ABOUT FIRST 5 MONTEREY COUNTY

First 5 Monterey County supports community partnerships and programs that enhance the lives of children, from the prenatal stages through age 5, and their families.  

First 5 Monterey County, also known as, the Monterey County Children and Families Commission, is the decision making board that meets regularly to both establish and oversee direction and funding allocations.

First 5 Monterey County funds programs in four areas of desired outcomes:

• Improved Child Development
• Improved Child Health
• Improved Family Functioning
• Improved Systems for Children and Families

First 5 Monterey County seeks to achieve those outcomes via the implementation of it core strategies to serve as: 

• A community partner working to support collaborative efforts on behalf of children, families, and communities;
• A catalyst, convener and facilitator to promote innovative thinking, promising practices, policy development, community capacity and common goals and objectives;
• A public educator providing community members with timely information and advocacy for children from the prenatal stage through age 5 and their families;
• A grant maker and funding resource to assist with the creation of effective programs/service systems that promote early childhood development and to build sustainable programs and systems through leveraging public and private dollars.

First 5 Monterey County allocates approximately $5 million dollars a year to support local agencies and programs working with young children and their families.  Funding recipients are chosen and renewed through an application and evaluation process.  For more information on how First 5 Monterey County funds programs and its currently funded programs, click here.

First 5 Monterey County values community participation and partnership and is helping community service providers make the shift in thinking and approach from "working with clients" to "partnering with leaders."  For more information on the Commisions Guiding Principles, please click here.  For more information on our community engagement approach, please click here.