2021 Annual Report Snapshot

2021 Annual Report Snapshot

Make Learning Fun

Annual Report Snapshot

FY 2020–2021

Our Annual Report celebrates our continued achievements of another productive year working to improve the lives of children ages zero through five and their families. Thank you to our Commissioners, First 5 San Diego staff and each of our community network partners who have made these achievements possible.

This year marks the first year of the new Strategic Plan 2020-25 which focuses on resilient families, coordinated systems of care, integrated leadership and sustained funding.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

INVESTED OVER
$27.8 million
in direct services for young children and their families

SERVED MORE THAN
37,000
children, parents, caregivers and providers

PARTNERS LEVERAGED
$4 million
in cash and in-kind support from public and private entities

Our achievements are highlighted in each of our strategic goal areas:

HEALTH

  • Screened 12,197 children for developmental delays and treated 4,120 children with developmental concerns
  • Screened 10,374 children for behavioral delays and provided treatment for 1,851 children with behavioral concerns
  • Screened 7,254 children for oral health services and provided treatment for 8,447 children

FAMILY

  • Served 557 pregnant women and caregivers and 497 children with intensive home visits
  • Provided care coordination to 9,355 children, parents and caregivers
  • Supported the distribution of 7,328 Kits for New Parents

LEARNING

  • Supported 478 early learning and care sites in providing high-quality preschool
  • Provided high-quality early care and education for 11,675 children
  • Provided professional development to 2,582 early childhood education staff

COMMUNITY

  • Conducted a community awareness campaign that achieved nearly 77 million gross impressions
  • Provided 22,169 health and social service referrals for families

COVID 19-Response

As COVID-19 continued to impact our communities, First 5 San Diego was called upon to step forward and join the Schools & Education sector. First 5 staff emerged as the Early Care & Education sub-sector committed to informing families and providers of children birth to five years of age with timely guidance, supportive resources and services to ensure their safety and well-being during such uncertain times.

  • Initiated regular communication with a local Early Childhood Education Coalition to assess the impact of the pandemic on the childcare sector
  • Became a strong thought partner and liaison between the county and community
  • Developed and maintained the Early Care sector support webpage
  • Engaged groups of 100-150 providers in telebriefings
  • Collaborative efforts between First 5 and YMCA CRS led to the reactivation of the Child Care Disaster Council (CCDC) co-chaired by the First 5 Executive Director
  • Developed the Child Care Emergency Response Plan that outlined key steps to follow in case of an emergency and created a mechanism to receive and distribute emergency supplies from the State of CA and the First 5 CA commission through regional hub distribution sites

Funded Initiatives

First 5 San Diego supports families by providing parents and caregivers with programs to promote children’s optimal development and school readiness. Programs and services are funded through San Diego County’s portion of California’s Proposition 10 tobacco tax revenues.

2-1-1 INFORMATION AND REFERRAL

2-1-1 San Diego is a free 24-hour phone service and online database that connects people with community resources. 2-1-1 also operates a First 5 San Diego Warm Line that assists parents of children ages zero through five with locating services and resources for their families.

CHILDHOOD INJURY PREVENTION PROGRAM

The Childhood Injury Prevention Program educates parents, caregivers and early childhood education staff about childhood injury prevention strategies to make homes, automobiles and communities safer for children ages zero through five.

FIRST 5 FIRST STEPS

First 5 First Steps (F5FS) provides countywide home visitation services to specific high-risk target populations including pregnant and parenting teens, military, refugee/immigrant and low-income families using the Healthy Families America (HFA) model and the Parents as Teachers (PAT), Baby TALK and Mothers and Babies curriculums.

HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

Healthy Development Services (HDS) is an array of services for early identification and treatment of children with mild to moderate developmental delays. Services include assessment and treatment for behavioral and developmental concerns (including speech and language, occupational and physical therapies), parent education and Care Coordination to all families receiving HDS services.

KIDSTART

KidSTART is an integrated program within First 5 San Diego and Health and Human Services Agency’s Behavioral Health Services to support children with complex developmental, socio-emotional/behavioral health, medical and family needs. The KidSTART Center performs screening, triage, assessment, referrals and treatment for children with multiple, complex delays and needs. The KidSTART Clinic, funded by Behavioral Health Services, provides comprehensive behavioral and social-emotional clinical treatment (First 5 San Diego funding supports the Center only).

KIT FOR NEW PARENTS

The Kit for New Parents is a free, comprehensive resource from First 5 California for new and expectant parents emphasizing the importance of a child’s early years. Kits are distributed countywide and are available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean.

LEARN WELL INITIATIVE

The Learn Well Initiative supports sustainable development of quality early learning and care programs and aims to support providers in the form of technical assistance, instructional support, coaching and ongoing professional development.

MATERNITY SHELTER PROGRAM

The Maternity Housing Program (MHP) provides safe, secure and supportive housing with comprehensive home-based, family-focused supportive services and intensive case management services for pregnant and parenting young women between 18 and 24 years old and their dependent children. MHP assists these young women who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless develop the skills necessary to live independently while providing a safe and stable home for them and their children.

MI ESCUELITA THERAPEUTIC PRESCHOOL

Mi Escuelita provides a therapeutic preschool experience for young children 3-5 years old who have been traumatized by family violence. The goal of this program is to help children enter kindergarten as active learners by working with the family emotionally, socially and developmentally.

ORAL HEALTH INITIATIVE

The Oral Health Initiative (OHI) provides oral health services, care coordination and preventative education to children from birth to age five with the goal of improving oral health, promoting positive oral health practices and increasing provider capacity.

Thank You For Your
Commitment And Partnership

To access the full FY 20-21 Annual Report, click here.