Community Dashboard
First 5 Santa Cruz County
2021 - 2022
Committed to helping the community
First 5 Santa Cruz County invests in programs and services aimed at increasing the number of children ages 0 to 5 who are happy, healthy and well-prepared with thriving families living in connected communities and equitable systems. This dashboard features the characteristics of families served by First 5 First 5 Santa Cruz County as well as the services provided by its funded programs. The data in this dashboard is provided by our 2021-22 Annual Evaluation Report prepared by First 5 Santa Cruz County staff who work diligently to collect and analyze this each fiscal year’s data.
Innovative, effective programs and initiatives:
-
Ensure all children ages birth through age 5 have access to health insurance and preventive care
-
Increase protective factors and decrease child abuse and neglect
-
Improve access to affordable, quality early care and education
-
Build early language and literacy skills that are the foundation for future learning
-
Increased coordination and integration among organizations and sectors serving young children and families
-
Increase in local, state, and federal policies and legislation that prioritize prevention, early intervention, and equity for young children and their families
-
Increase in local, state, and federal funding to sustain and institutionalize investments in the early childhood system of care
First 5 supported programs are wide-reaching. In 2021-22, First 5 partners served 33% of all children ages 0-5 in Santa Cruz County (over 5,200 children).
33%
of children aged 0-5 in Santa Cruz County served (5,200 children) in 2020-21
First 5 Santa Cruz County reaches children who can make great gains with early and smart investments
50%
of Latino children ages 0-5 in Santa Cruz County participated in a program funded by First 5
First 5 Santa Cruz County established four
priorities for our 2020 – 2025 strategic plan :
Healthy Children
-
Increased access to affordable quality health care for children 0-5
-
Increased use of preventive health care
-
Improved maternal, infant, and child health
Thriving Families
-
Increased resilience of young children and their families
-
Improved parenting practices and parent-child relationships
-
Increased “social capital” (relationships and connections) of young children and their families
-
Decreased child abuse and neglect
Early Care
& Education
-
Increased access to affordable, high quality early care and education
-
Increased early learning and school readiness skills (developmental, social-emotional, cognitive)
-
Increased stability and sustainability of the early care and education system
Early Childhood System
-
Increased coordination and integration among organizations and sectors serving young children and families
-
Increase in local, state, and federal policies and legislation that prioritize prevention, early intervention, and equity for young children and their families
-
Increase in local, state, and federal funding to sustain and institutionalize investments in the early childhood system of care
First 5 strives to ensure that all young children and their families have health insurance and access to care.
98%
of mothers with newborns visited by the Baby Gateway Newborn Enrollment Program
97%
mothers visited by a Newborn Enrollment Coordinator received a Kit for New Parents
4,000
children in Santa Cruz County screened for potential vision issues since the launch of the VisionFirst program
99%
of all mothers with births paid by Medi-Cal who were visited by First 5 staff identified a preferred primary care provider (PCP) or clinic for their child before discharge from the hospital.
I never suspected my child had any vision problems. He never complained or expressed any difficulty with his vision. But after my son received his glasses, he expressed that he was able to see now and that everything looked beautiful.
– family of child served by VisionFirst
First 5 Santa Cruz County support parents & caregivers
First 5’s Triple P - Positive Parenting Program is a world-renowned program available to families in Santa Cruz County who have children ages birth to 16, including children with special needs.
With more than 30 years of international, scientific research, Triple P offers local families evidence-based strategies for strengthening relationships with their children and managing a full range of parenting challenges.
Highlights of Triple P in Santa Cruz County:
-
Between 2010-2022, over 15,800 parents with over 30,500 children have participated in the program.
-
Parenting skills and knowledge are improving. Parents who participate notice:
-