Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) caregivers provide trusted, flexible, and culturally responsive care for many families in Los Angeles County. This report examines the challenges FFN caregivers face, highlights early lessons from the Thriving Providers Project, and...
Los Angeles, CA (May 19, 2026) - First 5 LA President and CEO, Karla Pleitéz Howell released the following statement in response to the FY26-27 California state budget May Revision released by Governor Newsom on May 14: “The revised budget falls short of addressing...
Asian American. Native Hawaiian. Pacific Islander. Three collective identities that encompass a constellation of languages, cultures and traditions. Different histories, different experiences. Yet bound together by a vision for a better future. This May is Asian...
By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer March 2, 2026 "Perhaps you are thinking, how does this affect me? What can I do about these things? And I say to you that, every day you live, you make some impact on the world and you can choose what sort of impact you make.” --...
By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer February 26, 2026 First 5 LA’s Board of Commissioners convened in person on February 12 for its first meeting of 2026. Highlights include the annual election of officers, updates on Governor Newsom's new budget plan, a presentation...
By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer February 26, 2026 “Movies may affect people’s lives. But they don’t have the long-lasting, profound effect of a home-visit program.” Rob Reiner (LA Times, 2002) Rob Reiner was an early childhood advocate as much as he was a...
By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer February 26, 2026 It's the first morning of the BlackECE Symposium, and poet Micah Bournes has the stage. The audience — ECE professionals, policymakers, researchers, advocates and more — listen quietly as Bournes speaks with...
By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer February 2, 2026 "There is no more powerful force than a people steeped in history. And there is no higher cause than honoring our struggle and ancestors by remembering." - Lonnie Bunch, historian On February 7, 1926, Dr. Carter...
Los Angeles, CA (January 14, 2026) - First 5 LA President and CEO, Karla Pleitéz Howell released the following statement in response to the proposed FY26-27 California state budget by Governor Newsom: “We applaud Governor Newsom’s proposal to maintain and implement...
December 16, 2025 (Los Angeles, CA) – First 5 LA extends heartfelt sympathies to the Reiner family and to all those affected by the passing of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner. Rob Reiner was known to millions as a TV actor, film director and...
