FIRST 5 LA 2024 – 2029 STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVES AND TACTICS
Bringing Vision to Action:
Creating a Brighter Future Together for Every Child in L.A. County
To make the greatest impact, First 5 LA embraces a targeted universalism approach that grounds the work in objectives for the universal well-being of every child age 5 and younger and their families in L.A. County. We identify the barriers to our shared vision of every child’s well-being, including the withdrawal of community investments, poverty and systemic racism — factors that hinder families from having the resources they need to thrive. Our targeted approach focuses resources and support where they are needed most. By doing this, we move closer to our universal goals of making sure every child and family have basic needs met, safe and healthy relationships, and the opportunity to thrive.
Initiatives and Objectives:
We organize our work through the lens of four key initiatives in order to translate First 5 LA’s 2024–2029 Strategic Plan into meaningful action for children age 5 and younger across L.A. County. Each initiative builds upon our partnerships; activates targeted tactics; and, most importantly, creates the conditions for families to flourish. Initiatives organize our strategic plan’s nine objectives, which articulate a measurable level of desired change and are a starting point based on existing measurements. These objectives serve as clear markers of progress, ensuring that children grow up healthier and better supported.
Tactics:
To drive each initiative forward, we use 10 main tactics — clear, organized activities that build meaningful change. Together, these tactics drive our initiatives forward, creating the targeted impact needed to ensure every child can thrive. Tactics include the following:
- Access
- Advocacy
- Capacity Building
- Communications
- Coordination/Alignment
- Data/Planning
- Engagement
- Research
- Workforce
- Curriculum
Prevention First: Centering Community Strengths to Address Root Causes and Keep Families Thriving Together
The Prevention First Initiative pursues universal goals for all families around housing and economic stability. This initiative aims to expand affordable housing options, provide direct financial assistance through poverty alleviation programs, and improve access to supportive services from child safety net programs and trusted community groups and agencies, including family resource centers. It aims to increase poverty prevention efforts that align and strengthen the network of services available to children in the first five years and their families, thereby reducing harms such as risks of family separation and child welfare involvement.
Vibrant Environments: Ensuring Access to Healthy Foods and Welcoming Outdoor Spaces for Play
The Vibrant Environments Initiative aims to promote access to healthy food through improving enrollment in food assistance programs, expanding urban farming, and increasing community awareness about resources and why they matter for healthy child development. Additionally, this initiative focuses on creating safe and accessible parks and open spaces for young children by advocating for equitable land use policies, improving maintenance and increasing the availability of play areas.
Maternal Health: Ensuring Holistic Care for Mothers and Children Age 5 and Younger
The Maternal and Child Well-Being Initiative will target efforts to improve access to health care services, mental health support and early developmental screenings, focusing on the strengths and unique needs of families most impacted by barriers. The initiative will further address the crucial role that mental health plays in maternal and child well-being and how stressors and barriers to care are exacerbated by discrimination based on race and ethnicity and factors that have a disparate impact on families with low incomes. It aims to expand access to culturally affirming services such as midwifery, doula support and birthing centers as well as promote accountability and quality standards in perinatal care.
Whole Child, Bright Futures: Universal Quality Early Care and Education the Meets Every Family’s Needs
The Whole Child, Bright Futures Initiative will engage targeted efforts to address disparities by increasing subsidies for families with low incomes, increasing family engagement and involvement in shaping program and policy, and expanding culturally affirming programs and curricula. Access to care will be increased with attention to cultural affirmation, such as multilingual immersion programs; support for the early learning workforce, including centers, licensed family child care, and family friend and neighbor care; and partnerships with community-based organizations that understand the strengths and unique needs of families that have faced barriers and obstacles based on race, ethnicity, region and economic inequities.
