FIRST 5’s Role in Children’s Health Status on Children’s Health Symposium May 4, 2011 Jolene Smith Executive Director

Vision and Mission Vision: FIRST 5 Santa Clara County will be a catalyst for ensuring that the developmental needs of children prenatal through age 5 are a priority in all sectors of the community. Mission: FIRST 5 Santa Clara County supports the healthy development of children prenatal through age 5 and enriches the lives of their families and communities. 2

Circles of Influence 3 Source: Ecological Systems Model adapted from: Bronfenbrenner, U. (1989)

Public Investment Mismatch in Early Years 4 Source: Brain Growth and Public Investment, A Mismatch (Children Now) 2010

Who FIRST 5 Santa Clara County Serves FIRST 5 serves a diverse, isolated, and needy population. o Low-income families – many living in poverty  34% earn less than $10,000  60% earn less than $20,000  82% earn less than $30,000 o 48% of parents have less than a high school education o 54% of children (ages 3-5) attend preschool o 55% parents never participate in community activities o 63% of children show risks of developmental delay 5

Normal Brain Development vs Impoverished Brain 6 Source: The Brain scan comparison was adapted from the Special Edition of Newsweek, Spring/Summer 1997.

Who FIRST 5 Santa Clara County Serves 7

Countywide Service Delivery Model 8

FIRST 5’s FY 2011/2012 Community Investments 9

FIRST 5’s Health Initiatives 1.Children’s Health Initiative ($3.7 Million) 2.Oral Health Initiative ($1.3 Million) 3.The Learning Together Initiative ($3.6 Million) 4.Obesity/Diabetes Prevention($1.0 Million) 10

Children’s Health Initiative While most of the children FIRST 5 serves qualify for Medi-Cal, FIRST 5 funds the premiums of: 1,787 Healthy Kids children birth through age 5 11

Oral Health Initiative Fluoridation o FIRST 5 committed $1 Million and partnered with The Health Trust to fluoridate Santa Clara County’s drinking water Dental services o 595 children received dental care in Gilroy clinic Dental Centers o New Dental Center expected to open in Sunnyvale in Summer 2011 and expected to serve 6,000 children annually. o Partnered with The Health Trust to expand their Tropicana dental center that serves 10,000 children annually. 12

Learning Together Initiative (LTI) - Purpose The purpose of the Learning Together Initiative (LTI) is to provide prevention, early intervention, and information to parents and community members to prepare children to be healthy and ready to enter and succeed in school. The information presented to families include: 13 Health The importance of preventive health care and wellness The importance of dental visits, immunizations, regular well baby checks Referrals for developmental screening of children Facilitation of health insurance enrollment/maintenance Connections to a primary health care provider School Readiness Transitional kindergarten classes Kindergarten Readiness Handbook School Readiness parent workshops Early Literacy / Oral Language Development The importance of reading SEEDS of Early Literacy Reading Together

Learning Together Initiative (LTI) - Components LTI operates through two component programs: 1. Community Worker Program 2. Family Resource Center (FRC) Program In partnership with the City of San Jose and the Packard Foundation 14

Community Worker Program A network of 12 agencies across Santa Clara County mobilize: 34 Full-Time Community Workers 76 Associate/Volunteer Community Workers 110 Community Workers 15

17 Family Resource Center Sites 16

Family Resource Center (FRC) Program FRC’s are community hubs Community-based, family friendly, and have flexible hours to accommodate families Provide an array of information and resources Serve as a “home base” for Community Workers connected to the communities they serve. Provide free family workshops including : 1.Arts Enrichment 2.SEEDS of Early Literacy 3.Abriendo Puertas (Opening Doors) 4.Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) In only 6 months, FRC’s served 4,911 parents and 2,888 children 17

LTI Increases Parents’ Skills and Knowledge 18

California Budget Impact to FIRST 5 State approved a $950 Million shift from First 5 County Commissions to the State general fund to help balance the State’s budget deficit. o Redirects 50% local FIRST 5’s reserves to the State o Impact to FIRST 5 Santa Clara County: $39 Million o Anticipated FIRST 5 service cuts: 18% in FY 11/12 o Cuts to programs that directly serve children will be minimized 19

Contact 20 Jolene Smith Executive Director 4000 Moorpark Avenue, #200 San Jose, CA (408) Join us on