Strategic Plan

First 5 Santa Cruz County has the great privilege and responsibility to act as the steward of Proposition 10 (“tobacco tax”) resources for young children from prenatal to age 5 in Santa Cruz County.  Between its inception and June 2008, the Commission has overseen the investment of over $27 million to benefit Santa Cruz County’s young children. Moreover, in accordance with Proposition 10, the Commission has worked to establish a “legacy” through building a coordinated and integrated system of care and support for children 0-5 and their families.  

The First 5 Santa Cruz County Strategic Plan for 2009-2012 builds on and continues the direction set through the planning work completed by the Commission in 2005.  Specific Results from this framework have been chosen to receive Commission investment between 2009 and 2012. For each of the chosen Results, the Commission has defined its strategic approach and established an allocation of funding for the next 3 years. 

The highlighted Results and funding levels for 2009 – 2012 are:

 Healthy Children

• Increase insurance coverage
• Increase medical/dental homes
• Increase use of preventive health services

       Investment: $2,700,000 over 3 years for Healthy Kids Initiative

• Decrease childhood obesity

       Investment: $517,500 over 3 years. Specific strategies to be defined through a community planning process in 2009

• Increase the number of children reaching developmental milestones

       Investment: $426,000 over 3 years for Community Grants & Leadership        Projects

Children Learning and Ready for School

• Increase parental involvement in children’s learning and development
• Increase participation in quality structured activities
• Increase use of quality child care practices
• Improve early literacy skills
• Increase use of Kindergarten transition practices

      Investment: $3,315,000 over three years for School Readiness Initiative

• Improve early literacy skills

       Investment: $1,151,000 over three years for a Professional Development Initiative

 Strong Families

• Decrease child abuse and neglect

       Investment: $1,565,800 over three years for Differential Response Initiative

• Improve parent and caregiver practices that support social and emotional development

       Investment: $1,017,800 over three years for Community Grants & Leadership Projects

The Strategic Plan is a “road map” to guide the Commission in aligning funding with specific priorities among the many areas of need for young children’s health, development, care and well-being. The Strategic Plan does not specify particular programs or partners that will receive funding.  The Commission’s evaluation plan will be updated to align directly with this Strategic Plan through the definition of specific indicators to measure its impact on each of the chosen Results.