First 5 Yolo Fact Sheet

• Since the passage of Proposition 10 in 1998, a 50-cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes has supported statewide and local programs for early childhood development. The goals of Proposition 10 include childcare, school readiness, good health, parent support, accessible services and integrated social systems for children ages 0-5 and their families. To implement these efforts locally, the Yolo County Children and Families Commission was created. The Commission is now known as First 5 Yolo.
• First 5 Yolo is governed by a local board. The Commission consists of five community members appointed by their district supervisors as well as a representative from the Yolo County Board of Supervisors and each of the following county agencies: Office of Education, Health Department and Department of Employment and Social Services.
• First 5 Yolo has identified four priority areas of focus: the Access to Quality Healthcare Initiative, the Access to Child Care and Early Education Initiative, the School Readiness Initiative and Community Engagement.
• First 5 Yolo contributes $625,000 per year in support of the Yolo Children's Health Initiative, including Healthy Kids, the health insurance product designed to provide coverage for children of families earning up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level, regardless of immigration status.
• First 5 Yolo and First 5 California together have committed to contributing more than a million dollars to UP 4 WS. This universal preschool program offers West Sacramento 4-year-olds free, voluntary, quality preschool classes. The program begins gradually with the 2006 school year and plans to serve all West Sacramento 4-year-olds by 2016.
• In 2002, First 5 Yolo set aside $2,500,000 to fund the Access to Child Care and Early Education Initiative for a five-year period (2003-2008).
• The School Readiness Initiative is funded by a dollar-for-dollar match of state commission funds in combination with local resources. By mandate, First 5 Yolo must focus initial efforts on schools that scored in the lowest three deciles of the 1999 Academic Performance Index. Washington Unified and Woodland Joint Unified meet this criterion. The School Readiness Initiative funds on-site parenting classes, family literacy programs, summer kinder camp programs, health assessment fairs and home-visiting/case-management services in those districts.
• First 5 Yolo revised its 10-year sustainability plan in October 2004. This long-range planning strategy is updated annually and provides a stable funding allocation approach for the next decade.
• First 5 Yolo assesses the needs of children ages 0-5 through public meetings, reports and studies analyses, interviews with subject-area experts and special "community-dialogue" sessions.
• Mini-grants ($250-$2,500) are available for community-driven projects or events benefiting Yolo County children ages 0-5 and their families. Applications are available in English, Spanish and Russian.
• The First 5 Yolo gives top priority to funding requests linking multiple community agencies and/or resources.
• More than 85 percent of Proposition 10 funds allocated to First 5 Yolo is distributed to the community each year.