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News & Resources
Why Trauma-informed Care Is Needed in Los Angeles County
By Kim Belshé and Robert K. Ross, M.D.When Jake was a child, his parents would scream at him every day. They told him everything he did was wrong and he was worthless. One day when Jake was 4, his father threw him against the wall three times.It was not until his...
Early Childhood Matters – Issue 3
Early Childhood Matters Provides Monthly In-Depth Features, Latest News on Giving Kids the Best Start
First 5 LA Announces 2016 Legislative Agenda
Board Chair Calls Advocacy Efforts Critical to Achieving Policy and Systems Change to Benefit ChildrenLOS ANGELES– As part of its mission to ensure that young children in Los Angeles County get the best start in life, First 5 LA today announced its 2016 State...
Trauma-Informed Systems Change
Why the Early Years Matter What happens to our youngest children today will impact all of us tomorrow. When we dedicate attention and resources to children at the earliest stages of their lives, we are laying the foundation for our community’s social and economic...
First 5 LA Names Christina Altmayer as Vice President of Programs and Carl Gayden as Senior Director of Administration
LOS ANGELES – First 5 LA, a leading public grantmaking and child advocacy organization, today named Christina Altmayer as Vice President of Programs and Carl Gayden as Senior Director of Administration. The Vice President of Programs is part of a five-member Executive...
Focus On: Trauma-Informed Care
Research reveals that exposure to trauma in childhood is associated with many long-term issues into adulthood, including anxiety, depression and PTSD, as well as chronic health conditions such as asthma, heart disease and diabetes. But there is hope. Esta Soler,...
Commission Summary for March 10, 2016 Board Meeting
These Commission Summaries are intended to provide highlights of the First 5 LA Board of Commissioners’ actions to advance the outcome areas of First 5 LA’s 2015-2020 Strategic Plan. At the March 10 Commission meeting, highlights include extension of the Early...
When Digital Divides
Amberlyn Garrubba was consumed. At mealtime with her husband and three children under 5 years old, the Palmdale mother sometimes served their dinner cold. She spent half the night awake and five hours a day posting thoughts and ideas on social media. She scheduled her...
Success Story: Program Identifies, Helps Kids with Developmental Delays
When her son Johnny was just a toddler, Natalie noticed that he was experiencing behavioral difficulties. “At 3-years-old, I’d take him to the park to play but he wouldn't play or socialize with other children. He’d throw sand at them. I’d tell him not to do that but...
