First 5 San Diego Invests in Youngest Residents
First 5 San Diego had another successful year of working with the County’s youngest children, according to the organization’s annual report unveiled at today’s San Diego County Board of Supervisors meeting.
First 5 invested $53 million in direct services for children up to age 5, their parents and caregivers. Nearly 70,000 San Diego County residents used those services. During the past five years, First 5 has invested more than $256 million in our communities, serving more than 420,000.
“We are proud to present another year of accomplishments that improve the lives of children ages zero through five and their families,” said Kim Gallo, executive director of First 5 San Diego, “This report shows that First 5 San Diego is making an important investment in our community by providing the programs and services needed to keep children healthy, safe and thriving.”
The report highlighted achievements over the past year in four areas the organization focuses on: health, learning, family and community.
Highlights include:
- Screened 26,845 children and 5,186 pregnant women for oral health services and provided treatment for 14,312 children and 3,793 pregnant women
- Screened 18,008 children for developmental delays and 5,954 for behavioral delays. (5,929 children were treated for developmental concerns and 3,473 for behavioral concerns)
- Provided high-quality early education for 14,297 children
- Provided professional development for 2,811 early childhood education teachers
- Provided care coordination to 24,267 children, parents and caregivers and provided 6,007 parents and caregivers with parent education services
- Provided 82,897 health and social service referrals for families
- Sponsored or participated in community events reaching nearly 141,000 families
First 5 also held its inaugural parent summit “A Parent is a Child’s First and Best Teacher” and was the recipient of the prestigious Bright Idea award for health development services by the Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation and a 2015 National Association of Counties Achievement Award for its First 5 First Steps targeted home visiting program.
The Board of Supervisors established the San Diego County Children and Families Commission, later renamed the First 5 Commission of San Diego, in December of 1998 to implement Proposition 10 on a local level. First 5 San Diego promotes the health and well-being of young children during their most critical years of development, from the prenatal stage through five years of age.