First 5 California was created by voters under Proposition 10 to recognize that children's health and education are a top priority, especially in the early years of development.

Research shows that critical brain growth and other developmental milestones take place during the earliest years of a child's life. Making those years count is what First 5 California is all about. Our focus is to educate parents and caregivers about the important role they play in their children's first years.

Our public health campaign, “Talk.Read.Sing. has educated millions of people on the power of words, music, and books on early brain development. The science has confirmed what our hearts have always known, interacting with our babies from the day they are born sets them on a path for success in the future.

Since 1998, we have invested millions of dollars to design comprehensive programs that address the needs of children ages 0 to 5 and their families. Currently, our programs are centered around the child, parent, and teacher to improve early childhood outcomes in the areas of health and nutrition, early literacy and language development, quality child care, and smoking cessation.

We work with our First 5 counties and other statewide partners to make sure our programs are reaching the children and families that need it most to ensure they enter school healthy and ready to learn.

Our promise is to continue to invest in services and programs that directly benefit children and families, and to advocate for a sustainable early education system for future generations.