The Link Advocates, Governments, Families, and Parks Initiative (Link)
The Link Advocates, Governments, Families, and Parks initiative (Link) is working to create a model for collaborative engagement of residents, advocates and government partners to build healthier communities for children and families by engaging meaningfully in a community-driven planning process that lays the foundation for local infrastructure funding.
The Link model supports community-led organizations in building civic and planning capacity to access funding for parks and other forms of public infrastructure in a way that addresses the priorities of residents and families in the communities where it’s needed the most.
For years, parents and residents in the First 5 LA’s Best Start communities have elevated concerns that the lack of investment in the built environment – the human-made elements where families live, work, and play – affects early childhood development, learning and family well-being, especially their physical and mental health and social connection, particularly for families that are socially isolated.
As communities have been working to address these issues, there was a simultaneous shift in the financial and political context in Los Angeles County as it relates to the built environment. Unprecedented public will and investments emerged due to the 2016 passage of Measures A (parks/open space) and M (transportation/mobility) as well as a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors 2017 motion to address food insecurity – the culmination of which has led to a transformative moment for L.A. County.
In response to this moment, the Los Angeles Funders’ Collaborative, made up of 12 funders including First 5 LA, commissioned the “Measures Matter” report written by the University of Southern California Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (now known as the USC Equity Research Institute). The report identified a key barrier to expanding open space in low-income neighborhoods as a lack of capacity amongst government agencies and community-based organizations as well as a lack of inclusion of residents in the decision-making process. This result of this has been resource distribution to wealthier areas rather than lower-income areas, which directly impacts the health and well-being of kids who do not have access to parks and open spaces as a result of their zip code.
To enact the strategies outlined in the report, First 5 LA, following a motion from the Board of Commissioners in July of 2019, established a strategic partnership with Resources Legacy Fund (RLF) to form the Link Advocates, Governments, Families, and Parks initiative (Link). The Link initiative was modeled after a successful collaboration to advocate for improvements in Zamora Park in the City of El Monte between members of Best Start El Monte/South El Monte, Trust for Public Land (a nonprofit park developer), and El Monte city officials. The project resulted in funding from The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, $3.7 million grant from the California Natural Resources Agency, and $2.3 million in federal Community Development Block funds obtained by the city.
1. Build capacity in under-invested communities to leverage funding.
Link is partnering with four communities that are within the 14 Best Start communities. This will allow Link to pilot various aspects of the program including the creation of multi-sector partnerships and multi-benefit projects.
2. Ensure that parents and residents have a voice in decision-making and that the funding meets the needs of children and families.
Link partners are collaborating with parents and residents in the Best Start communities to develop a Community Park Plan. This plan will outline the community’s priorities for park and open space, ensuring that the leveraged funding responds to their needs.
3. Partner with L.A. County Regional Parks and Open Space District (RPOSD) to integrate Link into the TAP program for Measure A.
First 5 LA has partnered with RPOSD who oversees the distribution of Measure A funding. As part of this, RPOSD is developing a Technical Assistance Program (TAP) to help municipalities and nonprofits apply for funding. RPOSD is using Link as a potential model for the TAP program.
Initially, the Link model is being advanced in four of First 5 LA’s Best Start Communities. These communities have an activated group of residents working on policy, systems and environmental changes to benefit families with children ages prenatal to five. The first Link pilot sites include:
San Gabriel Valley, City of El Monte
Community Partners: Active SGV and Trust for Public Land
South East Los Angeles, Cities of Cudahy and Maywood
Community Partners: Communities for a Better Environment and Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust
San Fernando Valley, Panorama City
Community Partners:
Pacoima Beautiful and the City of Los Angeles
Broadway-Manchester
Community Partners:
Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, T.R.U.S.T. South LA, and Community Coalition
In addition to launching these pilot sites, the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation will evaluate how the Link process works and identify lessons learned to apply to Link’s expansion. Link is also working closely with key stakeholders that are providing in-kind resources including the Los Angeles Regional Parks and Open Space District, Enterprise Community Partners and The Water Foundation.
Resources Legacy Fund (RLF) and The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation –– in partnership with First 5 LA –– have committed resources to advance Link. Under the partnership, RLF contributes to and administers a pooled fund that provides grants and contracts to support community-based organizations, technical assistance providers, and program evaluators to deliver on the vision of Link.
BECOME A PARTNER:
Through these kinds of partnerships, Link funders have the opportunity to improve the lives and public health of millions of people by creating parks, encouraging exercise, reducing pollution, and establishing spaces that welcome all Angelenos to safely enjoy a moment in the outdoors. Link is seeking financial contributions from other funders to increase and enhance the reach of the initiative.
Find out more about becoming a philanthropic partner: jg*******@******la.org
RELATED READING AND REPORTS:
First 5 LA: Pathway To Progress: Indicators of Young Child Well-Being in L.A. County
Measures Matter: Ensuring Equitable Implementation of Los Angeles County Measures M & A
RELATED STORIES:
Keeping Cool and Staying Fit in Palmdale
The sound of children playing drowned out the quiet roar of the air conditioning this weekend at the Palmdale Learning Plaza auditorium.The Get Up, Get Fit Palmdale event, planned by the more than 25 parents and leaders who participate in the Best Start Palmdale Communications Workgroup, provided many ways for children to move their bodies, from jumping rope to hula hooping, dancing to...
First 5 LA Listens and Learns from Best Start Communities
Members of the Best Start East LA Advisory Committee share ideas with Kim Belshé.In an effort to dig into the key questions about the strategies, results and ways to measure progress in Best Start, First 5 LA’s senior leadership team has journeyed to seven locations throughout Los Angeles County for meetings with members of all 14 of the Best Start community partnerships.First 5 LA Executive...
Video: Walking Tour and Resource Fair Attracts Hundreds in Watts
Video: Walking Tour and Resource Fair Attracts Hundreds in Watts On Saturday, May 18, 2013, Best Start Watts-Willowbrook hosted a Resource Fair at Ted Watkins Park in Watts that attracted more than 500 residents. The event started at 9:00 a.m. with a walking tour of several local community organizations, beginning at the Watts Labor and Community Action Committee. The tour concluded at Ted...
Video: Community Resources on Display in Broadway-Manchester
Video: Community Resources on Display in Broadway-Manchester The First Annual Broadway-Manchester Gathering of Community Resources and Partners had a successful turnout with over 100 people in attendance, including several dozen representatives from local organizations. The event, which was sponsored by Best Start Broadway-Manchester, Watts Learning Center and CDI Head Start, was an effort to...
IN RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT OBAMA’S BUDGET PROPOSAL STATEMENT FROM FIRST 5 LA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KIM BELSHÉ
We commend President Obama for recognizing the value of preschool for young children and welcome federal leadership and resources to expand quality early learning opportunities for young children.The President's proposal to increase access to Early Head Start, home visitation services for at-risk families, and preschool is an important affirmation of the educational, social and economic benefits...
Potter the Otter Makes a Splash at Drew CDC Event
The Best Start Watts-Willowbrook booth was a big hit at the Resource and Information Fair last month where nearly 400 community residents and children gathered to learn about free and low-cost resources in the area. The focus of the day was literacy and school readiness, and the Best Start Watts-Willowbrook volunteers were happy to see children crowd around their booth to get a copy of the book...
Feria de Salud Unites Community
Tiny hands passed out books and brochures earlier this month as the children of volunteers for Best Start Panorama City & Neighbors did their part to promote an active and healthy lifestyle at the Feria de Salud (Health Fair) in Panorama City. Donning Best Start t-shirts to match their parents, the children wanted to make a difference in the lives of their peers —adding to the sense of community...
Video: Best Start East Los Angeles Hosts Play Day at Obregon Park
Why are Play Days so important? Watch as the Best Start East Los Angeles Community answers that question while enjoying a Play Day in Obregon Park on March 16, 2013. The event drew more than 200 people from the surrounding community to participate in more than a dozen activities aimed at increasing awareness of the importance of healthy eating and physical activity for children 0-5 and their...
What’s In the President’s Universal Preschool Plan?
President Obama sent a clear signal about the importance of early childhood education when he announced a proposal to make universal preschool available to all children nationwide. The plan includes a series of new investments intended as the foundation for a continuum of high-quality early learning for a child - beginning at birth and continuing to age 5. "Every dollar we invest in high-quality...
KIM BELSHE, FORMER SECRETARY OF CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY, SELECTED TO LEAD FIRST 5 LA
LOS ANGELES--------Kim Belshe has been named the new Executive Director of First 5 LA. Belshe, a veteran public administrator and nationally-recognized policy expert, will join the agency in early November. Belshe served as the Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency under Governor Schwarzenegger from 2003 to 2011. She was a member of the Governor's cabinet and his chief...
