First 5 California is proud to celebrate @First5Ventura and their "Take 5 and Read to Kids" initiative! 🗣️🎶 "By age three, a low-income child has heard roughly 30 million fewer of these words than [their] more affluent peers. Talking, reading, and singing to young children may be one of the best ways to level the playing field and help every child reach their potential" - First 5 Ventura County. We applaud them for expanding early literacy and ensuring every child has the foundation they need to reach their full potential. Together, we're giving California's children the strongest start possible!

Childcare is economic infrastructure. That was the message our Deputy Director Jorge De La Cruz and Change Craft's Stacey Reardon brought to the @CalMatters Ideas Festival today on behalf of Raise CA Strong. The numbers: California loses an estimated $23B annually because families can't access affordable childcare. The shortage affects 700,000 children. Every dollar invested returns $3 to $12. We'll keep making this case until every California family has the care they need.

📢 First 5 California is seeking a federal advocacy partner to advance early childhood policies for California's children prenatal to age 5. ▶︎ Federal legislative & budget monitoring ▶︎ Policy analysis & advocacy materials ▶︎ Congressional & agency relationship-building 📅 Proposals due June 15, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. PDT RFP# CFF 7794 🔗 bit.ly/49F2eP8 Note: F5CA views advocacy as a collaborative effort. The selected contractor will work closely with F5CA leadership and staff, with F5CA committing internal expertise, coordination, and strategic support to advance shared advocacy goals. F5CA seeks a true partnership model grounded in regular communication, mutual planning, and joint problem-solving. F5CA welcomes proposals from consultants, organizations, and firms that currently support, or have experience supporting, other organizations with aligned or complementary missions. Respondents are encouraged to describe how they would leverage existing relationships, coalitions, and cross-organizational work to extend collective impact, avoid duplication, and maximize resources on behalf of children and families.

On May 6, First 5 California hosted our Stronger Starts Statewide Day of Action at Fairytale Town in Sacramento. 🌱🌻 This marked phase 3 of the Stronger Starts campaign, focused on toxic stress and how it shapes early childhood. This phase helps parents and caregivers reflect on how their own experiences may drive their stress responses, and gives them practical tools to show up differently for their kids. Grateful to State Treasurer @fionama Mayor Pro Tem @EricZGuerra, Dr. Gina Warren, Scott Moak @AnnouncerScott, Henry Turner @HankDaHighFlyer, our own Jorge De La Cruz and Jami Collins-Lopez for lending their voices to this work, and to @First5Sac and Help Me Grow for helping make this day possible! And to the kids who went home with a sunflower they potted themselves...that's what a stronger start looks like. 🌱

Leaders. Advocates. Funders. Practitioners. All in one room for the 2026 First 5 California Summit. Put your organization in that room. Sponsor or exhibit. ➡️ bit.ly/4etEUae

Huge shoutout to First 5 Yolo! Their Welcome Baby: Road to Resilience program is setting the standard for early childhood health in CA — 98% of moms getting timely postpartum care and infants 64% more likely to complete their one-month well-child visit. Investing early changes lives. 💙

First 5 California is thrilled to welcome Yajayra Gonzalez as our new Legislative Manager!🌟 With deep experience across the CA Legislature, Governor’s Office, and local government, Yajayra will be a key player in advancing policies for CA's youngest children. Welcome, Yajayra!

"El Florecer de la Familia” is the new podcast bringing conversations about family mental wellness to Spanish-speaking audiences. First 5 California is dedicated to sharing resources that include every family in conversations like these. bit.ly/4cVdasB

Huge congrats to @FirstSolano & the Vallejo community on the grand opening of the Rise Vallejo Center! 🎉 From a former school to a vibrant hub, this center adds 200 childcare spaces, helping kids thrive and parents get back to work. A true win for the local economy! 🏫👶✨

New research shows that universal child care in California is not only possible, but capable of helping the state flourish. As California continues to lead the charge on equity for every family, creating child care for all is the next step. Read more: stanford.io/4vSdZLB

We are honored to welcome former CA Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris to our Commission meeting! She’ll discuss creating healing-centered, trauma-informed supports for CA families. Panelists: ‣ Michael Olenick ‣ Clarissa Doutherd ‣ Jeneba Lahai 🔗 bit.ly/4sG5sZj

Shout Out @First5OC for empowering fathers with their new initiative: ProFathering15! In partnership with the National Fatherhood Initiative, this evidence-based program offers 15 bite-sized courses to help strengthen their parenting toolkit. Learn more: bit.ly/4swRfhM

"Preschool is often a child’s first encounter with structured learning—but for some, it’s their first chance to heal." 💙 Watch Executive Director Jacqueline Wong on @CalMatters discussing how trauma-informed care shapes the future of learning: bit.ly/4dQBVZh

Little ones are constantly learning. For tools to teach them how to face challenges, check out our course, Teaching Your Child Problem-Solving Skills. It’s part of our free Stronger Starts learning program, powered by Cell-Ed. Get started: bit.ly/4m6Ndst

Due to high demand, Early Bird Registration has been extended for the 2026 First 5 California Summit! You now have until April 8th to register for the upcoming event at the lowest rate possible. Register now: bit.ly/4ayBGQd

Para recibir ayuda para ver el apoyo que ya tienes alrededor tuyo y aprender cómo empezar a usarlo, checa nuestro curso, Construyendo tu comunidad, parte de nuestro programa de aprendizaje gratuito Stronger Starts, respaldado por Cell-Ed. bit.ly/3VZ1Q6H

First 5 CA is pleased to announce the promotion of Kristin Torres to Education Administrator within the Program, Innovation, and Evaluation Division. She brings deep experience in early childhood development, program implementation, and systems coordination. Congrats, Kristin!

F5CA is proud to see the official implementation of 2 key bills we championed: AB 495 and SB 98. @AGRobBonta has issued formal bulletins to schools & childcare providers across the state regarding new legal obligations to protect immigrant families. ➡️ bit.ly/41ohknj

With over $8 million invested in supporting child care givers so far, First 5 Alameda County is breaking boundaries in moving California towards our mission of making childcare as accessible to every family as possible. Read more about it here: bit.ly/3PGcYFw

Interested in presenting at the First 5 California Summit? Now is your chance to take the opportunity to present your innovative ideas for your contributions to the landmark early childhood event. You can read more details and submit your proposals here: bit.ly/4bc1hPy