First 5 Sonoma County
Strategic Plan & Measure I

Shaping the future of Sonoma County’s children

Nos complace presentar el Plan Estratégico 2026–2031 de First 5 Sonoma County. 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 Medida 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.

Este plan refleja nuestras prioridades y nuestros valores: actuar con integridad, administrar responsablemente los recursos públicos y continuar guiándonos por las voces de las familias, los proveedores de servicios y nuestros socios comunitarios. Juntos, garantizaremos que cada niño y cada niña del condado de Sonoma tenga el mejor comienzo posible en la vida.

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

Cronograma de implementación de la Medida I

Los plazos para la implementación de la Medida I están establecidos por una ordenanza local.

Agosto de 2025

Elaborar recomendaciones preliminares para invertir en la salud de la niñez

September 2025

Implementación de las inversiones iniciales de la Medida I para el año fiscal 2025–2026

Noviembre de 2025

Audiencias públicas de la Comisión de First 5 Sonoma County sobre el Plan Estratégico Quinquenal 2026–2031, que incluirá las metas y la asignación de fondos de la Medida I

Diciembre de 2025

Audiencias públicas y aprobación, por parte de la Comisión de First 5 Sonoma County, del Plan Estratégico Quinquenal 2026–2031, que incluirá las metas y la asignación de fondos de la Medida I

Enero–junio de 2026

Aprobación del plan quinquenal por parte de la Junta de Supervisores del Condado de Sonoma. Proceso de contratación y otorgamiento de subvenciones para la distribución de fondos.

Julio de 2026

Lanzamiento del Plan Estratégico Quinquenal 2026–2031 de First 5 Sonoma County

Puede encontrar todas las reuniones del Consejo Asesor Comunitario (CAC) y de la Comisión aquí: aquí