As a committed partner in the development of our community’s earliest learners, we are proud to share with you the impact of our investments in the fiscal year 2022-2023. Our investments, totaling over $7.7 million of state tax revenue, were dedicated to supporting 39 programs aimed at enhancing early childhood services in Kern County.
Our investment focus areas include:
Child Health & Wellness: We recognize that by establishing a foundation for early development and providing essential resources for physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being, children will thrive in their health and wellness.
Parent Education & Support Services/Resilient Families: We recognize the critical role of parents and caregivers in a child’s development. Our investments in this area are designed to provide resources, education, and support to parents and caregivers, helping them build strong, resilient families.
Quality Early Learning: We understand the importance of early childhood education in laying the foundation for lifelong learning. Our investments in this area focus on providing high-quality early learning opportunities that prepare children for success in school and beyond.
Integration of Services/Strong Systems: We are committed to building strong, sustainable systems that support the well-being of children and families. Our investments in this area aim to strengthen the infrastructure and practices that promote child well-being.
We are pleased to report that our investments have had a significant impact on the lives of children and families in Kern County. Through our programs, we have been able to provide essential services, support, and resources to thousands of children and families, helping them thrive and succeed.
Together, we are making a difference in the lives of children and families in Kern County.
To strengthen and support the children of Kern County prenatal to five and their families by empowering our providers through the integration of services with an emphasis on health and wellness, parent education, and early childcare and education.
kids 0-3
total kids 0-5
kids 3-5
primary caregivers
child care providers
First 5 Kern funding primarily still comes from Proposition 10, a measure approved statewide by voters in 1998 that levies a $.50 tax on tobacco products, such as a pack of cigarettes. Subsequent tobacco taxes have complicated that funding stream, with the introduction of backfill revenues, but they combine into what we call “Tobacco Tax Funds.”
Other funding may include grants that support specific initiatives (Help Me Grow Kern County funding from Kern Behavioral Health & Recovery Services, Early Intervention Services Project) or other funding support from First 5 California (such as IMPACT).
Additional measures in California have been successful in decreasing smoking rates throughout the state. This, however, is decreasing funding to First 5s. The flavored tobacco ban in Fall, 2022, dramatically cut the funds distributed to First 5s as well. Tobacco products purchased on native lands or in different states are also not subject to Proposition 10 taxation.
First 5 Kern funding has traditionally followed funding cycles, which allow recipients to build capacity and structure to support children and families on a multi-year basis. This provides certainty and helps ensure continuity of services.
Those funds have been assigned to 39 different programs that were approved for our current five-year funding cycle, which runs from July 1, 2020-June 30, 2025.
Each program is then assigned to one of three main Focus Areas that best describes their work, with all working collectively on integration (Focus Area 4).
Black Infant Health Program
Kern County Public Health Services Department
Children’s Mobile Immunization Program
Adventist Health Bakersfield
Infant and Toddler Program
CASA of Kern County
Kern County Children’s Dental Health Network
Kern County Superintendent of Schools
Kern Valley Aquatics Program
South Fork Union School District
Make A Splash
City of Bakersfield Recreation and Parks Department
Medically Vulnerable Care Coordination Project of Kern County
Kern County Public Health Services Department
Medically Vulnerable Infant Program
Clinica Sierra Vista
Nurse-Family Partnership Program
Kern County Public Health Services Department
Richardson Special Needs Collaborative
Kern County Superintendent of Schools
Special Start for Exceptional Children
Caring Corner
Eleven programs received funding in FY 2022-23 that met the health needs of children and families in Kern County.
Oral health, immunizations, early intervention, and home visiting programs are a few examples of services provided.
Hospitals, school districts, non-profits, and county agencies were all among the grantees operating a program that received funding.
2-1-1 Kern County
Community Action Partnership of Kern
Arvin Family Resource Center
Arvin Union School District
Buttonwillow Community Resource Center
Buttonwillow Union School District
Differential Response
Kern County Network for Children
Domestic Violence Reduction Project
Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, Inc.
East Kern Family Resource Center
Community Action Partnership of Kern
Family Caregivers Project
Vision y Compromiso
Greenfield School Readiness Program
Greenfield Union School District
Guardianship Caregiver Project
Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, Inc.
Kern River Valley Family Resource Center
Kernville Union School District
Lamont Vineland School Readiness Program
Lamont School District
McFarland Family Resource Center
McFarland Unified School District
Mountain Communities Family Resource Center
Mountain Communities Family Resource Center, Inc.
Oasis Family Resource Center
Community Action Partnership of Kern
Shafter Healthy Start
Richland School District
Southeast Neighborhood Partnership Family Resource Center
Clinica Sierra Vista
Women’s Shelter Network
Women’s Center – High Desert, Inc.
Seventeen programs received funding in FY 2022-23 that worked with families on child development, parenting skills, and family support services
Clients are parents – or grandparents and others who care for children – receiving services such as parenting education, home visits, legal support, and other direct services. Over 6,200 children were served as well.
Programs in this focus area are operated by school districts and non-profits and extend to all corners of Kern County
Services often include:
FRCs serve as a central location for families in communities, especially in rural areas or smaller communities without an abundance of available resources.
The waning of the pandemic allowed more families to reconnect with FRCs, and over 800 more parents accessed their services in 2022-23 than the previous year.
Blanton Child Development Center
Kern County Superintendent of Schools
Delano School Readiness
Delano Union School District
Discovery Depot Child Care Center
The Open Door Network
Health Literacy Program
Kern High School District, Bakersfield Adult School
IMPACT
Kern County Superintendent of Schools
Lost Hills Family Resource Center
Lost Hills Union School District
Neighborhood Place Community Learning Center
North of the River Recreation and Park District
Small Steps Child Development Center
The Open Door Network
South Fork Preschool and Day Care Center
South Fork Union School District
West Side Outreach and Learning Center
West Side Recreation and Parks District
Wind in the Willows Preschool
Wind in the Willows Education Organzation
Eleven programs received funding in FY 2022-23 making early childcare services accessible to more children in Kern County.
Children are introduced to classrooms through high quality early learning childcare programs and summer bridge programs.
Programs in this area are operated by school districts, local government agencies, and non-profits.
A key program within Focus Area 3 is IMPACT, a statewide initiative funded by First 5 California that strengthens early learning programs throughout the county.
Kern County Superintendent of Schools is the local recipient of these funds, supporting their Kern Early Stars program.
IMPACT funding has enabled outreach to underserved populations of early learning educators such as family childcare providers, family resource centers, and family friends and neighbors. Funding provides support to those programs with coaching, materials, professional development, and financial stipends.
The providers set goals and develop action steps which will improve quality in their program and provide higher outcomes for the children and families they serve.
Additional training options are available for providers outside of the coaching and development from the IMPACT program, and over 100 providers took advantage of this in 2022-23.
IMPACT reached 121 child care providers in 2022-23, which contributed $615,756 locally in support of early learning settings for our children.
First 5 Kern works within the community to build relationships facilitating the creation and implementation of integrated and collaborative systems of information. It is a component of all focus areas, advocacy, and outreach.
The effort enhances system building, optimizes early childhood development and strengthens Kern families. The goal of this focus area is to invest in and improve coordination across systems of care, efficiently connecting young children to early intervention.
ACEs Aware Kern County
Community Collaboratives and Committees
Community Event Support
Help Me Grow Kern County
Resilient Kern
Trainings and Workshops
Help Me Grow Kern County helped over 300 families follow along with their child’s development by offering free screenings using two different Ages & Stages Questionnaires. These tools help parents track the progression of their little one’s developmental, social-emotional, and behavioral skills.
Help Me Grow Kern County launched a toll-free dedicated phone line in 2022-23. Calling 877-77-HMGKC will connect parents directly to developmental specialists that can assist with screenings. A social media campaign, “When do babies…”, also pinpointed select milestones in a child’s early development for which parents can watch, independent of completing a screening.
This program continues to develop, and has screened over a thousand children under the age of 6 in just a few short years. Help Me Grow Kern County is a partnership with Community Action Partnership of Kern, supported by funding from Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services.
In addition to Help Me Grow Kern County, developmental screenings is a First 5 Kern priority. Two dozen funded programs administered ASQ screenings in FY2022-23.
The 2nd Annual ACEs Conference was held on May 17, 2023 at the Bakersfield Marriott at the Convention Center. Over 300 people were in attendance, and it marked a wonderful day of conversation, information and motivation in working with a trauma-informed approach to care in Kern County.
With breakout sessions, and guest speakers from medical, clinical and research fields, the Conference had something for everyone.
First 5 Kern has prioritized this work throughout the years, starting with the initial Trauma-Informed Kern County cohort back in 2018. A grant from ACEs Aware helped launch the first Kern County ACEs Conference virtually in 2022. Future conferences are in the planning stages, and we welcome feedback on featured presentations and speakers.
First 5 Kern, with guidance from its Strategic Plan, allocates funds for initiatives that provide Kern County children with the foundation they need to succeed.
First 5 Kern is actively involved in and supports partnerships which bring organizations together to achieve better outcomes for children and their families in our community.
Additionally, First 5 Kern maintains a voice at the table for collaborations across Kern County impacting children 0-5.
In addition to our funded programs, First 5 Kern lends financial support to community events serving families and young children. Agencies and non-profits may request up to $5,000 of community support funds.
Fiscal Year 2022-23 recipients:
