Press Releases
First 5 California regularly issues press releases that contain official information on specific topics, including state legislation, the announcement of new F5CA programs, or calls to action on behalf of children and their families.
Sacramento – First 5 California released a new brief by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) as part of the $20 million initiative to promote high-quality early learning environments for children learning more than one language. The brief, Quick Facts: The Landscape of Early Learning and Care Programs Serving Dual Language Learners in California, summarizes findings from a survey of directors in early learning programs across California, and is now available at californiadllstudy.org/reports.
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Sacramento – On September 17, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation ensuring nearly 6 million additional Californians have access to job-protected Paid Family Leave. Senate Bill (SB) 1383 by Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson guarantees job-protected leave for Californians who work for an employer with five or more employees to care for a new baby, an ill family member, their own health condition, or to address a military exigency.
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SACRAMENTO – Today, First 5 California Executive Director Camille Maben thanked Governor Newsom and legislative leadership for passing a budget that protects many existing investments in children, families, and care providers during this fiscally devastating time.
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Sacramento, CA — On April 13, 2020, the California Children and Families Commission, also known as the First 5 California Commission (Commission), held an emergency meeting to consider authorizing funding to provide relief to California’s childcare providers. The Commission, acting on the urgent nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, approved up to $4 million to support the acquisition and distribution of county-identified essential supplies for babies and young children, in addition to much-needed sanitation items.
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Sacramento, Calif. — California’s first Surgeon General, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, is partnering with First 5 California to help promote its landmark Talk. Read. Sing. ® campaign in a new television and radio campaign.
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Sacramento, CA –– A new public opinion poll conducted by Change Research demonstrates that California voters strongly support the expansion of Paid Family Leave which was recently proposed by the Newsom Administration. The online poll, funded by First 5 California, is inclusive of 1,315 registered voters in the state and represents a mix of demographic groups to reflect California’s diversity. While voters showed widespread support for protecting all workers’ jobs during leave (83 percent), increasing the wage replacement rate (64 percent), and extending the length of time benefits can be accessed (67 percent), Governor Newsom too unveiled his vision for program expansion with the release of his Paid Family Leave Task Force Recommendations and 2020–21 Budget.
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SACRAMENTO – Governor Newsom recently announced the appointment of a wide-ranging group of Californians in the formation of the State’s new Early Childhood Policy Council.
The Council will be led by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, California’s first Surgeon General and renowned expert in the field of childhood trauma. The Early Childhood Policy Council was established to gather input from a multitude of participants that will advise the Governor, Legislature, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond on statewide issues specific to early learning and care, and children’s health and well-being.
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SACRAMENTO – First 5 California hailed the release of new reports on paid family leave in California by the California Budget & Policy Center (Budget Center).
“The Budget Center’s findings echo Governor Newsom’s vision and the Legislature’s commitment to support California’s children and families,” said Erin Gabel, Deputy Director at First 5 California. “Research makes it clear that frequent, nurturing, parent-child interactions are key to strong brain development in the first three months of life and working parents must have the ability to establish that foundation for lifelong success. California must lead in supporting children and families with paid family leave,” said Ms. Gabel.
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SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Mayra E. Alvarez, President of The Children’s Partnership, to First 5 California, the state’s independent Commission for children and families.
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SACRAMENTO – On July 25, 2019, the First 5 California Commission approved $103 million for IMPACT 2020, a renewed commitment to the innovative First 5 IMPACT (Improve and Maximize Programs so All Children Thrive) approach, which partners First 5 California and local First 5 county commissions with the state’s Quality Counts California (QCC) system.
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Sacramento – A new study and health policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (CHPR), affirmed the reach and impact of First 5 California’s Talk. Read. Sing. social marketing campaign. The UCLA CHPR is one of the nation's leading health policy research centers and the premier source of health policy information for California.
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First 5 Association of California and First 5 California today cheered Governor Newsom’s signing of a budget that will make a historic investment of more than $2 billion in California’s young children and their families.
“With this budget, the governor makes clear that his administration prioritizes young children and families as a key element of realizing a ‘California for All,’” said Moira Kenney, executive director of First 5 Association of California, which represents the state’s 58 First 5 county commissions. “When we support children in the earliest years, we not only shape the course of their lives, we shape our future as a state.”
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SACRAMENTO – Camille Maben, Executive Director of First 5 California, released the following statement today upon the Legislature’s passage of the 2019–20 State Budget: “With the passage of the State Budget, today marks a new chapter for California that recognizes the increasing needs of our young children and their families in order to thrive and succeed in our schools and communities. First 5 California applauds the comprehensive vision Governor Newsom endorsed and our Legislative leaders have adopted:
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SACRAMENTO – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom convened a Paid Family Leave Task Force for their first in a series of meetings. The Task Force is intended to design a policy and funding roadmap to achieving the Governor’s vision for providing all California newborns with six months of bonding time with their parents. Erin Gabel, Deputy Director of External and Governmental Affairs for First 5 California, was appointed to the newly-established Paid Family Leave Task Force.
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SACRAMENTO – “Today, Governor Newsom announced a historic investment in California’s greatest resource: our children,” said Camille Maben, Executive Director of First 5 California, the state’s early childhood Commission. “All our children deserve a strong start in life, and this Budget’s strong start investment will pay off in shared prosperity for our state for decades to come.”
“Like the state’s key investments in water, highway, and higher education infrastructure during California’s previous Golden Age, Governor Newsom and our Legislative leadership understand that the future of a strong California is built on the foundation of thriving children who are healthy, ready to learn, and succeed in life.”
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Sacramento – Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon has appointed Jackie B. Majors, Chief Executive Officer of Crystal Stairs, Inc., to the California Children and Families Commission (First 5 California).
For more than 25 years, Ms. Majors has worked diligently, advancing quality early care and education (ECE) as an educator-businessperson.
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SACRAMENTO – Camille Maben, Executive Director of First 5 California issued this statement today on Governor Gavin Newsom’s January budget proposal:
“Today’s Budget Proposal sets a bold vision and significant down payment for California’s youngest children and their families. Paid family leave, health care, home visiting, pediatric screening, and high-quality early learning opportunities are key to Governor Newsom’s comprehensive road map on how California can create a two-generational approach to raising strong and resilient children. We applaud Governor Newsom’s leadership.”
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Sacramento – Today First 5 California Executive Director Camille Maben thanked Governor Brown and the California Legislature, including the Legislative Women’s Caucus and legislative leadership, for prioritizing California’s youngest children and families in this year’s budget through strategic and significant one-time investments in the state’s child care and early learning system.
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Read Across America Day at Robla Preschool in Sacramento
Sacramento – On Friday, March 2, First 5 California, First 5 Sacramento, and the Sacramento Kings – celebrated Read Across America Day at Robla Preschool in Sacramento during a special one-hour, all-school assembly. The one-hour assembly included:
Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness event that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss.
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Upcoming Events
Commission Meeting
The First 5 Express is a bilingual children’s activity center that travels across California to inspire families to understand the importance of a child’s earliest years and the positive impact they can have on brain development through talking, reading, and singing.
First 5 Express ScheduleFirst 5 California FOCUS Newsletter
Designed as an internal newsletter, the First 5 California FOCUS has been a regular item, published digitally and produced wholly in-house, on a quarterly basis since 2015. The FOCUS delivers updates on ongoing F5CA projects, Commission meetings, ongoing issues, county-focused items, legislative and budgetary updates, along with programmatic and research-based topics.
December 2019
First 5 California FOCUS
September 2019
First 5 California FOCUS
July 2019
First 5 California FOCUS
Social Media
First 5 California maintains a robust Parent Information Website, http://www.first5california.com/, a Twitter feed, and a Facebook page, which provides families with children, ages 0 to 5, multiple resources, fund activities, and other supports.
Additional First 5 California social media accounts may be found below:
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