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First 5 LA Distributes Half Million "Kits" to Los Angeles County Families

April 12, 2005
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Los Angeles – First 5 LA in partnership with Child Development Media (CDM) announced today the delivery of the 500,000th Kit for New Parents to one of Los Angeles County's new parents. This accomplishment was a collaborative effort of more than 2,000 health, education, and social service agencies that distribute the
Kit to more than 150,000 families in LA County each year.

"This is an exciting day for First 5 LA. We've distributed a half million Kits in the last three years," adds Evelyn V. Martinez, Executive Director, First 5 LA. "We hope to distribute another half million Kits in the coming years."

CDM, which distributes the Kit for First 5 LA, will host two Kit training conferences, "Ideas: Out of the Box," for parent and family educators. The events, which are set for April 13 and April 16 at the New Otani Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, will showcase the Kit's effectiveness as a parent education tool. Originally developed by First 5 California, the Kit is a valuable resource of educational materials for new parents addressing everything from the importance of a loving relationship with a new baby to school readiness.

Kit for New Parents

The Kit for New Parents provides educational materials based on cutting-edge early child development research and includes six videos addressing early childhood and school readiness. The videos additionally focus on such issues as the importance of a loving relationship with a newborn, health and nutrition, finding quality childcare, discipline, early literacy and child safety.

As First 5 LA's strategic partner, CDM will distribute the Kits to agencies working with families in LA County, however Kits are available in most Los Angeles neighborhoods through prenatal programs, birthing hospitals, childcare programs, Early Start and Head Start, home visitation programs, pediatric offices and health clinics.

"The Kit has proven to be a significant parent-education tool," states Margie Wagner, President of CDM. "I believe providers who distribute the Kit to new and expecting parents can make a difference in those families' lives."

First 5 LA Kits are currently available in both English and Spanish. Accompanying Tip Sheets are available for families who speak Armenian, Cambodian, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Laotian, Russian or Vietnamese. For a free Kit, families are encouraged to call (800) 543-7025 English and (800) 506-4667 Spanish.

First 5 LA was established following a voter-passed initiative in November 1998, and uses tobacco tax revenue to fund education, health, child abuse prevention, child care and other programs intended to promote early childhood development for expectant parents and children through age 5.