First 5 Humboldt’s executive director Mary Anne Hansen presented the commission’s 2024–25 community report to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors on March 18, telling supervisors that playgroups, developmental screenings and new partnerships continue to serve families while the agency’s core tobacco-tax revenue has declined sharply over time.

Hansen said the county’s playgroup network ran 23 playgroup sites last year with more than 1,000 registered caregivers and more than 1,500 children attending; in total First 5-supported programs logged about 15,000 child visits across the year. The commission is also launching a local Help Me Grow access point and a “Welcome Baby” nurse home-visit partnership with local health providers.

Why it matters: First 5 staff emphasized two connected realities: the programs see sustained community demand in rural and urban areas alike, and the county allocation derived from cigarette/tobacco-related revenue has fallen substantially. Hansen told the board that First 5 revenue has dropped by more than 60% since the program’s inception and by roughly 30% over the last three years, forcing the commission to reassess grant support and reduce next fiscal year playgroup funding in some communities.

The board and First 5 commissioners said they will prioritize playgroups in areas with the fewest alternative supports. Hansen urged supervisors to help amplify requests to state legislators for stable early-childhood funding. She closed her presentation with an appeal to long-term thinking about children’s well-being, saying, “tomorrow starts today,” when describing the value of early investments.

Board action: The board voted 5–0 to receive and file First 5 Humboldt’s annual community report and thanked commission members and staff for the work. Supervisors emphasized the importance of sustained advocacy at the state level to replace declining tobacco-tax revenues with predictable funding streams.

What’s next: First 5 will implement budget adjustments next fiscal year, prioritize playgroups according to commission-developed criteria (favoring communities with few alternatives), and roll out Help Me Grow Humboldt and the Welcome Baby nurse-visit partnership pending final contract signatures.