Newsletter
FIRST 5 PRESENTS ACROSS THE NATION ON EARLY CHILDHOOD IN LOCAL PLANNING
First 5 Monterey County has been on the road talking about the innovative approaches Monterey County is taking towards early childhood development - specifically including early childhood policies in local planning documents.
In October, First 5 Monterey staff had the opportunity to share policies across the nation through presentations and outreach. At the Zero to Three National Conference, early childhood colleagues from all over the nation were able to learn about specific policies. At the California League of Cities, First 5 Senior Policy, Advocacy, and Communications Manager, Nina Alcaraz participated on a panel with Rene Mendez from the City of Gonzales and Carmen Gil from the Monterey County Health Department, moderated by Michelle Slade of C4 Consulting to share how early childhood policies were included in the Health Element of Gonzales' General Plan.
Two years ago, through the Women's Policy Institute, Nina Alcaraz (First 5 Monterey County), Amanda Mihalko (Monterey County Health Department), Janeth Rojas (Monterey County Office of Education), and Darlene Coronado (Preparing for Success) put together a report outlining policy makers' unique ability to lay the foundation for timely investments in early childhood by including early childhood policies in general plans.
A General Plan is a broad document that guides a city or county's direction. Incorporating early childhood policies in local planning documents sends a strong and important message about a community's decision to prioritize our youngest residents and their families through well-informed decision-making.
As Monterey County communities open up their General Plans and other strategic documents, policy makers are including early childhood policies. The City of Seaside has incorporated early childhood policies in their current draft. And the strong early childhood language that the City of Gonzales added to their General Plan in July 2018 was recently featured as part of their recognition as a 2019 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize honoree. Congrats to the City of Gonzales for their well-deserved recognition. Click here for more information on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize.