2024-2025 Annual Report
Background and Purpose
The First 5 Lake County Children and Families Commission (herein referred to as “First 5 Lake” or the “Commission”) is required to submit an annual audit and report pursuant to Section 130150 of the California Children and Families Act and in accordance with Senate Bill 35 (Chapter 243, Statutes of 2005). The First 5 California Annual Report (AR) contains three sections:
AR-1 County Revenue and Expenditure Summary
The County Revenue and Expenditure Summary form (AR-1) captures First 5 county commissions fiscal data showing the relationship between financial resources and services. The fiscal data must be consistent with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and each commission’s audited financial statements. The following outlines the requirements for completing the AR-1:
• All Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24 funds received by the commission and recognized as revenue in the audited financial statements.
• All FY 2023-24 expenditures or encumbrances, regardless of funding source, for a commission-run program or an externally run program.
• The population served (children, primary caregivers, providers), regardless of funding source, for a commission-run program or an external run program. To the extent possible, counts of children, primary caregivers, and providers should be unduplicated at the level of the Grantee Type.
AR-2 County Service Demographic Worksheet
The purpose of the County Demographic Worksheet (AR-2) is to capture demographic information about the population served by each First 5 commission at the county level. The following outlines the requirements for completing the AR-2:
• Provide unduplicated counts of populations served within the county including breakdowns by population categories, race/ethnicity, and primary language spoken in the home.
• To the extent possible, counts of persons served should be unduplicated for AR-2. County commissions should aggregate number of persons served across Results/Services/Grantee Types reported in AR-1 to complete the Demographic Worksheet. Because duplicated counts are allowed in the AR-1, the total number of persons for demographic data reported in the AR-2 should be the same or less than the number of persons reported in the AR-1.
AR-3 County Evaluation Summary and Highlights
This section provides a standardized format for each county commission to submit information about evaluation activities completed and findings reported in its Annual Evaluation Report or other evaluations conducted during the fiscal year focusing on all four Result Areas: Family Functioning, Improved Child Development, Improved Child Health, and Improved Systems of Care. County highlights describing accomplishments during
the fiscal year also are reported and will be published in F5CA’s Annual Report. The following outlines the requirements for completing the AR-3:
• Evaluation Activities Completed, Findings, and Policy Impact: Provide a description of evaluation activities completed, evaluation findings, and their policy impact during the fiscal year. These activities should focus on all four Result Areas
• County Highlights: Provide two or three highlights or accomplishments that occurred during the fiscal year.
• SPCFA Annual Performance Report (APR): Counties that receive SPCFA grant funds will enter their narrative responses to prompts in this section.
The following pages contain information that is necessary for submission to First 5 California as an element of the Annual Reporting process. Only information that is gathered as a component of evaluation efforts are provided in this document. For a more comprehensive report of all items submitted for AR reporting purposes, please contact First 5 Lake.
AR-1 County Revenue and Expenditure Summary
Adventist Health Transportation
Service Category: General Family Support
Grantee Type: Hospital/Health Plan
Program Model: Local Model
Imagination Library
Result Area Type: Improved Family Functioning
Service Category: Family Literacy and Book Programs
Grantee Type: County Office of Education
Program Model: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Children Less Than 3 years old
Children From 3rd to 6th Birthday
Children Age Unknown (Birth – 6th Birthday)
Primary
and Other Family Members
Revenue Source: SPCFA & Prop 10
SVBPI Motherhood & Fatherhood is Sacred
Mother-Wise Car Seat Safety Program
Grantee
Home Visiting Technical Assistance (TA)
Grantee
Perinatal Mental Health Program
AR-2 County Service Demographic Worksheet
The county does not have systems to capture unduplicated
across programs. The evaluation analyzed the population served by each program with the degree of overlap between programs and developed the estimates in the AR-2. Given that, we believe the actual unduplicated counts are with 25% of the counts provided on the AR-2, meaning the actual unduplicated counts may be higher or lower.
AR-3 County Evaluation Summary and Highlights
Provide a description of evaluation activities completed, evaluation findings, and their policy impact during the fiscal year. If findings are published, provide the citation and web link (if available online). These activities should focus on all four Result Areas: Improved Family Functioning, Improved Child Development, Improved Child Health, and Improved Systems of Care. Include evaluations of prior year programs conducted during the current fiscal year. (6,000 characters maximum)
Evaluation Activities Completed
In FY 2024–2025, the First 5 Lake County Children and Families Commission (the Commission) worked collaboratively with its funded partners to complete a comprehensive analysis of program data, assess progress toward strategic priorities, and prepare all required local and state evaluation reports. Evaluation activities during this period included:
• Collecting and analyzing data from funded partners across all four First 5 Result Areas: Improved Family Functioning, Improved Child Development, Improved Child Health, and Improved Systems of Care.
• Completion of the Local Evaluation Report for FY 2024–2025.
• Completion of First 5 California Annual Reporting requirements.
• Ongoing technical assistance for funded partners to strengthen data quality and outcome measurement.
• Continued alignment of the evaluation framework with the new First 5 Lake Strategic Plan (2024–2029) to ensure measurable outcomes and consistency across all investments.
During FY 2024–2025, Proposition 10 revenues accounted for 51% of total funding received. The remaining 49% was generated through grants, including the Small Population County Funding Augmentation (SPCFA), which continues to play a vital role in supporting data-driven evaluation, capacity building, and systems coordination throughout Lake County.
Evaluation Findings
Evaluation activities in FY 2024–2025 demonstrated continued progress in achieving meaningful outcomes for young children and families in Lake County. Data collected through funded partners show that First 5 Lake investments are reaching families with the highest needs and helping to strengthen the systems that support them.
Highlights include:
• Funded programs offering parent education, home visiting, and family resource support reported positive outcomes in caregiver confidence, parenting skills, and access to community resources. Families participating in these programs demonstrated strengthened family resilience and increased connections to needed services.
• The Imagination Library continued to promote early literacy and school readiness, with growing family participation and strong feedback from caregivers about improved reading habits at home. Collaboration through the Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Mixed Delivery workgroup has enhanced coordination among early learning providers, ensuring that more children enter kindergarten ready to succeed.
• The Car Seat Safety Program and Breastfeeding Coalition initiatives continued to promote the health and safety of infants and young children. Families reported greater awareness of car seat safety standards, safe sleep practices, and breastfeeding resources. These initiatives reflect First 5 Lake’s strong commitment to preventive health and early intervention.
• The Home Visiting Collaborative strengthened coordination among local agencies, establishing shared goals and a collective framework for family outreach and referrals. Cross-sector collaboration continues to enhance service delivery, reduce duplication, and ensure families receive timely, integrated support.
Together, these efforts demonstrate the collective impact of First 5 Lake’s strategic investments and partnerships, ensuring that families with young children have access to comprehensive, high-quality supports across Lake County.
Policy Impact
Evaluation findings from FY 2024–2025 are actively informing local decision-making, guiding strategic investments, and shaping systems-level initiatives designed to improve outcomes for children and families. Key policy impacts include:
• Evaluation findings are being used to guide implementation of the First 5 Lake 2024–2029 Strategic Plan, ensuring that all investments are intentional, equitable, and focused on measurable outcomes across the four Result Areas.
• Insights from the evaluation have strengthened alignment among early learning, home visiting, health, and family support programs, advancing Lake County’s early childhood system of care.
• Partners and the Commission are increasingly using data to inform funding decisions, identify community needs, and prioritize equity within program delivery.
• Through continued collaboration and evaluation support, grantee partners are building greater capacity to collect, analyze, and use data to improve program outcomes and share results with the community.
• First 5 Lake continues to adopt participatory evaluation strategies that engage community partners in shaping evaluation priorities, identifying lessons learned, and celebrating shared successes. Through these coordinated efforts, First 5 Lake continues to lead countywide initiatives that build strong families, promote healthy child development, and strengthen the systems that serve young children and their caregivers.
Describe two or three highlights or accomplishments during the fiscal year. Examples may include efforts to address family resilience, health and development, quality early learning, sustainability, and scale, or handling a community crisis. (4,000 characters maximum)
In FY 2024–2025, the First 5 Lake County achieved several notable milestones that strengthened local systems of care, enhanced family resilience, and advanced equitable opportunities for young children and their families. These accomplishments reflect the Commission’s ongoing commitment to maximizing impact through collaboration, sustainability, and data-informed decision-making.
During FY 2024–2025, Proposition 10 revenues accounted for 51% of the total funding received by the Commission. The remaining 49% was generated through grants, including the Small Population County Funding Augmentation (SPCFA) and other competitive funding opportunities. The Commission strategically used its Proposition 10 allocations to leverage additional funding, expanding local capacity and sustainability across multiple program areas. This leveraged approach ensures that every First 5 Lake investment not only supports direct services but also strengthens partnerships and systems that benefit Lake County’s youngest children and their families well into the future.
First 5 Lake continued to play a central role in cross-sector collaboration and systems integration. The Home Visiting Collaborative maintained strong momentum, meeting monthly to align partner goals, share best practices, and improve referral pathways for families. This coordinated effort has enhanced service accessibility, reduced duplication, and built a shared framework for evaluating family outcomes.
Through its funded partners, First 5 Lake continued to promote family resilience and child well-being by supporting programs focused on parenting education, child development, and early intervention. Families participating in these programs reported increased confidence in parenting skills, stronger connections to community supports, and greater awareness of child health and safety practices. Efforts led through the Lake County Breastfeeding Coalition and Car Seat Safety Program further reinforced preventive health and safety, ensuring families have access to accurate information, training, and resources.
Another key accomplishment during this fiscal year was the continued improvement of data collection and evaluation capacity among funded partners. First 5 Lake provided technical assistance to strengthen reporting practices and support a shared understanding of how local efforts contribute to countywide outcomes. This ongoing work allows the Commission and its partners to make data-informed decisions, demonstrate measurable impact, and continuously refine strategies to meet the needs of Lake County’s youngest residents.
Through these coordinated achievements, First 5 Lake continues to serve as a catalyst for innovation, collaboration, and sustainability ensuring that every investment builds a stronger foundation for children and families today and for generations to come.
Small Population County Funding Augmentation (SPCFA) counties are required to submit an Annual Performance Report (APR) as part of the SPCFA grant reporting requirements. The purpose of the APR is to provide First 5 California (F5CA) with a summary of SPCFA-specific program accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, strategies used to overcome those challenges, and use of resources to inform future funding opportunities and allocations.
1. Please summarize SPCFA-specific program accomplishments this FY. (2000 character max)
In FY 2024–2025, the Small Population County Funding Augmentation (SPCFA) played an essential role in sustaining and enhancing all First 5 Lake County programs. SPCFA funding allowed the Commission to maintain comprehensive services that support families, promote healthy child development, and strengthen local systems of care.
Through SPCFA support, First 5 Lake continued to advance measurable outcomes across the First 5 Result Areas Improved Family Functioning, Improved Child Development, Improved Child Health, and Improved Systems of Care. Notable accomplishments include:
• Imagination Library: Continued countywide access to free, high-quality books delivered monthly to children from birth to age five, promoting early literacy, family engagement, and school readiness.
• Car Seat Safety Program: Expanded outreach and education for families and caregivers, ensuring children travel safely through proper car seat installation and increased awareness of child passenger safety standards.
• Parenting Programs: Ongoing support for parent education and family resource programs that strengthened caregiver confidence, enhanced parenting skills, and connected families to needed community supports.
In addition to supporting direct services, SPCFA funding enabled First 5 Lake to enhance data collection, provide technical assistance to grantee partners, and ensure alignment with the Commission’s strategic priorities. This integrated use of SPCFA resources allowed First 5 Lake to sustain high-quality, evidenceinformed programs that build family resilience and promote positive outcomes for Lake County’s youngest children.
2. Please describe how SPCFA funding was used to assist with recovery from the effects of COVID-19 this FY. (2000 character max)
During FY 2024–2025, SPCFA funding remained vital in supporting Lake County’s continued recovery from the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds allowed First 5 Lake to sustain essential early childhood programs and strengthen systems that address the ongoing social, emotional, and economic challenges facing families with young children.
SPCFA support enabled the Commission to maintain universal access to the Imagination Library, ensuring children could continue to build early literacy skills at home while strengthening family engagement around reading. The Car Seat Safety Program continued to meet community needs by providing both education and equipment to families, helping reduce barriers to safe transportation that were heightened during and after the pandemic.
Additionally, SPCFA funding allowed First 5 Lake to invest in parenting education and family support programs that promote positive parent-child relationships and build family resilience. These programs have been instrumental in helping families rebuild social connections and access community resources key elements in restoring family stability and well-being after the disruptions of the pandemic.
Beyond direct services, SPCFA resources contributed to ongoing systems coordination efforts, ensuring that families could navigate supports efficiently and that partners across sectors continued collaborating to improve outcomes for young children. Together, these efforts reflect First 5 Lake’s commitment to fostering community recovery and resilience through sustainable, equitable early childhood investments.
3. Please describe how SPCFA-funded projects were aligned with other state and locally funded efforts this FY. (2000 character max)
During FY 2024–2025, SPCFA funding enabled First 5 Lake to align local initiatives with broader state and county priorities, ensuring coordinated investments that maximize impact for families with young children. All SPCFA-funded programs were implemented in concert with existing systems of care and statewide First 5 goals to strengthen families, promote healthy development, and enhance service integration.
SPCFA-supported programs such as the Imagination Library, Car Seat Safety Program, and parenting education initiatives—were strategically aligned with First 5 California’s Framework for Children and Families,
emphasizing prevention, early intervention, and family resilience. Locally, these programs complemented efforts led by Lake County Public Health, Behavioral Health Services, and the Department of Social Services, creating seamless connections for families to access multiple supports.
Through active participation in cross-sector collaboratives, including the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health program, the Lake County Breastfeeding Coalition, and other collaborations, First 5 Lake ensured SPCFA-funded activities supported collective goals around child safety, health equity, and parent engagement.
By intentionally aligning SPCFA-funded work with countywide initiatives and state-level strategies, First 5 Lake maximized resources, avoided duplication, and advanced sustainable systems change. This integrated approach continues to ensure that every dollar invested through SPCFA strengthens the overall network of care for Lake County’s youngest children and their families.
