ABOUT US

Who We Are

FIRST 5 Santa Clara County is proud to serve the young children and families of our county as a funder, a resource, and an advocate.

Our Vision

FIRST 5 Santa Clara County will be a catalyst for ensuring that the developmental needs of children prenatal through age 5 are a priority in all sectors of the community.

Our Mission

FIRST 5 Santa Clara County supports the healthy development of children, from prenatal through age 5, and enriches the lives of their families and communities.

OUR GOALS

We will fulfill our mission by targeting our resources and partnerships to meet specific goals in seven areas:

  • Children’s Health: Children are born healthy and experience optimal health and development.
  • Family Support: Families provide safe, stable, loving and stimulating homes.
  • High Quality Early Care and Education: Children enter school fully prepared to succeed academically, emotionally, and socially.
  • Communications and Public Awareness: The public is aware of the importance of early childhood, FIRST 5’s mission, priorities, investments, partners, and impact.
  • Workforce Development: FIRST 5 partners and other community service providers have the knowledge, skills, and capacity to support children prenatal through age 5 and their families and communities.
  • Systems Change: Systems are responsive to the needs of children and their families.
  • Community and Family Engagement: Neighborhoods and communities are places where children are safe, neighbors are connected, and all cultures are respected.

OUR CORE VALUES

  • Collaboration: We work cooperatively with established systems, services, and the community on common goals to maximize effectiveness for children and families.
  • Innovation: We apply what’s been proven to work elsewhere to find fresh solutions to the specific needs of our community.
  • Excellence: We seek to attain the highest quality outcomes, measured against established best practices and the most credible current research.
  • Accountability: We are responsible and results-driven with the resources the public entrusts to us.
  • Respect: We embrace input and assistance from all facets of the community so we can span all cultures and languages to help every child and family.

FIRST 5 Partnerships

FIRST 5’s network is made up of strong partnerships whose impactful work and support we depend on to ensure the well-being of our county’s children.

How do we serve the community?

FIRST 5 Santa Clara County (FIRST 5) is making a difference for our local children by investing millions of Proposition 10 tobacco tax dollars each year towards effective programs in early education, health, and family support. FIRST 5 is committed to achieving real and sustainable results toward the successful future of young children and their families.

Using a cumulative risk factors map, FIRST 5 makes strategic investments in neighborhoods where children are exposed to the greatest risk for poor developmental outcomes. FIRST 5’s comprehensive System of Care enables FIRST 5 to focus on providing intensive, tailored services to children and families experiencing the highest level of need, while also working toward shifting community norms and systems that affect the health and well-being of all young children in Santa Clara County.

 

Why do we serve children ages 0-5?

Research shows that a child’s brain develops most dramatically during the first five years of life. During this critical period, a window of opportunity exists to help shape how a child’s brain matures and to lay the foundation for all of the years that follow.

While the early period in children’s development is absolutely critical to their future success, it is also where public investments are lowest. FIRST 5 provides all children ages 0-5 with programs and services that ensure children are born and remain healthy, receive more from their education, and become productive adults.

Prop 10

It is the intent of the California Children and Families Act of 1998 to facilitate the creation and implementation of an integrated, comprehensive, and collaborative system of information and services to enhance optimal early childhood development and to ensure that children are ready to enter school.