First 5 Santa Cruz County consistently works to strengthen coordination and integration among organizations and sectors serving young children and families in Santa Cruz County. First 5 also works to ensure that prevention, early intervention, and equity for young children and their families are priorities in local, state and federal policy.  

 

First 5 supports all young children and their families in Santa Cruz County by prioritizing efforts that are responsive to the community’s diverse needs. Shaped by community voice, these efforts focus on eliminating disparities based on race, ethnicity, language, or income. In this context, First 5 seeks to strengthen the early childhood system of care by following our values and guiding principals:

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• Whole Child, Whole Family, Whole Community: We understand that young children’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development are interdependent, and that children grow and learn within their family relationships and the larger community.

• Equity: We seek out and amplify the voices of families with young children, prenatal to 5. We prioritize efforts that are responsive to the needs of our diverse community. We identify and work toward eliminating barriers to well-being based on race, ethnicity, income, and other characteristics.

• Strategic Impact: We invest our time and resources in areas that support our strategic priorities, show evidence of effectiveness, and address root causes of inequities. Stewardship: We partner with public, nonprofit, and philanthropic organizations to make the best use of our resources for the benefit of children and families.

• Integration: We work with our partners to break down silos, ensure services are accessible and comprehensive, and increase shared responsibility and accountability.

• Strengths-based: We identify and enhance existing community strengths. We build organizational and systemwide capacity to influence meaningful and lasting changes.

 

Over the last 25 years, these service integration and system building functions have become a cornerstone of First 5’s strategy to create an equitable and sustainable early childhood system of care in Santa Cruz County.