Community Impact

Brief Presentation:  "First 5 Outcomes and Children's Well Being" - published October 2012
 

First 5 Santa Cruz County Annual Evaluation Report, July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012 - published October 2012

Baby Gateway:  The First Year's Outcomes - published August 2011

Our Strategic Plan

WHO WE SERVE

First 5 goal is to serve the most vulnerable children ages 0-5 and their families in Santa Cruz County, including very low-income families, English language learners, and families who live in higher risk zones of the county.  

• First 5-supported programs are wide-reaching

In 2011-12, First 5 partners served 8,382 children, representing 39% of all children ages 0-5 in Santa Cruz County

• First 5 serves a high number of dual language learners

Of the children ages 0-5 served by First 5, 82% were Latino, and 65% spoke Spanish as their primary language

Of all Latino children ages 0-5 in Santa Cruz County, 54% participated in services funded by First 5

• First 5 is reaching an increasingly low income population

Almost 88% of the families served by First 5 earned less than the Federal Poverty Level

• First 5 is serving children in the highest risk zones of the county

91% of children lived in the areas of the county that rank highest on a cumulative index of risk factors

Overall Well-Being of Children in the County

• Santa Cruz County has a growing and diverse population of young children

In 2012, the majority of children ages 0-5 were either Hispanic (57%), or White/Non-Hispanic (37%)

In 2011, almost 45% of children in kindergarten had a primary language other than English

• Unemployment has grown dramatically and still varies greatly across the county

The average unemployment rate for the county has increased from 7% in 2008 to 12% in 2012

The average unemployment rate in 2012 (as of August)  ranged from 5% in Aptos to 24% in Watsonville

• Enrollment in public assistance nutritional programs has increased

In 2012 almost 21,000 people were receiving Food Stamp benefits—a 84% increase from 2007

In 2011, 19,862 children were participating in the National School Lunch Program—almost 51% of the county’s students

• Not enough mothers are receiving prenatal care in the first trimester

Only 75% of mothers with Medi-Cal began receiving prenatal care during the first trimester, compared to 93% of mothers with private insurance

• The percentage of births to teen mothers in the County is decreasing

In the last three years, births to teen mothers decreased from 9.7% to 7.9% of all births in the County

• Over half of the births by women in the County were paid for by Medi-Cal

54% of births, across all age groups, were paid for by Medi-Cal

Medi-Cal was utilized by almost 80% of the births to women under the age of 25

Summary by Goal Area

First 5 Santa Cruz County is serving 39% of children ages 0-5 in Santa Cruz County, and we are serving the most vulnerable children, including those in families that are experiencing severe poverty and are living in areas of the county with the highest risk factors.

First 5 and its partners are achieving results in helping these very vulnerable children and families:

In the Healthy Children goal area, data show that children are insured and using preventative health care

• Since 2004, 9,439 children ages 0-5 have been enrolled in public health insurance.
   
• In 2011, 94% of children (ages 2-6) in Healthy Kids had a medical home, and 87% of children (ages 3-6) had a well-child visit in the last year.
   
• In 2011-12, Baby Gateway assisted 80% of all mothers with Medi-Cal births to complete a Medi-Cal application for their new babies. Of those assisted, 99% had their new babies enrolled in Medi-Cal, and 96% were assigned a primary care provider for their child.
   
• Foster children with neurodevelopmental needs are getting referred to supportive services through Dominican Pediatrics’ coordinated and multidisciplinary system called the Dominican Child Development Program (DCDP).

In the Strong Families goal area, families are becoming more healthy and resilient, and it benefits their children

• Families who are at risk for child abuse and neglect are being helped to reduce that risk.
   
• 92% of families who received services from the Families Together program had no substantiated allegations of maltreatment in the six months after their cases closed.
   
• First 5 has implemented all five levels of Triple P in Santa Cruz County, from a media campaign in the community to intensive and focused individual services. Brief services may be an effective way of getting parents engaged in the program and provide an opportunity to participate in further services.
   
• Parents participating in the Triple P parenting program significantly increased their confidence in parenting, used more positive parenting styles, felt more supported, and improved their relationships with their families.
   
• Parents who had more serious parenting issues made the most meaningful changes in their family lives.
   
• Among families who have experienced child abuse or neglect, results suggest that Triple P is associated with lower rates of new substantiated child maltreatment allegations and foster care placements.
   
• Early mental health services are being provided. Of families that participated in 8-12 psychotherapy/counseling meetings and completed pre/post assessments, 100% reported improvement in their children's behavior.

In the Children Learning and Ready for School goal area, data show that First 5 is successfully building teacher skills to improve children’s later school success

• The SEEDS of Early Literacy approach is transforming the early education system in the County. In 2011-12, the percentage of SEEDS-trained preschool classrooms assessed as providing high quality literacy support for children increased from 33% to 95%. Similarly, the percentage of family child care settings that were rated as having high quality support increased from 35% to 94%. 

• Children in SEEDS-trained classrooms are increasing their skills in three predictors of later reading success (Picture Naming, Rhyming and Alliteration). Further analyses showed that when assessed in their primary language, a higher percentage of Spanish-speaking children scored “below” or “near” target levels in their initial assessments when compared to English-speaking children, but by the last assessment, they had reached or exceeded the levels attained by English-speaking children, particularly in Rhyming and Alliteration.

• Child Snapshots are helping the kindergarten teachers of 942 children understand their strengths, as well as areas in which they can be supported for success in school.

In the Service Integration Goal Area (Leveraging Funds)

• First 5 partners are maximizing First 5 funding by leveraging their funds to bring in an additional 3 million dollars, almost equaling the entire First 5 Santa Cruz County annual program investment. Because of First 5’s funding and this kind of additional support, Santa Cruz County children will continue to get the help they need to become healthy, strong, and ready for school.