First 5 LA is pleased to share the Pathway to Progress report which acts as the baseline for assessing progress on the implementation of our 2020-2028 Strategic Plan. As such, the indicators presented in this report are forward-looking, providing critical information to guide our work in the years to come.

This inaugural edition will coincide with the first three years of our Strategic Plan implementation. Among the Report’s goals are to establish a baseline for assessing our progress towards the results for children and families identified in the Strategic Plan; to build our knowledge on current conditions children and families face; and, to identify and address gaps in our work to improve conditions for young children and their families in Los Angeles County.

The Report’s population-level data and subgroup data, where available, will bring the disparities more clearly into view – revealing inroads being made and real struggles being experienced by our county’s young children and their families.

By raising important questions about why certain things are happening and what we can do to change them, we are compelled to dig into the key metrics of child and family well-being, including disaggregated data, to help us examine and better understand the systemic issues that are holding inequitable conditions and outcomes in place and to identify what First 5 LA’s contribution can be to strengthen child- and family-serving systems.

Together with our partners, we will work to build momentum where we see progress and implement real and lasting change where we see gaps. Complicating this work is the dramatic impact that the global coronavirus pandemic is having on many families with young children. It is important to note that the data in this report reflect “pre-COVID-19” conditions; the “post-COVID-19” context is likely to look markedly different. Going forward, the impact of the pandemic on the data will increase the challenge of measuring the progress made on improving conditions for children and families.

For questions about the report, please email in*************@******la.org.

Download (PDF): Pathways to Progress: Indicators of Young Child Well-Being in Los Angeles County




Creating Healthy Beginnings for Transgender Parents and Their Children

Creating Healthy Beginnings for Transgender Parents and Their Children

By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer August 24, 2026 In observance of Transgender History Month, First 5 LA is shining a spotlight on transgender parents who are working to build the best possible future for their families. Even in today's difficult sociopolitical...

What Freedom Looks Like: Celebrating Juneteenth in Los Angeles

What Freedom Looks Like: Celebrating Juneteenth in Los Angeles

By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer June 15, 2026 When freedom rings, not everyone hears it at the same time. Sometimes, the distance is too great for them to hear. At other times, the sound of freedom gets lost in the din, drowned out by the noise of others. When...

Translate