About Us
We envision an Orange County in which all children reach their full potential. The groundwork for this vision is set during a child’s earliest years. First 5 Orange County partners with many organizations working towards creating and maintaining an early childhood system that families experience as a seamless network of care.
Building a Strong Foundation
Each child is unique, and every child’s full potential will look different. We know from years of research that a child’s experiences during their early years establish a foundation that, if strong, sets children up to achieve more in school and life, be physically healthier and more emotionally resilient, and participate more in society.
At First 5 Orange County, we recognize the strengths that families bring to each child’s foundation, and aim to build bridges so children of every culture, color, and condition can thrive without barriers. In partnership with health, social service, family support, and education agencies in Orange County, we provide programs and initiatives that build up children and encourage whole family engagement and health.
Our History
First 5 Orange County was created as a result of Proposition 10, the California Children and Families Act of 1998, which added a 50-cent sales tax on tobacco products sold in California. Prop 10 required that funds raised be used to support education, health and child development programs for children from the prenatal stage through age 5.
Since our inception more than 20 years ago, First 5 Orange County has become a leading convener and collaborator, as well as a valued capacity builder and funder of best practices with an emphasis on elevating equity. In these roles, we offer the community deep expertise on the importance of early childhood in human development and the conditions that children and families need to thrive.
We cultivate strong relationships with our community partners and support innovative, research-based services that have been shown to improve outcomes. We engage directly with families and neighborhoods to offer them the information and tools they need to become advocates for their young children.
Finally, we promote a “system-level perspective” that recognizes the importance of seamless cross-agency coordination to improve the family experience and child outcome.