First Five Glenn County

    First 5 Glenn County distributes approximately $400,000 each year to help pay for local education, health, childcare and other programs that promote early childhood development. First 5 Glenn County receives its funding as a result of the passage of the California Children and Families First Act of 1998, which added a fifty-cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products.     
    Tax revenue from the Act is used to support programs for expectant parents and children ages 0 to 5. The ultimate goal of the Act is to enhance early growth experiences for children from the prenatal stage to five years of age in order to help them be more successful in their school careers and to lead better lives.

The California Children and Families First Act created the California Children and Families Commission, also known as First 5 California. The name First 5 comes from current brain development research that clearly indicates that a child's emotional, physical and intellectual environment in the first five years of life has a profound impact on how the brain is organized. Early experiences significantly influence how a child will function in school and later in life. Attention to and investment in the lives of young children is a powerful means of preventing future difficulties, such as physical, mental, social and emotional development delays and disturbances.

The California Children and Families Act of 1998 was designed to provide, on a community-by-community basis, a comprehensive, integrated system of early childhood development services for all children prenatal to five years of age, in order to lay the emotional, physical and intellectual foundation for every child to enter school ready to learn and become productive, well-adjusted members of society.

First 5 California is the statewide coordinator and leadership agency for the Act. In addition, there are 58 County Commissions, including Glenn County First 5, which are charged with local decision-making and funding. Eighty-percent of the revenues from the Act goes directly to the County Commissions.The amount of state funds allocated to Glenn County is based on the annual county birth rate.

The Glenn County Children and Families Commission, also known as First 5 Glenn County, was created in 1999 to:

• evaluate the current and projected needs of young children and their families in Glenn County
• develop a strategic plan that describes how community needs will be addressed
• determine how to expend local monies - approximately $300,000 annually - provided by the Act
• Evaluate the effectiveness of programs and activities funded in accordance with the strategic plan

The Glenn County Children and Families Commission is committed to providing and/or enhancing quality services for all Glenn County children (prenatal to age 5) and their families

Children in Glenn County will thrive in supportive, nurturing and loving families and communities and be positively prepared to enter school to become productive, well-adjusted members of society.