About this Website
This website is for any agency or organization that serves California infants, toddlers or preschoolers, or their families:
- Local First 5 County Commissions
- State, local and private organizations
- Health agencies and healthcare providers
- Early childhood and child care providers
- Preschools and kindergartens
- Child welfare agencies
- Food programs and WIC sites
- Other agencies that serve young children
The goal of this website is to increase the number of California infants, toddlers and preschoolers who get regular developmental checkups – and, when needed, speedy and effective intervention – by providing practical, user-friendly information to people across the many sectors and agencies who can make a difference.
This website has been developed as part of a larger First 5 Association effort funded by The California Endowment with support from First 5 California to help California create an effective, accessible and fully coordinated early childhood mental health system to identify and serve children 0 to 5 with mental health issues. By identifying the systemic barriers to and solutions for the delivery and funding of mental health services for children from birth to age five and their families.
The First 5 Early Childhood Mental Health Project brochure (PDF format, 2.4MB) offers new strategies to achieve a seamless and integrated early childhood mental health system in California.
Content for the website was developed in collaboration with the California Statewide Screening Collaborative. The California Statewide Screening Collaborative is supported throgh facilitation and technical assistance provided by First 5 California, the California Department of Public Health - Maternal, Child and Asolescent Health Program, and the WestEd Center for Prevention and Early Intervention.
The First 5 Association and the Statewide Screening Collaborative acknowledge the input of many organizations and individuals to the development of this website, including content drafted by a subcommittee led by Margaret Dunkle, Senior Fellow at the Department of Health Policy of the George Washington University and Director of the Early Identification and Intervention Collaborative for Los Angeles County.
