First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
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Strategic Plan
First 5 San Mateo County
July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2025
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
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Success for every child.
First 5 San Mateo County promotes positive outcomes for young children and their
families through strategic investments, community leadership, and effective partnerships.
Mission
Desired Outcomes
Vision
The First 5 San Mateo County Commission (F5SMC) adopted the following desired outcomes to guide its
efforts during the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan:
6
5
Communities provide a safe and healthy environment for young children
Children have access to high-quality early care and education settings
Families feel connected to and supported by their community and able
to nurture their children’s health and development
Children have access to and are utilizing appropriate health care services
to meet their health and developmental needs
Children have healthy attachments to their parents and caregivers
San Mateo County will give priority to young children and their families
1
2
3
4
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
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Preparing Children for Lifelong Success
By the time children reach their sixth birthday, they should be poised to achieve their potential in all areas.
This is frequently labeled “school readiness” and measured using standardized tests; however, the work of
the First 5 San Mateo County Commission goes far
beyond success in school settings. F5SMC’s vision is
for children to succeed in all aspects of their lives.
The foundations for physical, emotional, cognitive,
and behavioral health are laid during the rst years
of life. Children develop these capacities through
interactions with responsive and loving caregivers in
safe environments. Stable, nurturing relationships
literally build children’s brains in ways that foster
healthy emotional expression, self-regulation and
impulse control, and social interactions. Parents
and other caregivers are better able to build warm
and consistent relationships with children if they
themselves feel secure in their lives. Parents who
are experiencing mental health issues, substance
abuse, violence, social isolation, or the stress of
being unable to meet their family’s basic needs face
more barriers to providing a nurturing environment
for their children.
Research has identied four major building blocks that contribute to a child’s likelihood of thriving in school
and beyond: behavioral and emotional health, physical health, social skills, and academic skills. Children who
arrive in elementary school well prepared in all four of these building blocks are over three times more likely
to be reading at grade level in third grade than children who need additional support in all areas. In fact,
healthy behavioral and emotional development at kindergarten entry is just as important as academic skills
in predicting future success. Given our charge to foster optimal development for children prenatally through
age 5, F5SMC can play a unique role in ensuring that communities prioritize the needs of young children and
their families.
Our approach to supporting children’s success is aligned with Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, which
was rst published in 1979. This theory emphasizes environmental factors as central context to development.
In this approach, the child is at the center of what can be visualized as concentric circles including other
systems and inuences, such as family, community, and public policy.
Many of these systems and inuences have been studied in research on social determinants of health, including
physical environment, housing, employment opportunities, wages, education, community safety, and social
connections. These factors inuence the health, cognitive and social-emotional development, well-being, and
long-term success of children and their caregivers. Each child’s development and opportunity to thrive is thus
shaped by the distribution of and access to resources and power.
1
Understanding the complexity of achieving
health and well-being, we strive to work broadly and proactively to create, support, and sustain the social,
physical, and economic conditions for children’s success.
1
World Health Organization (2018), Social Determinants of Health, Retrieved from www.who.int/social_determinants/en/
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
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History of First 5 Children and Families Commissions
In November 1998, California voters passed the California Children and Families First Act (Prop 10). This
groundbreaking legislation added a 50-cent tax on all tobacco products. The purpose of this funding is to create
“an integrated, comprehensive, and collaborative system of information and services to enhance optimal early
childhood development and to ensure that children are ready to enter school.”
The Act established the Children and Families Commissions, subsequently called First 5 Commissions, in
each of the state’s 58 counties. It also created a State Children and Families Commission (First 5 California)
that focuses on statewide initiatives, media communications, public education, and research and evaluation
functions.
Funds from the Children and Families First Act are distributed to each county based upon the number of births
in that county. County Commissions are responsible for developing strategic plans that guide funding decisions
to meet local strategic priorities, consistent with the legislative intent of the Act.
For the last 20 years, First 5 County Commissions have funded a wide variety of programs and services that
address the needs of children in the prenatal stage through age 5 and their families. Investments were made
in the areas of early childhood development and education, health care, and parent education and support.
Additionally, investments have been made to improve capacity and quality of services provided to young
children and their families. These local efforts have been complemented by an array of investments by First
5 California.
In recent years, many Commissions have been faced with the issue of declining revenues. While First 5 dollars
were never able to meet all of the need for children 0-5 and their families, the decrease in funding has
resulted in ve related trends in Commission investments:
As outlined in its 2015-2020 Strategic Plan, F5SMC is prioritizing partnerships with entities that are achieving
both direct impact and positive systemic change. This approach fosters sustainable improvement within
agencies and systems, and allows families beyond the direct service reach to benet. Many of our investments
serve present needs as well as examining and improving the underlying systems.
Targeting populations most at risk
3
Shifting the balance from funding primarily direct services to efforts
that contribute to broader systems change
Considering the contextual landscape at the local, state, and federal
level by examining the policy and budget landscape, partnership
opportunities, and other funding and sustainability considerations
4
5
1
Endorsing practices with evidence of eectiveness
Focusing on prevention and early identification
2
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About the First 5 San Mateo County Commission
The First 5 San Mateo County Commission was established in March 1999. It consists of nine Commissioners
appointed by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. Since its inception, First 5 San Mateo County has
invested more than $150 million in local programs and has served nearly 100,000 children from birth through
age ve. Each year, more than 8,000 parents and primary caregivers receive F5SMC services.
Roles of the First 5 San Mateo County Commission
First 5 San Mateo County is fortunate to be a part of a community with a history of collaboration and
partnership within and across our publicly funded service sectors and community-based organizations. In
light of the Commission’s declining revenues, as well as expanding opportunities for partnership, the First
5 San Mateo County Commission reafrmed that its desired role in the community is to maximize positive
impacts for children, families, and the community. For the duration of the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, F5SMC
will focus on three primary community roles: Strategic nancial investor, community partner in aligned
efforts, and systems leader to advocate for the prioritization of young children and their families in decision-
making processes.
Strategic Financial Investor:
The Commission’s role as an investor is to make positive movement toward its desired outcomes in critical
areas of need for young children and their families. Specically, these investments aim to make a unique
contribution to specic family needs that are currently unable to be addressed by other entities. Strategic
investments will also target quality improvement and enhancements within and across organizations and
professionals serving children 0-5 and their families.
Community Partner:
The Commission’s role as a community partner may be as a leader, initiating collaborative efforts aligned to
its vision and mission; as a partner in existing efforts for which the leadership is provided or shared; or as a
champion of community efforts, encouraging the efforts of others better resourced to make a positive impact.
First 5 San Mateo County prioritizes partnerships that are results-driven, action-oriented, and likely to achieve
measurable results and community impact.
Systems Leader:
As the County’s only organization legislated exclusively to achieving positive outcomes for children 0-5 and
their families, the Commission will vigorously advocate for their needs and priorities. Using appropriate and
respectful channels, this leadership aims to ensure that the unique health and developmental needs of young
children are known, discussed, and integrated into community solutions for families.
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
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____________________________________________________
2
University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. (2018). County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. Retrieved from countyhealthrankings.org:
http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/california/2018/rankings/san-mateo/county/outcomes/overall/snapshot
3
Price, E. S. (2018, July 19). epi.org. Retrieved from Economic Policy Institute: https://www.epi.org/publication/the-new-gilded-age-income-
inequality-in-the-u-s-by-state-metropolitan-area-and-county/
4
Moore, T., McDonald, M. & McHugh-Dillon, H. (2014). Early childhood development and the social determinants of health inequities: A review of
the evidence. Parkville, Victoria: Centre for Community Child Health at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the Royal Children’s Hospital.
Prioritizing San Mateo County’s Young Children Through
Policy, Advocacy, and Building Awareness
Lasting improvements to the well-being of the County’s youngest residents are possible when community
organizations, policy makers, businesses, and residents understand the importance of supporting young
children and their families, and work together to mobilize resources.
Voicing the need to prioritize young children and those who care for them is especially important in light of
the stark inequalities of opportunity for the children of San Mateo County. While San Mateo County overall
has some of the best health outcomes in the state,
2
these experiences are not shared equally. San Mateo
County has greater income inequality than any other county in California, with the average income of the
top 1% being nearly 50 times greater than the average income of the bottom 99%.
3
This inequality manifests itself in the stress experienced by parents and caregivers, and the opportunities
available for young children to reach their potential. Children living in low-income families are less likely to
visit the dentist, attend preschool, be read to daily, and have access to enrichment activities, and they are
more likely to be diagnosed with a developmental disability and to have a parent dealing with depression.
Children’s health and development outcomes follow a social gradient: the further up the socioeconomic
spectrum, the better the outcomes. Inequitable access to supports and services has the potential to maintain
or increase inequities for children during their early years, because those families most in need of services
are typically least able to access them. Reducing inequities during early childhood requires a multi-level,
multi-faceted response.
4
First 5 San Mateo County strives to create the conditions that will allow all young children to prosper
socially, emotionally, and economically. Ensuring that all children can achieve their potential is a signicant
undertaking and will require a community solution that is not possible with funding alone. This effort will
require common understanding, shared ownership, willingness to change, and commitment to providing
equitable opportunities for all children.
An example of this work is the Early Childhood Policy Cabinet, which was convened as part of the strategic
planning process in 2015-2020. The Cabinet consisted of a cross-section of large agencies in San Mateo
County, including the County Ofce of Education, Human Services Agency, Probation, Housing, and others.
The leadership of these agencies quickly identied opportunities for alignment and maximization of positive
outcomes while better meeting family needs. This work will continue as part of First 5 San Mateo County’s
2020-2025 Strategic Plan.
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
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Additional activities to promote the prioritization of young children in San Mateo County are listed below:
Leadership on Early Childhood Advocacy & Policy Development:
Identify strategic partners and align leadership and resources to promote optimal child and family
outcomes. Activities may include: convening high-level, multi-agency policy conversations that keep early
childhood priorities and the impact of early childhood in the forefront of decision making; development and
implementation of a Policy and Practices Platform that advances First 5 San Mateo County’s vision of Success
for every child; and partnering with elected ofcials, community leaders, and other stakeholders to promote
an early childhood agenda.
Community Partnership:
Foster cross-agency and multidisciplinary partnerships to better serve children 0-5 and their families. Activities
may include: facilitation of partnerships and collaborative efforts that increase the capacity and quality of
services to children 0-5 and those that care for them; and hosting facilitated opportunities for multidisciplinary
cross-training and networking for both funded and unfunded partners.
Community Education:
Increase understanding about foundational early childhood topics such as early brain development. In
coordination with other efforts, build public and political will to invest in the well-being and success of our young
children. Activities may include: development and implementation of a Communications Plan highlighting the
importance of a child’s early years, the needs and circumstances of families with young children in San Mateo
County, and opportunities for stakeholders to act in ways that maximize positive outcomes for this population.
Early Childhood Research
The Children and Families First Act was based on research that a child’s brain develops more during the rst
ve years than at any other time and that a child’s experiences and relationships during these years will impact
a child for the rest of his or her life.
Since that time, a wealth of research has supported and expanded upon these earlier ndings. This newer research
provides First 5 Commissions additional information about types of early childhood programs and services that
make the greatest difference, as well as demographic targets that will achieve the greatest benet.
Among the primary ndings are:
■ The brain undergoes its most rapid development from the prenatal period through three years old.
In the rst few years of life, 700 new neural connections are formed every second.
■ During these early sensitive periods of development, healthy emotional and cognitive development
is shaped by responsive, dependable interaction with adults.
■ Conversely, stress experienced early in life can result in physiological changes to the brain and
have a cumulative toll on a child’s physical, emotional, and cognitive development.
■ The more adverse experiences in childhood, the greater the likelihood of developmental delays and
lifelong problems in learning, behavior, and physical and mental health.
The impact of experiences on brain development is greatest during the earliest years of a child’s life. It is easier
and less costly to form strong brain circuits during the early years than it is to intervene later. However, it is
important to remember that the brain remains exible and capable of building new pathways throughout life.
Therefore, while prevention of early childhood trauma is ideal, intervention after stressors have occurred can
also be signicantly benecial to children.
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
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Children and Families in San Mateo County
Located in the heart of the Silicon Valley, San Mateo County has a highly-educated population with a median
family income of $125,227. It is home to over 55,000 children age ve and under. Latinx children are the
majority population in the county at 33.9%, followed by Caucasian (31.9%) and Asian American (22.6%). Other
ethnic populations include: Multiracial (11.1%), African American (1.8%), and Pacic Islander (1.7%).
5
of all African American children
0-5 live in poverty
of all Latinx children 0-5 live
in poverty
Approximately 10% of all children 0-5 are living at or below federal poverty standards.
Compared to the overall population of children 0-5 in the county, Latinx and African American
children are much more likely to be living in poverty than all other children. In fact, 31% of all
African American children 0-5 and 20% of all Latinx children 0-5 live in poverty.
5
31%
20%
Median annual income for families in
San Mateo County
San Mateo County is
home to over
Latinx
Caucasian
Asian American
Ethnic population
Multiracial
33.9%
31.9%
22.6%
African American
Pacic Islander
11.1%
1.8%
1.7%
Children age
five and under
____________________________________________________
5
2016 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates for San Mateo County.
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
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According to the 2013 Silicon Valley Parent Story Project,
7
approximately one-third of parents in San Mateo
and Santa Clara Counties experienced depressive symptoms. Low-income parents reported higher frequency
of depressive symptoms compared to middle-to-high income parents. The study also brought to light several
other troubling disparities between low-income or Latinx parents and their middle-to-high income and non-
Latinx peers. These included:
■ Low-income parents reported lower levels of both personal and neighborhood support;
■ Latinx preschool-age children were less likely to be enrolled in preschool and less likely to
participate in enrichment activities outside of school;
■ Low-income parents were more likely to encounter problems nding childcare and identied cost
and inconvenient hours or locations as barriers to selecting child care options; and
■ Low-income parents engaged in language development activities less frequently with their infants/
toddlers than middle-to-high income parents.
While the median annual income for families in the county was $125,227 in 2016, the Self-Sufciency Standard
for California estimates that a San Mateo County family of two adults and two children (one infant/toddler and
one preschooler), would need an annual income of $146,005 to make ends meet without assistance. Although
a relatively small proportion of families in the county live below the Federal Poverty Line, 39% of families with
children are below the Self-Sufciency Standard.
6
At the same time, high housing prices continue to make owning
a home—or even nding affordable rentals—difcult for most families, as the median value of housing units is
almost double that of the state.
The Parent Story Project also presented ndings that illustrated strengths among low-income and Latinx
parents. These included that they:
■ Were more likely to help their children with homework;
■ Were more likely to have family meals together than middle-to-high income parents; and
■ Reported a greater ability to deal with stress compared to non-Latinx parents.
Core Values & Guiding Principles
The First 5 San Mateo County Commission has established the following Core Values and Principles to guide this
Strategic Plan.
We believe that our work must:
Core Values
1
Support the whole child within the whole family: We understand that young
children’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development are interdependent, and that
children grow and learn within their family relationships and the larger community.
____________________________________________________
6
Sources: 2016 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates for San Mateo County, and 2018 Self Sufciency Standard for California, San Mateo
County estimate.
7
Diaz, Rebeca & Rodriguez, Fernando & Boal, Ashley & Miller, Sarah. (2014). The Silicon Valley Parent Story Project.
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
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Promote positive development in infants and toddlers, and focus on prevention
and early intervention: We know that 75% of a child’s brain develops before the third birthday,
and that it is therefore critical to support pregnant women and to help mothers, fathers, and
caregivers establish and maintain stable and loving relationships with their infants and toddlers.
4
Include children of diverse abilities: We support the right of all children to live, grow,
and learn in their communities.
Respect and engage parents and families: We acknowledge the strength of individual
familial structures and cultures, and respect the desire and ability of parents to nurture their
children and act as their rst teachers.
5
6
Honor cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity: We believe that all services should
be delivered in a culturally and linguistically appropriate way.
7
Appreciate strengths: We build upon the positive qualities of children, families, and
communities in the design and delivery of programs.
Embrace the importance of fathers and male role models in the healthy
development of children: We expect intentional inclusion of fathers/male role models and
consideration of their needs within the structure and delivery models of family services and supports.
8
3
Enlarge community capacity: We invest in our community’s understanding of and ability to
support the healthy development of all children.
9
In our work on behalf of young children, we strive to:
Guiding Principles
1
Create value: Invest in approaches that add social and economic value to the landscape of
supports for all children and families; and build upon, integrate, and collaborate with existing services
to improve quality and provide efcient service delivery.
Promote equity: Ensure that all children, regardless of circumstance, have the opportunity to reach
their full potential, and include families as partners in decisions that affect their service provision.
2
Foster excellence: Expect excellence and allow for innovation in the development and
implementation of initiatives and programs.
3
Demonstrate eectiveness: Consider the existing evidence of impact when designing and supporting
activities, and evaluate our investments to monitor results and inform continuous quality improvement.
4
Achieve sustainable change: Use Commission investments to effect long-term policy,
institutional, funding, and systemic changes that extend the reach and impact of First 5 San Mateo
County activities.
5
Build connections between the many systems that serve young children
and their parents and caregivers: We recognize the importance of smooth transitions
for children and families as they grow from infancy through toddlerhood and preschool, and enter
elementary school.
2
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
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Developing the Strategic Plan - The Planning Process
In March 2018, the First 5 San Mateo County Commission began its strategic planning revision process to
guide future community investments. The process included the following activities:
■ A Community Forum for members of the public to share their experiences, perspectives and
priorities
■ A Partnership Breakfast with public agency systems partners to identify areas for collaboration
■ An ad-hoc committee of F5SMC Commissioners that met regularly over seven months
■ Two strategic planning sessions held as part of Commission meetings that included dialogue among
Commissioners, community members, and First 5 San Mateo County staff.
Across the input processes, ve themes emerged as central to F5SMC efforts moving forward.
1
Convener and Collaborator: Helping local funded and unfunded stakeholders tap into
collaborative opportunities.
Resource Maximization: Leveraging, aligning, and blending funding as well as ensuring
available public funds are maximized before F5SMC funding is utilized.
2
Impact Investor: Focus investments on prevention and target interventions to children with
the very highest needs.
3
Systems Catalyst: Striking the right balance between program investments and systems
improvements through cross-sector initiatives and effective partnership.
4
Advocate and Champion: Impacting local and regional decision makers, including
community business leaders, to prioritize young children.
5
The information gathered from these discussions served as guidance for the strategic planning process and
informed the Commission’s deliberations and ultimate decisions on the Strategic Plan.
Framework for the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan
The 2020-2025 Strategic Plan is consistent with the focus and intent of the Children and Families Act, building
on what has been learned and accomplished locally and providing a framework for the Commission and the
community for how Proposition 10 funds will be strategically invested over the next ve years.
Central to the success of these investments is a strong foundation that adequately prioritizes early childhood
systems and services in San Mateo County. These foundational improvements will be furthered with investments
in three core focus areas: Quality care and education, healthy children, and resilient families.
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
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Early learning settings—including infant and toddler care, family child care homes,
and center-based preschool programs—play a critical role in nurturing children’s
social, emotional, and cognitive development and are an essential component of
any strategy to promote school readiness and success in all aspects of life. In San
Mateo County, 69% of children ages 0-5 live in families where all parents work,
8
and 81% of kindergartners attend preschool in the year before entering elementary
school.
9
The benets of a continuum of high-quality early learning, beginning in
infancy and with smooth transitions into toddler care, preschool, and elementary
school, has been well researched and is a priority for the Commission.
Quality matters when providing early care and education services. Programs that
participate in continuous quality improvement efforts are more likely to prepare
students for success in school and beyond. Children who participate in high-quality
early childhood education programs show long-term impacts on their ability to
learn and interact with the world around them, including increased language and
math skills, positive peer relationships, decreased rates of grade repetition, fewer
referrals to special education services, and higher levels of cognitive and social
development.
10
Central to providing a quality early care and education experience for children
is a well-compensated, well-educated, and well-respected workforce. Studies
have found that teachers’ specialized knowledge about child development and
instruction for young children is particularly important.
11
A highly skilled, educated,
and compensated workforce is necessary for high-quality early education.
Professionalizing the early care and education eld reduces teacher vacancies and
turnover.
12
The long-term economic benet of children attending high-quality preschool programs
is well documented, particularly for children living in low-income households. These
“return on investment” studies differ on level of return depending on the population
served, length of the program, and quality enhancements. One of the most widely
studied programs is The Perry Preschool Program, a high-quality, half-day preschool
targeted to very low-income children. Evaluations of this program document that
the program returned seven dollars for every dollar invested.
13
Quality Care and Education
Focus Area:
69%
of children ages 0-5 in
San Mateo County, live
in families where all
parents work
81%
of kindergartners
attend preschool in the
year before entering
elementary school
____________________________________________________
8
American Community Survey, 2012-2016 5 year estimates. American Fact Finder, Retrieved from https://
factnder.census.gov/
9
2012 San Mateo County School Readiness Assessment, June 2013, SRI International, https://www.
siliconvalleycf.org/sites/default/les/publications/2012-silicon-valley-school-readiness-assessment.pdf
10
Reynolds, A.J. and Wolfe, B. (1997). School achievement, early intervention, and special education: New
Evidence from the Chicago Longitudinal Study. Focus 19, 3, 25-28. Available online at: www.worldbank.org/
children/why/18.htm
11
Bueno, M., Darling-Hammond, L., and Gonzales, D. Preparing Teachers for Pre-K: What Policymakers Should
Know and Be Able to Do (Washington, DC: Pre-K Now, 2008).
12
San Mateo County Teacher Compensation Study, Davis Consulting 2017
13
National Institute for Early Education Research. Economic benets of quality preschool education for
America’s 3- and 4- year olds. http://nieer.org/resources/facts/index.php?FastFactID=6
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
p.13
Quality Improvement:
In partnership with existing community efforts, support formal quality improvement frameworks in early
learning environments, and provide the services required to help providers and programs improve their
quality as measured by these frameworks. Such services may include: coaching/consultation, including
reective practice and consultation to support children with social-emotional needs or who are at risk for
expulsion and/or reduced hours; peer mentoring; program quality assessments; facility enhancements;
early learning provider training; and technical assistance. Recruiting, retaining, and educating the early
learning workforce is vital to creating and sustaining high-quality early learning programs.
Parents of children with special needs and parents of infants and toddlers consistently
report difculty nding appropriate child care settings for their children. According
to the 2017 San Mateo County Child Care Needs Assessment conducted by the Child
Care Partnership Council, only 60% of the demand for infant and toddler care can
be met with the available supply, and only 13% of the need for subsidized infant/
toddler care is met.
14
The 2014 assessment estimated that the parents of 1,956 children ages 0-5 with
identied special needs are looking for an early learning program that will enroll
their child. While the 2017 report did not provide a numerical estimate of the
number of children with special needs who are seeking child care, it noted that the
overall numbers of children served through the Golden Gate Regional Center and
school district special education programs is similar to what has been found in prior
assessments.
High-quality early learning programs can also provide an early identication process
to assess young children for special needs. Early interventions for children at high
risk can improve their social competence and cognitive abilities prior to school
entry.
15,16
These programs adapt to meet the needs and strengths of their students,
to ensure that students with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities can learn
some or all of the same lessons as other students.
In order to enroll their children in high-quality early learning programs, parents
must be able to nd understandable, user-friendly, reliable information about the
quality of specic programs. Under the collaborative leadership of First 5 San Mateo
County, San Mateo County Ofce of Education, and 4Cs of San Mateo County, San
Mateo County began its Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), which is
called Quality Counts San Mateo County.
Quality Counts San Mateo County supports the quality improvement efforts of early
learning programs to help make the care and education they provide even better.
It is part of a state and national movement to raise early learning quality. Quality
Counts rates early learning programs using statewide, evidence-based standards
for high quality care and education. The ratings help programs identify where they
want to improve; Quality Counts gives the programs helpful resources and training
based on their ratings. Quality Counts also gives parents information to help nd
and select the best early learning program for their child.
The strategies for investments listed below link to and build upon the foundation
of Quality Counts.
STRATEGIES FOR INVESTMENT
1
60%
of the demand for infant
and toddler care can be met
with the available supply
13%
of the need for subsidized
infant/toddler care is met
____________________________________________________
14
San Mateo County Child Care and Preschool Needs Assessment. (2017) Retrieved from http://www.smcoe.org/assets/les/learning-and-
leadership/child-care-partnershipcouncil/Needs%20Assessment%202017/CCPC_Full_Report_Needs_Assessment_11-17.pdf
15
Karoly, L., Greenwood , P.W., Everingham, S.S., Hoube, J., Kilburn, M.R., Rydell, C.P., Sanders, M. and Chiesa, J. (1998). Investing in Our
Children: What We Know and Don’t Know about the Costs and Benets of Early Childhood Education. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.
Available online at: www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR898.
16
Reynolds, A.J. and Wolfe, B. (1997). School achievement, early intervention, and special education: New evidence from the Chicago Longitudinal
Study. Focus 19, 3, 25-28. Available online at: www.worldbank.org/children/why/18.htm
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
p.14
Expand Access to Early Learning Settings/Environments
for Children with Special Needs:
Support families’ ability to access appropriate early learning experiences for their children with
special needs. Such efforts may include: enhanced referrals matching children with appropriate
placements, training and technical assistance to providers who enroll children with special needs,
and/or policy approaches supporting inclusion.
2
These indicators have community baseline
data and are impacted by many efforts and
agencies. The Commission will monitor the
following indicators to inform its work:
■ The percentage of children ages 3-5
who are enrolled in preschool prior to
Transitional Kindergarten/Kindergarten
entry
■ The available supply of infant and toddler
care relative to the need
■ The number/percent of early learning
programs that enroll and maintain
children 0-5 with special needs
■ The percentage of all early learning
programs participating in the QRIS
■ The percentage of children ages 3-5 who
are enrolled in quality preschool prior to
Transitional Kindergarten/Kindergarten
entry (note: availability of information
on the quality of programs is limited)
■ The percentage of early learning
programs that improve their overall
rating on the QRIS matrix
■ The percentage of families of children
with special needs and of infants/
toddlers reporting ability to access
appropriate early care for their children
These indicators will be measured by First
5 San Mateo County grantees, as applicable,
for participants in services:
Population-level Indicators:
Participant-level Indicators:
Children’s optimal health and development is inuenced by many factors, from the
environments in which children live and are cared for to their access and utilization
of preventive health services. F5SMC has a strong history of supporting collaborative
health efforts, particularly those that focus on prevention and early intervention.
Preventive health care can help minimize threats to healthy development and
provide early detection and intervention for problems that emerge.
17
In San Mateo
County, 98.5% of children are covered by health insurance (CHIS). Health coverage
and utilization of preventive care benets has been and continues to be an advocacy
priority for the First 5 San Mateo County Commission.
Given that there are limited resources to address the numerous important inputs that
impact health, F5SMC is intentionally focusing on three areas that are not adequately
supported in the current landscape of healthcare: oral health access and utilization,
integrated systems for children with special needs and their families, and enhanced
mental health systems.
Healthy Children
Focus Area:
____________________________________________________
17
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2007). A Science-Based Framework for Early Childhood
Policy: Using Evidence to Improve Outcomes in Learning, Behavior, and Health for Vulnerable Children. http://
www.developingchild.harvard.edu
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
p.15
Oral Health Access and Utilization
Tooth decay is the most common chronic condition for children in the United States.
Untreated decay can have negative implications for children’s development, including
problems with eating and speaking, as well as poor self-esteem. Additionally, dental
problems are one of the leading causes of school absenteeism, which is associated
with lower academic achievement.
18
Preventive dental visits for children save 10
times the cost of more invasive dental treatment and help to avoid the negative
physical, socio-emotional, and academic consequences of poor dental health.
19
One-third of California children are low income and subsequently qualify for Denti-
Cal. Children on Denti-Cal experience inadequate access to dental care. In 2016,
the Little Hoover Commission issued a scathing report detailing the reasons for the
poor utilization rates, including dismal reimbursement rates and the lack of providers
willing to accept the state insurance provision.
20
According to 2017 data from the
California Department of Health Care Services, only 41% of eligible children on Medi-
Cal ages 1-20 in San Mateo County received an annual dental visit in the year prior.
These rates differ signicantly from those of children with private insurance.
21
Denti-
Cal reimbursement rates, administration of the Medi-Cal dental provision, and higher
no-show rates are cited as signicant barriers for dental providers to accept Medi-Cal
patients.
22
41%
of eligible children on Medi-
Cal ages 1-20 in San Mateo
County received an annual
dental visit in the year prior
____________________________________________________
18
Research Brief. Chronic Health Conditions and Academic Achievement, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.
cdc.gov/healthyschools/chronic_conditions/pdfs/2017_02_15-CHC-and-Academic-Achievement_Final_508.pdf
19
Early Childhood Caries and the Impact of Current U.S. Medicaid Program: An Overview. March 2012 Retrieved
from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3312229/
20
Fixing Denti-Cal, Report #230, April 2016. Little Hoover Commission Retrieved from https://lhc.ca.gov/sites/
lhc.ca.gov/les/Reports/230/Report230.pdf
21
http://healthpolicy.ucla.edu.
23
Boyle CA, Boulet S, Schieve LA, et al. Trends in the prevalence of developmental disabilities in U.S. children,
1997–2008. Pediatrics 2011;127:1034–42.
24
Retrieved from http://helpmegrowca.org/index.php/resources/resources-and-references/
25
Source for FY 2017: Part C Early Intervention Numbers and Percentages 2016. Retrieved from https://
www2.ed.gov/programs/osepidea/618-data/static-tables/2016-2017/part-c/child-countand-settings/1617-
cchildcountandsettings-1.xlsx Citation Source for Part B Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative,
Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health, National Survey of Children with Special Health Care
Needs (Dec. 2012).downloaded from Kids Data: Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health: www.kidsdata.
org/topic/65/special-needs-specialeducation-participation
Integrated Systems for Children with Special Needs
and Their Families
Early identication and treatment of special needs during the rst ve years of life
is critical because this is the time when a child’s brain, body, and behavior are most
malleable. Early detection is critical for the 12 to 16 percent of all children in the U.S.
who experience developmental or behavioral problems.
23
Although developmental
delays pose risks for all children, delays that are prevalent among low-income
children are more likely to be missed. Although the national average for all children
to receive an autism diagnosis is four years of age, the average age of diagnosis for
low-income children varies by race, with white low-income children diagnosed on
average at six years of age, and their black and Latinx peers diagnosed at eight and
nine years, respectively.
24
In California, 70% of children with developmental delays
go undetected until kindergarten.
24
Undetected developmental problems in young
children may cause delays in acquiring speech and language, inability to maintain
relationships, and serious impediments to school learning.
of children with
developmental delays
go undetected until
kindergarten
70%
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
p.16
Screening for developmental delays using a validated tool has been shown to detect
credible concerns that are otherwise missed by primary care physicians and other
child-serving professionals who rely instead on surveillance methods. Although the
American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pediatricians implement universal
screening for their patients three times before a child’s third birthday, only 29% of
children in California receive timely developmental screenings.
25
California ranks 30th
among all 50 states for screening of infants and toddlers.
25
Early data in San Mateo
County mirror the statewide data, indicating that each year 4,000 children under age
six are not receiving critical early intervention services for which they may qualify.
25
Families and providers need support to understand and navigate the complex array
of community-based services and supports available to promote children’s optimal
health and wellness.
26
However, California ranks 46th in the nation on effective care
coordination for children with special health care needs, and families in our state are
more likely than families in every other state to cut back or stop working due to their
child’s condition.
27
____________________________________________________
26
Hughes, D. (2015). In their own words: Improving the care experience of families with children with special
health care needs. Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health & University of California, San Francisco.
Retrieved from: http://www.lpfch.org/publication/their-own-wordsimproving-care-experience-families-
children-special-health-care-needs
27
Data source: 2009/10 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs. Data Resource Center for
Child and Adolescent Health. www.childhealthdata.org
28
Center for Collective Wisdom. Trauma and Resiliency: A Systems Change Approach: Emerging Lessons and
Potential Strategies from the Los Angeles County Trauma and Resiliency-Informed Systems Change Initiative,
2017. https://www.rst5la.org/les/Trauma.pdf.
29
National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2013. http://www.nctsn.org/
30
“Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in
Adults,” published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 1998, Volume 14, pages 245–258
Enhanced Mental Health Systems
Trauma is increasingly recognized as a signicant contributing factor to overall health
and well-being. Trauma can affect individuals, families, and communities immediately
and long term, even over generations. It can have particularly negative developmental
impacts on young children.
28
When young children are exposed to trauma, they can
experience feelings of helplessness, uncertainty about whether there is continued
danger, and a general fear that extends beyond the traumatic event.
29
Trauma refers to the effects of an event, series of events, and/or ongoing circumstances
that are experienced as physically or emotionally harmful. For children, this can
include abuse and neglect, as well as living in a household affected by substance
abuse, mental illness, domestic violence, or incarceration. These conditions are often
also referred to as Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs. ACE scores are highly
correlated with future health outcomes and opportunities, including greater risk of
nearly every major disease or condition. People with high ACE scores are more likely
to die decades before their counterparts with lower ACE scores.
30
Given the increase of knowledge regarding the critical role that ACEs play in overall
health and well-being, equal attention is also being paid to the importance of child-
and family-facing services being mindful and attentive to trauma, a concept that
has been coined “trauma-informed.” Similarly, the recognition that systems that are
intended to serve children and families in supportive ways can often unintentionally
exacerbate the trauma of their clients has led to a new body of knowledge focused
on promoting “trauma-informed organizations.” This work encourages organizations
to recognize the importance of trauma and its impacts, plan and implement trauma-
informed practices at the organizational level, and adapt for the ongoing and evolving
needs of those they serve.
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
p.17
Oral Health Access and Utilization:
Partnerships to improve young children’s utilization of preventive oral health care and advocating
for policies and practices that increases dental utilization for children on Medi-Cal.
Early Mental Health Systems and Infrastructure
Enhancements:
Partnerships to support trauma- and resiliency-informed practices and policies in child- and family-
serving organizations.
Integrated Systems for Children with Special Needs and
their Families:
Bolster the continuum of care to identify and treat children with special needs, and the ongoing
efforts to address systemic issues that impact access to and quality of these services. Activities
may include: promoting universal social-emotional and developmental screening services for children
0-5; embedding screenings, assessments, and care coordination into pediatric clinics, early learning
settings, or family support services; and supporting linkages and timely access to care coordination,
assessment, and services for children and families requiring additional assistance.
STRATEGIES FOR INVESTMENT
1
3
2
These indicators have community baseline
data and are impacted by many efforts and
agencies. The Commission will monitor the
following indicators to inform its work:
■ The number and/or percentage of
children ages 0-5 who live in areas of
High Community Need, as dened by the
Community Collaboration for Children’s
Success Project.
■ Maintenance of universal or near-
universal health insurance rates for
children ages 0-5 (at or above 98.5% of
children 0-5 insured)
■ The number or capacity of dental
providers who serve children on public
insurance
■ The number or percentage of pediatric
health providers who provide access to
developmental screening as a part of
routine well-child visits
■ The percentage of children with the
appropriate number of well-child visits for
their age in the past 12 months, calculated
using the Academy of Pediatrics schedule
■ The percentage of children ages 1-5 who
have seen the dentist for a routine check-
up in the past year
■ The percentage of parents reporting
difculty accessing services for mental
health, developmental, or behavioral
concerns
These indicators will be measured by First 5
San Mateo County grantees, as applicable, for
participants in services:
Population-level Indicators:
Participant-level Indicators:
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
p.18
Secure, stable, and supportive relationships with caring adults signicantly contribute
to a child’s healthy brain development.
31
A loving and caring environment within the
parent-child relationship is associated with many positive outcomes including higher
self-esteem, increased communication, and fewer psychological and behavioral
problems.
32
Furthermore, lower levels of parenting stress may serve as a protective
factor of the social-emotional health of their children. The early childhood eld has
gained tremendous knowledge in recent years about the ways in which families should
be engaged in children’s healthy development. Strength-based approaches that
authentically afrm different cultures, languages, and family structures are accepted
by the eld as the best way to partner with families to achieve positive outcomes
for children. Research on family engagement has repeatedly demonstrated that the
majority of parents want the best for their children but may lack the knowledge and
resources to promote development in the critical early years.
Data gathered from First 5 San Mateo County’s research and evaluation efforts has
identied social isolation, especially during the infant and toddler years, as a common
struggle for parents. Between 2009 and 2015, more than one of every four parents
participating in F5SMC services reported a lack of social support. This mirrors one of
the key ndings of the 2013 Silicon Valley Parent Story Project, which found that 37%
of low-income families could not count on anyone in their neighborhood for help.
Similarly, 24% of high-needs families reported they did not have friends to help them
in their role as parents. Mothers’ or fathers’ groups can help parents network with
other parents from similar backgrounds. Effective parent support groups are led by
individuals who have similar life experiences and have a deep understanding of the
socio-cultural backgrounds of the group participants.
Families in greatest need of support, for example, parents with mental health or
substance abuse problems, parents experiencing domestic violence or incarceration,
and especially those dealing with more than one serious issue benet from focused
services that are targeted to their particular source of stress. The cumulative effects
of toxic stress can have damaging effects on learning, behavior, and health across the
lifespan. Supporting families with multiple stressors diminishes the effects of trauma
and promotes resilience by providing a more stable foundation for lifelong learning
and success.
Resilient Families
Focus Area:
____________________________________________________
31
Schorr, L. B., & Marchand, V. (2007). “Pathway for Children Ready for School and Succeeding at Third
Grade.” Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
32
Cox, M. Parent-child relationships. In M. Bornstein, L. Davidson, C. Keyes, and K. Moore (Eds.), Well-being:
positive development across the lifespan. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
37%
of low-income families
could not count
on anyone in their
neighborhood for help
24%
of high-needs families
reported they did not
have friends to help them
in their role as parents
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
p.19
It is critical that parents and caregivers feel able to nurture their child’s optimal
development, because positive home learning environments contribute signicantly
to children’s school achievement.
33
When parents act as their child’s advocate and
are involved in their child’s education, it is more likely that their child will have
increased school attendance and higher academic achievement.
34
Effectively
partnering with parents in promoting their child’s optimal development also results in
better lifelong outcomes and reduces costs to society for special education, welfare,
criminal justice, and health. By working with parents as equal partners in their child’s
healthy development, as well as acknowledging parents, schools, and communities
as collectively responsible for the success of children, we promote reciprocal
relationships that exponentially benet children.
Authentic family engagement is the shared responsibility of families, providers,
and communities to all collaborate in meaningful ways to support children’s
optimal development and learning. One barrier to family engagement for service
providers and early childhood educators is a lack of knowledge and/or skills to
effectively develop family engagement strategies. A key ingredient of effective
family engagement is developing the capacity of providers through professional
development.
35
A focus should be placed on building capacity of staff and families
in four keys areas: Capabilities (skills and knowledge), Connections (networks),
Cognition (beliefs, values), and Condence (self-efcacy). Service sector leaders
(i.e. executive directors, supervisors, and decision makers) must have a fundamental
understanding of early brain development and the parent-child relationship, as well
as an understanding of the importance of family engagement for child development.
This is critical to guard against decision makers implementing practices/approaches/
policies that unwittingly burden families and/or the family-serving system. Having
a fundamental understanding of child development is key to positively impacting
children. Without such knowledge and information, service providers will struggle to
reach children in a positive light.
36
____________________________________________________
33
Duncan, G.J. and Magnuson, K. (2003). Promoting health development of young children. In Sawhill, I. [ed.], One Percent for
the Kids: New Policies, Brighter Futures for America’s Children. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.
34
Caspe, M., Traub, F., and Little, P. (2002). Beyond the Head Count: Evaluating Family Involvement in Out-of-School
Time. Harvard Family Research Project. Cambridge, MA. http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/
resources/issuebrief4.html
35
Mapp and Kuttner. (2013) Partners in Education: A Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships.
Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/documents/family-community/partners-education.pdf
36
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
Intensive Support for Families with Multiple Risk Factors:
Provide ongoing, individualized, professional support to children and parents in families experiencing
multiple challenges, such as: homelessness, low income, domestic violence, incarceration, mental
illness, or substance abuse. Activities may include: home visiting, care coordination, case management,
family needs assessments, social-emotional screening, and therapeutic services, as well as wrap-
around services such as parent support/parent education groups.
STRATEGIES FOR INVESTMENT
1
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
p.20
Family Engagement Capacity Building:
Increase the understanding of early brain development, the parent-child relationship and culturally
responsive practices among service providers from sectors whose decisions affect family functioning,
and to promote the appropriate application of that knowledge within their work. Activities may
include: training and learning communities (Friday CAFEs – Community and Family Engagement) to
create a culture of awareness, learning and sharing; building the capacity of both service sector
leaders and direct service staff on early childhood development, adverse early childhood experiences,
the 5 Protective Factors, and related subjects; systematized data sharing; and promotion of family-
centric practices. Target service sectors include: child- and family-serving organizations.
Parent Connectivity:
Support informal or semi-formal social networks to promote parental resilience and reduce social
isolation. Activities may include: mothers’ or fathers’ groups; paraprofessional- or peer-led support
groups; social media networking opportunities; father involvement efforts; family cafés; father cafés;
developmental playgroups; and partnering with parents to identify parent leaders who understand
and share knowledge about attachment and early child development among their peers.
3
2
These indicators have community baseline
data and are impacted by many efforts and
agencies. The Commission will monitor the
following indicators to inform its work:
■ The percentage of children ages 0-5
reunied with their families within 12
months of entering out-of-home care
■ The percentage of children ages 0-5 re-
entering the child welfare system
■ The percentage of parents who regularly
read, sing, and/or count with their
children ages 0-5
■ Increase in percentage of parents who
report feeling connected to a support
network
■ The number and/or severity of risk factors
reported by parents, such as inadequate
food, inadequate housing, depression,
domestic violence, and substance abuse
■ The percentage of parents reporting that
they are able to access the services their
family needs
■ The percentage of parents who report
feeling connected to a support network
■ The percentage of parents reporting
condence in their ability to nurture their
children and support their development
■ The percentage of parents who regularly
read, sing, and/or count with their children
ages 0-5
These indicators will be measured by First 5
San Mateo County grantees, as applicable, for
participants in services:
Population-level Indicators:
Participant-level Indicators:
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
p.21
Accountability and Evaluation
First 5 San Mateo County Commissioners are responsible for ensuring that First 5 funds are used as voters
intended when the California Children and Families First Act (Proposition 10) was passed in 1998. Commissioners
work with First 5 staff to create and implement internal policies and procedures in order to help guide
decision-making that is both consistent with the law and that respects and honors families with young children.
In addition, Commissioners serve on committees such as: Finance & Administration; Program, Operations, &
Planning; and Evaluation. Committee work facilitates in-depth discussions on internal and external activities
and responsibilities. Reports from committee meetings are a part of each Commission meeting.
Organizations that receive First 5 San Mateo County funds report nancial, program, and evaluation data
in order to ensure contractual compliance. The scal reporting structure of the First 5 San Mateo County
Commission was developed in accordance with the First 5 Financial Management Guide. This guide is a result
of a cooperative project of the First 5 Association, First 5 California, and the Government Finance Ofcers
Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). Each year, F5SMC reports nancial and program data to
First 5 California for inclusion in the statewide Annual Report. In addition, F5SMC completes a comprehensive
external audit annually. Together, these measures serve to ensure the public that Proposition 10 funds are
being used as they were intended.
Evaluation
Starting in 2009, First 5 San Mateo County used a comprehensive evaluation approach to track its impact and
identify effective strategies for achieving its desired outcomes using common indicators and data collection
protocols across funded partners. The comprehensive evaluation has provided the Commission with a more
complete picture of the families and providers we serve, and the benets they gain from F5SMC-funded
programs. For example, among families who received home visiting or care coordination services:
80% lived in households with annual incomes of
less than $30,000
69%
of parents had a high
school education or less
66%
of parents read to their
children at least 3 times
per week
78%
were Latinx, and
70% spoke primarily
Spanish
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
p.22
57%
44%
of children were
breastfed for at least
six months
of children ages 1-5 had
never been to the dentist
35%
35%
of the children had
developmental concerns
identied at screening,
and 12% had been
diagnosed with a
developmental disability
of children had two or
more hours of screen
time per day
51%
25%
of parents worried
about inadequate
housing
of parents needed help
with their sadness or
depression
While F5SMC is continuing common data collection for clients who participate in intensive services through
our funded programs, different types of data collection may be required as we shift towards partnership,
policy, and systems-level interventions. Collective impact models of community change require common data
collection and data sharing procedures. Such efforts require that all partners build deeper connections to
align, share, and use the data we collect on behalf of the children and families we serve. Regional, statewide,
or national efforts typically have their own data collection and evaluation requirements, which we must
map onto our local efforts. Work conducted through cross-agency, cross-sector collaborations also requires
specialized evaluation to assess the changing nature of relationships between organizations and how those
relationships improve systems’ abilities to support high-quality service delivery as well as client outcomes.
Status of Young Children Countywide
In addition to evaluating the impact of its funded programs, F5SMC has an interest in tracking the overall status
of the young children and families of San Mateo County. Partnering with local and regional funders to collect
and analyze information about the status of young children allows all those who care about the wellbeing of our
youngest residents to monitor trends, identify emerging issues, and inform program and policy development.
To further these ends, the Commission will continue to partner with other funders in support of countywide
research projects such as school readiness assessments, parent surveys, or service participation analyses.
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
p.23
Conclusion
It is with tremendous gratitude for our fellow investors, leaders, and partners that F5SMC celebrates its
contribution to the increased well-being of children ages birth through ve and their parents in our County. It is
also satisfying that as Proposition 10’s funding has decreased, the impact of First 5 continues to be signicant.
F5SMC’s pivot from primarily serving as a direct-service grant maker to a strategic investor, leader, and partner
has set up its enduring relevance and the championing of young children for years to come. Now at its 20-year
anniversary as an organization, the maturation of F5SMC, its leadership, and community partners facilitated
the ability to rethink the strategies used to make the most impact. Rather than perceiving the funding decline
as a scal cliff from which one should recoil, it was embraced as an opportunity to seek out new opportunities
for leverage and signicance. This creative and opportunity-based approach has yielded profound impact for
young children and their families, and reinvigorated F5SMC as a community investor, partner, and leader.
First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan 2020-2025
p.24
First 5 San Mateo County Commissioners
First 5 San Mateo County Sta
Kitty Lopez, Executive Director
Michelle Blakely, MA, Program and Planning Director
Khanh Chau, MBA, CPA, Fiscal Management Analyst
Myra Cruz, Administrative Secretary III
Jenifer Clark, Research and Evaluation Program Specialist
Karen Pisani, Family Support Program Specialist
Emily Roberts, MSW, MPH, Child Health and Development Program Specialist
Mai Le, MPH, Program Associate III
Mey Winata, Fiscal Ofce Specialist
Acknowledgements
The Commission would like to thank and acknowledge:
■ Community members and leaders who took part in the strategic planning process. The time,
expertise, and insight provided by our community partners were invaluable and played a signicant
role in shaping the focus and direction of the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan
■ First 5 San Mateo County strategic planning ad-hoc members which includes the following
Commissioners: Pam Frisella, Louise Rogers, Nicole Pollack, and Michael Garb
■ First 5 San Mateo County staff for their thoughtful and tireless work, and dedication to San Mateo
County’s youngest children and families
■ VIVA Strategy + Communications for their wise counsel and facilitation of the strategic planning.
rst5sanmateo.org
Commissioners Who Adopted the Strategic Plan
Pam Frisella, Public Member, Commission Chair
Louise Rogers, Chief, San Mateo County Health, Commission Vice-Chair
Anne E. Campbell, County Superintendent of Schools
David J. Canepa, Board of Supervisors
Nicole Pollack, Director, San Mateo County Human Services Agency
Michael Garb, Public Member
Rosanne Foust, Public Member
Neel Patel, M.D., Public Member
Sandra Phillips-Sved, Public Member
2020 Current Commissioners
Louise Rogers, Chief, San Mateo County Health, Commission Chair
Sandra Phillips-Sved, Public Member, Commission Vice-Chair
Nancy Magee, County Superintendent of Schools
David J. Canepa, Board of Supervisors
Ken Cole, Director, San Mateo County Human Services Agency
Alexis Becerra, Public Member
Rosanne Foust, Public Member
Pam Frisella, Public Member
Neel Patel, M.D., Public Member
