on August 29.
Drawing more than 140 participants from throughout Los Angeles County, the virtual session served as a follow-up to the in-person stakeholder gathering in June, where First 5 LA staff and community partners worked together to identify tactics that could be utilized to achieve the goals set forth in First 5 LA’s 2024-2029 Strategic Plan.
In addition to parents and community members, session participants included representatives from government agencies, nonprofits, schools, and other educational institutions. Nearly every issue affecting young children and their families — from education, child care, and early identification to food security, housing, and maternal and infant mortality — was represented by an advocate.
Similar to the gathering in June, the goal of the online event was to ensure L.A. County families and communities played an active role in shaping and defining First 5 LA’s work through 2029. That, explains First 5 LA President and CEO Karla Pleitéz Howell, is a big priority for the agency.
“We cannot do this work without them. And we shouldn’t,” Pleitéz Howell emphasizes. “Families and communities have been raising children since the beginning of time. So why wouldn’t we go to them for expertise and wisdom and for the lived experiences that help us better understand the changing dynamics of society?”
First 5 LA Program Officer Alex Wade agrees, noting that working with families, communities and partners has always been baked into the agency’s DNA, courtesy of the Best Start initiative and the work of the Communities Department team. What’s new, he adds, is the marked amplification of this work, such that community engagement is now a priority for everyone in the agency. It’s a subtle yet meaningful shift, ensuring that all programs and operations center the community in their everyday work.
“This is exciting to me because it gives you a glimpse of what our work looks like,” Wade says. “From the development of the goals and the objectives, and then getting community members’ input in finding the best tactics to solve an issue — it’s been very inclusive.”
During the session, First 5 LA staff walked participants through a review of the most relevant issues affecting L.A. County’s young children and their families, followed by a summary of the most promising tactics that community members identified at the June meeting and with system leaders at interview sessions. Several proposed tactics identified, such as advocacy, communications and research, would play a significant role in catalyzing vital policy changes. Other tactics, such as those focusing on service coordination or workforce development, would emphasize improving public services and supports coordination for young children.
Working with the community was crucial in ensuring that the tactics identified were grounded in a set of fundamental principles laid out in the strategic plan: potential for significant impact, equity-driven planning, demonstrated cost benefit, and sustainability beyond First 5 LA’s funding. Specific to that last element, Pleitéz Howell added that partnership and coordination were especially critical elements, given First 5 LA’s evolving fiscal reality.
“To ensure the best possible outcomes for children in the long term, we’re going to be working with other partners who are working toward the same goal,” she says. “These conversations will inform how we can best balance out our tactic identification principles and figure out what would make sense in advancing our goals.”
To promote continued engagement, First 5 LA held the August 29 stakeholder session on Zoom rather than in person, a switch designed to make it easier for previous participants to continue being part of the work. Additionally, without the need for travel, the online format promoted greater inclusiveness, making it easier for potential newcomers to join, no matter where they lived in the county.
Working with consultants Chrissie M. Castro and Associates, First 5 LA staff focused on setting a virtual stage that would allow for an easy-to-follow presentation of the factors and tactics while ensuring community members had ample opportunities to provide feedback and insights. Throughout the session, moderator Rigo Rodriguez made it a point to check in with attendees, encouraging them to share their thoughts in real-time through the chat box. This activity helped provide a real-time feedback dynamic to the event, as participants commented not only on the information presented by staff but on comments provided by others in attendance. The presentation also included Spanish translations directly in the comments, as well as an online survey that participants could complete in the days following the presentation.
The response was considerable, with community members quick to share their ideas, insights and observations via Zoom’s text chat feature.
“Really APPRECIATE the naming of Pacific Islanders in these objectives,” said one participant. “#FeelingSeen.”
Another observed how First 5 LA would be especially effective in using communications that focused on narrative change and cross-cutting messages. “This is a good example of something First 5 [LA] can do at the 10,000-foot level that reinforces what grassroots groups are doing on the ground and also reaches new/different audiences and sectors,” they said.
Numerous participants also voiced their support for elements that amplify the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan’s emphasis on the effects of systemic racism and anti-Blackness, address housing insecurity, and disaggregate data. “What resonated with me was parent voice, the power of collaboration and brainstorming,” said one community member. “Ideas that sparked more ideas!”
Work on refining and finalizing the tactics continues. Pleitéz Howell and other members of First 5 LA’s senior leadership team are in conversations with local system leaders to identify opportunities that can be leveraged or additional needs that should be prioritized. An updated version of the proposed tactics, which have been grouped into initiatives, were presented to the First 5 LA Board in October for initial review and feedback, with a final version up for the Commission’s directional endorsement in November.
Throughout it all, Pleitéz Howell encourages everyone to stay engaged — not just in the development of tactics but the day-to-day work moving forward. There’s too much at stake not to, she adds.
“In order for children in L.A. County to have the best opportunity to thrive, we have to work together,” she emphasizes. “Together we can create a brighter, more equitable future for our youngest children and their families,” she emphasizes.
