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First 5 Santa Clara County reports $25.2 million in FY23–24 spending, launches new strategic initiatives
Summary
First 5 Santa Clara County told the CSFC it spent $25.2 million on programs in FY2023–24, served tens of thousands of children and caregivers, and is shifting its strategy to a new ‘Stronger System, Stronger Families’ initiative while piloting a baby bonds program and approving a $1 million emergency fund for families affected by federal policy.
First 5 Santa Clara County said it spent $25,200,000 on programs in fiscal year 2023–24 and supported 66,719 children and 155,811 parents and caregivers, Executive Director Jennifer Kelleher Cloyd told the Countys Children, Seniors and Family Committee on March 27.
The presentation, led by Kelleher Cloyd and three executive staff, summarized First 5s required FY23–24 community report and previewed work under a new strategic plan. "This is the final data from the final fiscal year of our last strategic plan," Kelleher Cloyd said. "We are now in year 1 of our new strategic plan." Heidi Emberling, First 5s executive for community impact, said the FY2324 investment was allocated across family strengthening, child development and child health programs.
Why it matters: First 5 is the countys primary local funder focused on children 06 and their families; its revenue and spending decisions affect early childhood services, home visiting, and place-based family supports.
Key findings and initiatives - Spending and reach: First 5 reported $25.2 million in program spending in FY2324 and listed demographic breakdowns: about 46% of children served identify as Hispanic/Latino and 24% as Asian. Emberling said family intake forms show the top family concerns are paying bills, food, housing and access to health care. - Child development and workforce: First 5 staff said kindergarten readiness remains lower following COVID and highlighted shortages of infant-toddler child care. The agency said it is strengthening the child-care workforce through apprenticeship programs and a shared-services alliance; staff reported 83 graduates of an associate teacher apprenticeship and 31 currently enrolled in a teacher apprenticeship. - Home visiting and health screening: First 5 said its home visiting collaborative engaged 14 programs across eight agencies and 88 home visitors, serving about 3,300 children. The agency said it is expanding developmental and physical health screening efforts. - New strategic direction: First 5 launched a "Stronger System, Stronger Families" initiative that funds 22 organizations working on place-based resource centers and system-change efforts. "We cannot do stuff in silos," Trina Hudson Davis, executive for early learning and care strategies, said, describing a learning collaborative among funded partners. - Anti-poverty pilots: First 5 approved a $500,000 investment in Destination: Homes basic income pilot for families experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and reported work to develop a baby-bonds pilot intended to build long-term assets for infants born into homelessness (program logistics and eligibility are still under development). - Emergency allocation: The First 5 commission approved an immediate allocation of $1,000,000 to support priority populations affected by recent federal policy changes, including mixed-status families and those at risk of homelessness. First 5 staff said the funding will be used for emergency family preparedness, rapid-response funds and supports for frontline providers. - Revenue pressures: The presentation noted a long-term decline in Proposition 10 tobacco-tax revenue and attribution to the 2022 flavor ban; staff said grant revenue and county partnerships have helped offset some declines.
Public comment and board questions Public commenters raised concerns about data presentation and asked for clearer baselines to show unmet need in the county. Paul Sotto, who identified himself as an advocate, urged First 5 to publish need estimates alongside service counts so the public can see service gaps.
Committee members asked about the transition from the Family Resource Center model and about specific sites that closed. Kelleher Cloyd and staff said the Family Resource Center initiative concluded June 30 and that First 5 transitioned providers through an RFP; the agency said it reduced funded sites from about 26 to 19 with additional funding from the Board of Supervisors and SSA helping sustain some centers.
Ending: First 5 said it will continue to brief the county on implementation of the new strategic plan and the design of the baby-bonds pilot and emergency funding program. The presentation materials and the FY2324 community report are available on First 5 Santa Clara Countys website, the agency said.
