First 5 San Diego Invests Nearly $49 Million for More Than 88,000 San Diegans

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SAN DIEGO – Dec. 5, 2013 – First 5 San Diego released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2012-13 Annual Report, sharing key achievements and the significant impact of the Commission’s investments on the lives of children ages zero through five in San Diego County.

With an investment of $48.6 million in direct services for more than 88,000 children, parents and providers, First 5 San Diego provided nearly one in four children ages zero through five with access to health care, developmental checkups and services, dental care, quality preschool and early education programs, obesity prevention and family support services.

“The report shows the Commission’s commitment to maximizing the return on investment of these precious dollars,” said Supervisor Ron Roberts, First 5 Commission of San Diego 2013 Chair.

Organized by four program areas, highlights of the report include:

Health – First 5 San Diego programs provided developmental and behavioral screenings to over 24,000 children; of those, nearly 9,000 received treatments. First 5 San Diego helped enroll or re-enroll nearly 15,000 children and pregnant women in health care plans. Over 30,000 children and pregnant women received oral health screenings and provided treatment to over 20,000 children and pregnant women.

Learning – First 5 San Diego completed the first year of the Quality Preschool Initiative, providing quality preschool to more than 11,000 children and professional development to nearly 2,500 early childhood education teachers. Nearly 90% of participating quality preschool classrooms achieved a top quality ranking.

Family – First 5 San Diego provided nearly 20,000 families with care coordination services and provided parent education services to more than 5,500 parents and caregivers.

Community – First 5 San Diego sponsored or participated in community events that reached nearly 82,000 families, distributed nearly 34,000 Kits for New Parents to parents in San Diego County, launched a community awareness campaign of which elements were seen 57.6 million times, and provided more than 98,000 health and social service referrals for families.

“We are incredibly proud of our accomplishments,” said Kim Medeiros, First 5 San Diego Executive Director. “We will continue to pursue opportunities that prepare San Diego’s youngest children for an improved quality of life, and for achieving our vision that all children are healthy, are loved and nurtured, and enter school as active learners.”

To view the First 5 Commission of San Diego FY 2012-13 Annual Report, visit www.first5sandiego.org/files/AnnualEvalReport2013.pdf. To find out more about First 5 San Diego, visit www.first5sandiego.org.

About the First 5 Commission of San Diego

The first five years of life are critical to a child’s development. These years shape a child’s success in school and in life. First 5 San Diego helps parents and others help children during these early years. The Commission leads the greater San Diego community in promoting the vital importance of the first five years of life to the health and well-being of children, families and society. The ultimate goal of the Commission’s work is that all children ages zero through five are healthy, loved and nurtured, and enter school as active learners. Learn more at www.first5sandiego.org or call toll-free 1 (888) 5 FIRST 5.