By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer
March 27, 2025
First 5 LA’s Board of Commissioners Meeting was convened on March 13. The meeting focused primarily on First 5 LA’s Prevention First Initiative, one of the four key initiatives through which the organization will implement its 2024-2029 Strategic Plan.
L.A. County Supervisor and First 5 LA Board Chair Holly J. Mitchell opened the meeting by expressing her appreciation for her fellow Commissioners’ continued commitment to L.A. County’s children as First 5 LA continues its work.
“Our new Strategic Plan is going to be our North Star to help guide the work of the Commission and help guide the work of the staff of First 5 LA,” Mitchell continued. “It really is going to serve as a model and a beacon of inspiration to others across the county and country who are doing this work.”
Mitchell also noted that she will be representing First 5 LA on the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) Child Care Working Group, where she will work alongside county supervisors and policymakers statewide to address the gaps in California’s child care system and identify advocacy and partnership opportunities. She added that, in her new role as chair of CSAC’s Health and Human Services Committee, she plans to elevate early childhood issues at the state level.
During her report, First 5 LA President & CEO Karla Pleitéz Howell provided the Commission with an overview of the federal policy landscape, the agency’s role in fire recovery efforts, and the implementation of the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan. With significant funding at risk due to federal priorities, Pleitéz Howell outlined the potential consequences of a federal shutdown, including cuts to Medicaid, early learning programs, and immigrant protections. She noted that federal instability is already affecting families, as fear of deportation has led some immigrant households to self-separate. Despite these challenges, she reaffirmed First 5 LA’s commitment to equity and advocacy.
“If we see injustice anywhere,” she stated, “it means that we have to protect justice everywhere.”
Turning to the recent Los Angeles wildfires, Pleitéz Howell shared findings from a Red Cross survey, which confirmed that housing remains the greatest unmet need for displaced families. She stressed the importance of coordinating resources for long-term recovery, ensuring that low-income families and communities of color are not left behind.
In closing, Pleitéz Howell reiterated the importance of keeping the Strategic Plan front and center, noting the relevance of the upcoming presentation on Prevention First, an initiative aimed at addressing housing instability, economic security, and family well-being.
“We worked hard on a strategic plan that says we have to focus on root causes,” Pleitéz Howell said. “Today’s discussion will share ways that we are being innovative on that front.”
More information can be found here.
The Board next heard from Vice President of Community Engagement & Policy Aurea Montes-Rodriguez and Senior Policy Strategist Ofelia Medina. The two shared an overview of recently introduced state and federal legislation key policy proposals related to early childhood programs, including Medi-Cal, SNAP, early care and education (ECE), and housing affordability. First 5 LA is reviewing legislation over the next month to determine the organization’s position. At the federal level, the team is monitoring the annual Appropriations process as well as several bills that focus on extending the child tax credit, expanding the child care workforce, and protecting immigrant families.
“The federal context is very interconnected to what happens at the state and what happens here in LA County,” said Montes-Rodriguez. “We are particularly focused on how the decisions are impacting children under five and their families.”
Montes-Rodriguez also provided an update on First 5 LA’s advocacy activities, with a state Advocacy Day slated for April 28. To learn more about the legislation First 5 LA is reviewing, read the presentation here.
The meeting then shifted to the topic of the Prevention First Initiative, which is one of the four initiatives through which First 5 LA will implement the 2024-29 Strategic Plan. First 5 LA Executive Vice President of Family Systems & Human Resources John Wagner opened the presentation by explaining that the initiative centers family strengths to address poverty and housing insecurity.
“Rather than recreate what other experts are doing,” Wagner said, “we wanted to find out where there were policy and advocacy opportunities, especially to advocate for families with young children and where those opportunities might arise.”
As part of the presentation, several guest speakers discussed specific interventions already underway in Los Angeles County:
Tamara N. Hunter, Interim Executive Director of the L.A. County Prevention & Promotion Systems Governing Committee, discussed potential opportunities for coordination through L.A. County’s Prevention and Promotion Services Governance Committee, which focuses its work on three areas: Behavioral Health, Homelessness and Housing, and Child Welfare and Family Well-Being. Opportunities highlighted: Strengthening food security screening and linkages to resources through natural touchpoints for families; increasing utilization of the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program.
Shashi Hanuman, Executive Director of the Public Law Interest Project, discussed targeting data and research to build a family housing policy agenda. She explained that tenant protections and housing assistance programs are essential to any effective prevention strategy, as housing precarity often leads to increased reliance on social services. Opportunities highlighted: Leveraging home visiting programs to connect resources to loss of housing; supporting universal basic income programs; continued advocacy for families with young children; and more.
Abigail Marquez, General Manager of the City of Los Angeles Community Investment for Families Department, provided an overview of the City’s guaranteed basic income program, referred to as Big: Leap.
Aaron Strauss, Senior Program Manager at the City of Los Angeles Community Investment for Families Department, shared case studies demonstrating the impact of Big: Leap. For instance, parents in the program were found to be significantly more likely to maintain enrichment and extracurricular activities for kids. Opportunities highlighted: Income programs targeting specific populations, policy and advocacy in support of basic income programs.
Kristina Meza, Executive Director of the Poverty Alleviation, Policy Implementation & Alignment Branch, closed the presentation by linking economic stability to prevention efforts. She shared insights from a pilot program that combines financial assistance with job training, helping young parents increase their economic security.
The Board expressed its support for the Prevention First initiative and agreed to explore additional funding opportunities and policy recommendations that could enhance prevention efforts. More information can be found in the Prevention First presentation available here.
The Board took the following actions during the meeting:
Approval of Mid-Year Budget Revisions: The Board approved proposed revisions to First 5 LA’s FY 2024-25 Budget that was passed last year. The mid-year adjustments, which were presented during last month’s meeting, resulted in a cost-neutral reallocation of funds within the existing $91.7 million budget. For more details, click here.
The next Board meeting, scheduled for May 8, 2025, will focus on Initiative 3 (Maternal & Child Well-Being) of the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan. Board meeting materials will be available please 72 hours in advance of the meeting date at www.first5la.org/our-board/meeting-materials.
