Description
The Children FIRST Initiative is a three-year, $10,000,000 investment designed to address the urgent and unique needs of children ages 0-5 in immigrant, refugee, asylum-seeking, and mixed-status families. The selected partner will be responsible for developing and managing the statewide infrastructure of the Children FIRST Initiative, establishing communication channels, creating a central hub for existing resources, tools, and services, and providing administrative and programmatic support. The initiative aims to ensure that all children, including those in immigrant and mixed-status families, receive the resources they need to thrive. Key objectives include establishing a comprehensive, statewide system to identify and make accessible all existing resources and services, elevating community voices and concerns, and building a statewide immigration guidance team and trauma-informed infrastructure.
• The initiative will provide consistent, expert-informed support to families with children 0-5, local First 5 commissions, partners, and organizations serving the population across all 58 counties.
• The selected partner will be responsible for managing and coordinating the efforts, positioning First 5 California as a trusted leader and partner in advancing equity, protecting children, and strengthening families across California.
• The initiative will build a trauma-informed, healing-centered, and culturally responsive infrastructure designed to support immigrant, refugee, asylum-seeking, and mixed-status families, ensuring equitable access to safe, stable, and nurturing environments that foster healthy child development.