Rural families face long drives, language barriers and few providers. In Corning, Choose Children 2026 advocates asked California's next governor to cut red tape for new child care programs. Watch via @KRCR7: ow.ly/nFKI50ZZwPi

Nearly half of car seats are installed wrong. @f5sb and @sbcountyph took that message to @FOXLA with an on-air car seat challenge and free local resources for families. Watch and learn more: ow.ly/4GrX50ZZwuR

The right car seat, installed the right way, shouldn't depend on what a family can afford. A $194K @OTS_CA grant lets Sutter County's First 5 commission offer free seats, installs, and check-ups where they're needed most. Read more: ow.ly/ssSz50ZZw96

Medi-Cal is opening new doors for home visiting just as HR 1 reshapes the safety net. Hear from @DHCS_CA, @CAPublicHealth, and @ChildrenNow on November 16. Register: ow.ly/9R0h50ZZvny

Shasta County ACE rates have run double the state average in some categories. @first5shasta's Wendy Dickens sees an "opportunity to help others." A town hall on positive childhood experiences is Oct. 15 in Redding. More via @KRCR7: ow.ly/QBx950ZXpZq

First 5 commissioners, this one's for you. Join peers from across CA on Nov 2 for breakout conversations by county size and region, and trade what's working in your community. Register: ow.ly/Y0Ab50ZQnnk

One week left to register. @CAPublicHealth talk coordinated child care and California's Medical Home model on 10/16. Register: ow.ly/KQxc50ZQn1B

Most public agencies never see how data brokers, surveillance systems, and corporate data practices actually work. Clara Fulks breaks it down for First 5 commissions on Oct 20, two weeks from now. Register: ow.ly/K3wU50ZQmTm

A city council has funded its own First 5 partnership. Fresno put $2M behind a childcare pilot as part of a yearlong push to fix its childcare desert. Read more from @fresnoland - ow.ly/cj2N50ZQmR3

Missed our BrightLife Kids session? The replay is up. See how free coaching supports CA families with young kids and how First 5s can partner. Thanks @hellobrightline for sharing your work! ow.ly/lMa050ZQmNw

Two weeks until Oct 16. Join us and @CAPublicHealth as they unpack the Medical Home model, the national standard for coordinated, whole-child care now taking hold in CA. Register: ow.ly/PvzU50ZQhLb

California's youngest homeless children jumped 15% in a year, to nearly 86,000. Early learning enrollment barely moved. The system built to catch them is too fragmented to find them. Full story from @LAist: ow.ly/EPzO50ZQhv8

Happy Dolly Parton Day! Since 2023, the Imagination Library has mailed nearly 2.9M free books to California kids under 5, in English and Spanish. Read more from @EdSource: edsource.org/2026/california… #ThankYouDolly

AI and data brokers touch every First 5 commission's work now. On Oct 20, digital ethicist Clara Fulks unpacks how data gets collected, sold, and used, and what agencies should know before adopting AI. Register: ow.ly/J7cw50ZQhj8

Kids shouldn't fall through gaps between providers who don't talk to each other. On 10/16, @CAPublicHealth breaks down California's Medical Home model for coordinated, whole-child care. Register: ow.ly/ZROb50ZQheg

80% of families using CCDF subsidies today are single working parents, mostly moms. A new federal proposal adds a new use for that same underfunded fund, no new money attached. Read @First5Alameda CEO's response: ow.ly/L7AY50ZOPr7

As the 2026 legislative session wrapped, Assemblywoman Heather Hadwick honored the First 5 organizations of Assembly District 1 for connecting rural Northern California families to early childhood services. Congratulate them with us!

Behavioral health funding is shifting. The prevention safety net doesn't have to. Free coaching for CA families (0-12) now partners with First 5s statewide. See how at this 9/18 session from First 5 Leadership Institute. 1 week left to register: ow.ly/PwBA50ZL3la

Passionate about early childhood? Shape tomorrow’s future with First 5. Explore careers that create lasting change. Browse our Job Board page: ow.ly/ywsn50ZHYkj

Dolly Parton grew up watching her father struggle to read. She spent her life making sure other kids wouldn't. Her Imagination Library reaches CA children through First 5 commissions. We honor her legacy - read our statement: ow.ly/CQrj50ZFFE8