First 5 LA Government Affairs Team Goes to SacramentoApril 4, 2008 |
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 As state lawmakers settle into committee hearings addressing California's various budget woes, children's advocates from across the state descend daily on the Capitol steps to meet with legislators in the hopes of staving off the governor's proposed budget cuts, which many believe will severely affect the state's children. To this effect, First 5 LA's Government Affairs team, led by Evelyn Aleman and Robert Ennis, has also participated in a variety of advocacy and informative meetings with members of the Los Angeles delegation.Since January, the team has met with members of both houses and key staff to talk about the importance of continued funding to education and health care services for children, while also informing them about First 5 programs that help the state alleviate some of the budgetary tension. The messages often surprise to those unfamiliar with the efficacy and innovation through which health, safety, and educational services are delivered to some of the state's neediest populations. Among its messages, the First 5 LA team stresses the uniqueness of First 5 Commissions in that they are localized and meet the specific and immediate needs of local communities. The commissions fill gaps in the current safety net for children, meeting critical health, safety and school readiness needs of California's young children at home, and in the counties where they live. They strengthen families by operating at the grass-roots community level, assessing and meeting family needs by pulling together existing public, private and non-profit resources and creating new resources where necessary — all in an effort to fortify positive ties between parents and children so that kids grow up healthy, safe and ready to learn. More importantly, First 5 Commissions focus on the needs of young children because we know that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Effectively addressing health and learning problems early in a child's life will save tax payer money down the road because the child will be healthier and ready to achieve success in school. The First 5 message is one of hope and excitement for our future, and one that we will continue to carry to the rest of our leadership in Sacramento. |
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