First 5 Sonoma County
Strategic Plan & Measure I

Shaping the future of Sonoma County’s children

We are pleased to share the First 5 Sonoma County 2026–2031 Strategic Plan. This plan builds on our long history of supporting children and families while responding to a rapidly changing landscape. A key opportunity in this new plan is Measure I. Thanks to the strong support of Sonoma County voters in November 2024, we now have a sustainable local funding stream to expand access to child care, early education, pediatric care, and perinatal mental health services. 

Alongside ongoing revenue, Measure I enables bold, coordinated investments. Still, we recognize that resources are limited, and we must balance long-term systems change with responsiveness to urgent needs. Throughout this work, our commitment to equity remains unwavering. Guided by our Framework on Diversity, Equity, Belonging, and Anti-Racism, we will continue to design with and for those furthest from opportunity, because when systems work for those on the margins, they work better for everyone.

This plan reflects our priorities and our values: to lead with integrity, steward public resources responsibly, and remain guided by the voices of families, providers, and partners. Together, we will ensure every child in Sonoma County has the strongest possible start in life.

First 5 Sonoma County Foundational Principles

The Foundational Principles & Frameworks First 5 Sonoma County is guided by core beliefs about what young children and families need to thrive. These beliefs reflect early childhood research and the lived experiences of parents and caregivers in our community. They emphasize prevention and early intervention, address structural inequities, and recognize the critical importance of a child’s earliest years.
Responsive Pyramid
Parents and caregivers are a child’s first and most important teachers, and their voices are essential to the design and planning of services that their children receive.
The best investment of resources is in proven and community-informed approaches to early prevention and intervention.
To address structural gaps in opportunity due to racial and economic inequities, some First 5 Sonoma County 2026–2031 Strategic Plan 10 children and families need more resources to eliminate barriers and to target root causes.
A child’s first two years, including the prenatal phase, provide the greatest opportunity to maximize the critical and long-lasting impact on a child’s developing brain.
The entire community benefits from optimal child development.

The Role of First 5 Sonoma County

First 5 Sonoma County continues to refine its role to respond to external conditions and to strategically advance the development of a vibrant system for children 0-5 and their families, serving as a catalyst, collaborator, capacity builder and policy advocate. Our role includes:

Incubating, evaluating, scaling, and sustaining effective strategies through robust internal capacity, braiding and leveraging of public funding streams and investments in community-based programs and services.

Engaging parents, caregivers, providers and other stakeholders in understanding the needs of families and young children and the design of solutions to systemic barriers.

Investing in improvement, integration and innovation of systems that impact family functioning and child development, including health care, child welfare, and ECE.

Leading & engaging in equity-centered, collaborative efforts to ensure all children develop optimally and are ready for kindergarten, especially those who are farthest from opportunity.

Advocating for and informing local, state, and federal legislation and policy that supports the well-being of children, 0-5, their parents and caregivers and the child and family-serving field.

First 5 Sonoma County Strategic Planning Timeline

Measure I Implementation Timeline

Timeframes for the implementation of Measure I are required by local ordinance

August 2025

Draft recommendations for investments in children's health

September 2025

Implementation of Measure I FY25-26 early investments

November 2025

First 5 Sonoma County Commission Public Hearings on 5-Year Strategic Plan 2026-2031 (to include Measure I goals and funding allocations)

December 2025

First 5 Sonoma County Commission Public Hearings on and approval of 5-Year Strategic Plan 2026-2031 (to include Measure I goals and funding allocations)

January-June 2026

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approval of the 5- year plan. Procurement of grants and contracts for disbursement of funding

July 2026

Launch of the 5-Year First 5 Sonoma County Strategic Plan 2026-2031

All CAC and Commission Meetings can be found here