First 5 commissions played a important role in the success of California's federal Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge--a highly competitive win that will bring more than $50 million statewide over four years to support improvements in the quality of early care and education.

California’s application centered on a Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) that will be implemented by 16 regional groups collectively called the The Early Learning Challenge Regional Leadership Consortia. Included in this group: First 5 Ventura County (F5VC) along with 10 local First 5 commissions and several County Offices of Education. Each was selected by the State based on efforts in early education quality improvement. The Consortia worked closely with the State Department of Education to help design a Race to the Top application that built upon demonstrated strengths, strong networks and existing practices.

F5VC has long been committed to expanding quality early learning opportunities for children. Through our nationally recognized Neighborhood for Learning (NfL) system and working partnerships with the County Office of Education, elementary school districts and local service providers, nearly 1,500 children attend F5VC funded preschool programs to prepare for success in kindergarten and beyond.

In partnership with First 5 California’s Power of Preschool program (known locally as Preschool for All), F5VC also supports no-cost, voluntary preschool programs for eligible children at sites in the cities of Oxnard and Port Hueneme as well as technical assistance to help continuously improve quality.

Teacher education is a foundation of quality; and F5VC invests to increase the quality, effectiveness, education and retention of early learning program staff through CARES Plus (Comprehensive Approaches to Raising Education Standards). This program helps early education professionals complete college coursework leading to AA and BA degrees and provides hands-on training to assess the classroom environment.
 
First 5 CA Director Kris Perry believes that these two programs set California apart from the other 35 Race to the Top applicants.
 
“A major point of differentiation between California and the 35 states applying for the Early Learning Challenge Grant was First 5 programs to improve pre-kindergarten teacher effectiveness, known as CARES Plus, and another providing preschool in mostly low-income neighborhoods, Power of Preschool (PoP). These First 5 programs will link with existing state and federal efforts to enhance and improve early learning systems in the state.”
 
First 5 provides children with community based, comprehensive early learning, health and family support resources to help them enter kindergarten ready to learn and succeed. The new QRIS Project with Race to the Top funding will take this to next level. By assessing programs on a wide range of factors like ratio and group size, teaching and learning, family involvement, staff education and training, and program leadership, physical environment, quality of interaction between teachers and children, we will be able to accurately and consistently measure success and improve quality—both locally, regionally. It's work that will benefit children, families and communities well into the future.