First 5 Orange County Children & Families Commission

Investing in Our Future

A dynamic, mission-driven public agency, First 5 Orange County has a nearly 30-year tradition of investing in the future of Orange County’s children. Through partnerships and strategic resource allocation, we work to ensure all children reach their full potential. Our mission is to optimize the health and development of young children by promoting the importance of early childhood, encouraging innovation, and investing in systems of care.

First 5 OC funds initiatives and quality programs that support an equitable approach to preparing children to enter kindergarten, giving them and their families the foundation of health, learning, and resiliency we know is critical for success.

For more information on our program investments, click here. We also invite you to view our 2019-2024 Strategic Plan, located here.

Learning and Sharing

A vanguard site for data collection and analysis, First 5 OC has spearheaded the participation of all OC public schools in the Early Development Instrument (EDI). EDI is a measure of young children’s well-being and a validated predictor of health, education, and social outcomes. The first region in the U.S. to achieve 100% participation in reporting to this comprehensive index, Orange County has the single largest early childhood data set nationwide. For more information on EDI, click here.

Through our sophisticated data collection and analysis efforts, First 5 OC continues to reach conclusions about how to increase economic stability for Orange County families. We use these findings to direct investments and to inform the local and state-level early childhood policy agenda.

Our Values

We hold true the following values in our work each day:

• Integrity: We ensure public trust through transparency in decision-making and commitment to the voters’ intent.
• Excellence: We are responsible for achieving positive outcomes for young children and consistently set high standards to advance our impact.
• Collaboration: We work with community partners, sharing knowledge and striving for high-functioning, results-oriented systems.
• Innovation: We continually challenge ourselves and our partners to advance creative solutions to benefit young children and their families.
• Knowledge: We are committed to increasing public awareness about the importance of early childhood.

History

First 5 OC is one of 58 responsive public agencies statewide created as a result of the Children and Families Act, which took effect in 1998 when California voters approved a tax on tobacco products and the use of tax proceeds to fund early childhood development. The tax-generated revenue is allocated to the state’s 58 counties according to annual birth rates. A portion of the revenue funds First 5 California, a statewide association, to support statewide programs, research and media campaigns.