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DATE: |
February 11, 2025 |
02 |
SUBJECT
Title
REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THE FIRST 5 COMMISSION OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN JULY 2025 - JUNE 2030 (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
In November 1998, voters passed the California Children and Families Act (Proposition 10). The First 5 Commission of San Diego (Commission) uses revenue from voter-approved taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products to promote early childhood development for children ages zero to five.
In a public hearing on December 17, 2024, the Commission reviewed and adopted a new Strategic Plan for the time period July 2025 - June 2030. In accordance with the San Diego County Administrative Code Section 84.108(e), the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (Board) is required to review and comment on the new Strategic Plan. Today’s action requests the Board to review and comment on the First 5 Commission of San Diego Strategic Plan July 2025 - June 2030.
This item supports the County of San Diego vision of a just, sustainable, and resilient future for all, specifically those communities and populations in San Diego County that have been historically left behind, as well as our ongoing commitment to the regional Live Well San Diego vision of healthy, safe, and thriving communities. This will be accomplished by seeking to improve early childhood health, learning, and development in the San Diego region as well as the Commission’s long-term goal to ensure that “all children in San Diego County enter school ready to learn.”
RECOMMENDATION(S)
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
Review and comment on the new First 5 Commission of San Diego Strategic Plan for the period July 2025 - June 2030.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
The First 5 Commission of San Diego (Commission) has over 25 years of providing high quality early care and education support services throughout the region that are available to every child. This work is led through various contracted partners who provide families of children zero to five with comprehensive services that support the development and overall well-being and support the vision that all children ages zero through five are healthy, loved, and nurtured, and enter school as active learners.
Commission services are provided through local community-based organizations and with some engaging targeted populations that include, but are not limited to, refugee and immigrant families, teen parents and military families, and low-income families. The Commission aims to ensure services are equitably available to all families that have a need, regardless of their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation.
Additionally, the Commission strives to meet the needs of underserved communities and is an advocate for systems change efforts to support the continuity of care for children and their families. This work is accomplished via the approved First 5 San Diego Strategic Plan July 2025-June 2030 (Strategic Plan). The Strategic Plan is informed by an hoc committee that is made up of diverse and cross sector community stakeholders composed of experts in early childhood development, racial equity, public health, and strategic planning. The committee provided valuable input to inform the Commission of the comprehensive and emerging needs of pregnant women and children zero to five years of age.
The Commission adopted a participatory planning process to ensure the voice of key stakeholders, experts, community-based organizations (CBOs), and, most importantly, the families we serve were heard and their input were incorporated. The approach involved multiple engagement strategies, including forming an Ad Hoc Committee, conducting interviews with subject matter experts, and hosting listening sessions in partnership with CBOs. These engagement efforts ensured the voices of all participants, particularly those from historically marginalized communities, were heard and their input incorporated into the development of the Strategic Plan. It is the continued focus of the Commission, and every program developed, to continue developing and enhancing its services to address the community needs and to further expand an equity-focused approach.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
The First 5 Commission of San Diego (Commission) offers families a reliable resource that impacts parents’ and children’s wellness alike, by potentially reducing stress and creating opportunities to increase the likelihood that their children will enter school as active learners. The Commission’s programs contribute to and enhance sustainability in the areas of child and family well-being, and the environment and the economy. Today’s action supports the County of San Diego Sustainability Goal #1 to engage the community in meaningful ways by providing opportunities for parents and providers to partner and participate in decisions that directly impact them and their children. Today’s actions also support Sustainability Goal #2 to provide just and equitable access to resources for children zero through five by providing parents and Family Child Care Providers with opportunities to increase childcare provider capacity and enhance business resilience. Additionally, today’s action supports Sustainability Goal #3 to support green job creation. Through the Commission’s programs, Family Child Care providers will be able to expand their business infrastructure through a shared services alliance that support their business resiliency and maximize their enrollment and revenue generation.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action. There will be no change in net General Fund costs and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
N/A
BACKGROUND
In November 1998, California voters passed the California Children and Families Act (Proposition 10). The California Children and Families Act mandates that each county develop and update a strategic plan for the support and improvement of early care, education, and development systems for children and families. This statewide ballot initiative increased the tax on cigarettes and tobacco products and created local county commissions to oversee funding decisions. The revenue is used to facilitate the development of comprehensive, integrated services and systems that promote early childhood development from the prenatal period through age five. The goal of the First 5 Commission of San Diego (Commission) is to ensure that “all children in San Diego County enter school ready to learn.”
The Commission receives approximately $24 million per year directly from the First 5 California Commission to support the current First 5 San Diego Strategic Plan 2020-2025, which guides the Commission’s actions and funding decisions. As required, a new five-year strategic plan was developed and approved by the Commission on December 17, 2024, following a rigorous planning process, conducted by a team comprised of an external consulting firm, Commission staff, an ad-hoc Advisory Committee, and community stakeholders. The new five-year strategic plan lays out the strategic priorities for investments, outlines key outcomes, and provides accountability that builds on past successes and new opportunities.
The Commission adopted a participatory planning process, and this approach was designed to be comprehensive, inclusive, and reflective of the diverse experiences and needs of families with young children in San Diego County. Throughout the planning process, collaboration with key stakeholders, experts, community-based organizations (CBOs), and, most importantly, the families we serve were prioritized. The approach involved multiple engagement strategies, including forming an Ad Hoc Committee, conducting interviews with subject matter experts, and hosting listening sessions in partnership with CBOs. These engagement efforts ensured the voices of all participants, particularly those from historically marginalized communities, were heard and their input incorporated into the development of the new strategic plan.
The First 5 Commission of San Diego Strategic Plan July 2025 - June 2030 (Strategic Plan) reflects a renewed commitment to our youngest children and their families. The new Strategic Plan includes a re-envisioned vision and mission statement as well as newly incorporated guiding principles and values that will guide the next five years. The Strategic Plan includes the overarching goal to build strong, integrated systems through deep collaboration, policy advocacy, and innovative funding approaches to better serve children zero through five and their families. The focus continues to be on the four main strategic goal areas: 1) Health, 2) Learning, 3) Family, and 4) Community. The Strategic Plan also identifies the outcome objectives, priority strategies, and specific indicators and targets that will be used to measure progress in achieving the strategic plan objectives. In addition, the Strategic Plan focuses on a new overarching goal to build strong, integrated systems through deep collaboration, policy advocacy, and innovative funding approaches to better serve our children zero through five and their families with a new focus on equity, system coordination and integration, sustained funding, and policy advocacy.
The Strategic Plan continues to position First 5 San Diego as a systems change leader and thought partner supporting efforts that are focused on pregnant individuals, young children and their families.
Today’s action requests the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to review and comment on the First 5 Commission of San Diego Strategic Plan July 2025 - June 2030, pursuant to San Diego County Administrative Code Section 84.108(e).
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s requested action supports the County of San Diego 2025-2030 Strategic Plan Initiatives of Sustainability (Resiliency), Equity (Health), and Community (Quality of Life and Partnership) by ensuring access for all children ages birth to five years of age, through a fully optimized early care and education system of care, as well as providing programs and services that enhance the community through increasing the well-being of our families and providers.
Respectfully submitted,
ebony n. shelton
Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENT(S)
Attachment A - First 5 San Diego Strategic Plan 2025-2030.