Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget builds upon the robust leadership he and the Legislature demonstrated last year to prioritize young children. Once again, we see the Governor prioritizing a comprehensive approach to give our youngest children the best start in life.

We commend the Governor for both thinking about which programs to prioritize and how to administer these programs so families get what they need when they need it.

The Governor’s proposal to establish a Department of Early Childhood Development offers the promise of focusing attention on the comprehensive needs of children from birth to five, improving access to needed child and family strengthening services, improving administrative efficiency, and increasing accountability.

First 5 LA looks forward to working with the Administration and Legislature to make services more integrated and accessible for families over time through this new department. Specifically, to include other programs administered by the California Health and Human Services Agency that are critical to children’s broader developmental needs, including early identification and early intervention programs.




Child & Family Progress Project Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

POSTING DATE: AUGUST 20, 2025 DUE DATE: SEPTEMBER 11, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time (PT) ELIGIBLE PROPOSERS Proposers must meet the following minimum requirement(s): The selected organization must have a minimum of five (5) years of experience designing and executing...

First 5 LA August Board Meeting: Navigating the Shifting Landscape

First 5 LA August Board Meeting: Navigating the Shifting Landscape

By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer August 19, 2025 First 5 LA’s Board of Commissioners met on August 14, 2025, for an information-only session centered on the urgency of planning for the future in the midst of a rapidly changing policy landscape. Commissioners heard...

First 5 LA August Board Meeting: Navigating the Shifting Landscape

First 5 LA Board Approves Budget for FY 2025-26

By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer August 5, 2025 First 5 LA's Board of Commissioners convened in person for its monthly meeting on June 12, 2025. Highlights of the meeting included the approval of the FY 2025-26 Budget and Long-Term Fiscal Plan, as well as several...

An Absolute Equality: Celebrating Juneteenth

An Absolute Equality: Celebrating Juneteenth

By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer June 10, 2025 Nine hundred days. That's how long the dream of freedom was deferred for the enslaved Black people of Galveston, Texas. Although President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, it...

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