Measuring Collective Change

First 5 Orange County is carefully watching several indicators to help determine whether our work is contributing toward achieving the vision that all children reach their full potential. First 5 Orange County is one of many organizations influencing these measures.

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Moving in right direction

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Moving in wrong direction

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No change

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Baseline only

Three “outcome” indicators relate to children’s readiness for kindergarten

Desired Trend Progress Indicator
B \
Proportion of children who are ready for Kindergarten

Source: Early Development Index

C \
Gap in children’s likelihood for being ready for Kindergarten (Disparity Index)

Source: Early Development Index

B \
Proportion of neighborhoods whose children are ready for kindergarten

Source: Early Development Index

Well-Child Visits, Screenings, and Linkage to Services

Desired Trend Progress Indicator
B \
Percentage of children on Medi-Cal completing well-child visits in the first 15 months of life

Source: CalOptima, HEDIS Measure W15

B \
Number of children ages 0-3 screened/entered into the OC Children’s Screening Registry

Source: OC Children’s Screening Registry

C \
Age of children entered into the OC Children’s Screening Registry

Source: OC Children’s Screening Registry

B \
Percentage of kindergartners whose teachers rate them as being in good / very good health

Source: Early Development Index

C \
Percentage of kindergarteners whose teacher believes they have a special need but have no IEP

Source: Early Development Index

Resilience Among Children and Families

Desired Trend Progress Indicator
C \
Children’s social and emotional vulnerability (Resilient Families measure)

Source: Early Development Index

C \
Gap between the percentage of young children who are eligible and enrolled in CalFresh (Resilient Families measure)

Source: Orange County Social Services Agency; California Department of Social Services

C \
Percentage of young children with four or more ACES

Source: OC Children’s Screening Registry

C \
Number/ rate of maltreated / neglected children ages 0-5

Source: CWS/CMS 2020 Quarter 2 Extract

C \
Number of families with children ages 0-5 experiencing homelessness

Source: HMIS

Quality Infant and Toddler Care

Desired Trend Progress Indicator
B \
Availability of infant and toddler child care

Source: Orange County 2020-2025 LPC Needs Assessment

B \
Availability of subsidized infant and toddler child care

Source: Orange County 2020-2025 LPC Needs Assessment

B \
Percentage of early care and education programs participating in Quality Start OC

Source: iPinwheel; Community Care Licensing Division

Measuring System Change

First 5 Orange County facilitates discussion with our funded partners and community or countywide collaboratives about how we can create seamless systems of care for young children and families. We work with funded partners and collaboratives to gauge progress toward positive “systems” change.

2020/21 was the pilot year for evaluating systems change work, and among the funded partners and collaboratives we engaged, we saw the following progress.

Funded Partners

There were 28 Funded Partner responses submitted—25 from the school districts and 3 from other organizations

chart showing progress made by First 5 OC funded partners

Collaboratives

Five collaborative groups assessed their progress toward systems change in the pilot year, with the following results.

Chart showing progress made by First 5 OC collaboratives

Measuring Program Investments and Our Annual Work

During FY 2019/20, First 5 Orange County served:

1000

children ages 0 to 5

1000

family members

Flagship Services

In February 2020, First 5 Orange County approved three-year funding for its flagship services:

A pediatrician examines a happy baby with a stethoscope

Prenatal-to-Three

$14,275,000 over the next three years to support agencies that provide prenatal-to-three services

Believing in the vital importance of early prevention and intervention during children’s most rapid stage of brain development from birth to age 3, First 5 Orange County invests in services that help mitigate the impacts of childhood adversity and foster long-term individual and family resilience. Our funds support prenatal care, hospital screenings, home visiting, mental health and parenting support and resources. We employ a two-generation approach to cultivate child and caregiver well-being while strengthening the foundational relationships between young children and caregivers that fortify children’s healthy development.

children with their teacher in a circle playing a game on the blacktop at school

School District Partnerships

$17,000,000 over the next three years to support our school district partnerships

Our funding supports each of Orange County’s 25 elementary school districts as they prioritize early childhood, collect Early Development Index data, and develop the system of care needed so that every child starts kindergarten with the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Districts engage with parents and community partners to create linkages between early care and education, health and family support systems.

A young girl rests on her dad's shoulder

Homeless Prevention

$3,750,000 over the next three years to support system improvement work along with funding shelter operations

Providing safe, caring homes in times of crises, First 5 Orange County funds shelters that help pregnant mothers and families with young children. First 5 Orange County also funds the Family Solutions Collaborative. This collaborative works on a system level to align resources for homeless families in a streamlined process.

To read more about First 5 Orange County’s investments and accomplishments, see our annual report.