Committed to Supporting the Healthy Development of Children Ages 0-5 and Families
A Message from Julie Gallelo, Executive Director

First 5 Sacramento is delighted to share the first edition of our E-newsletter! Our goal is to use this as another communication channel to keep connected with contractors, community members and businesses, especially as we are working in a virtual world. Topics will vary based on what is bubbling up in our zero to five universe. However, this first edition focuses on racial equity and cultural responsiveness- which is critical to our society far beyond the first 5 years.
 
As an organization serving our most vulnerable children, our work is grounded in our commitment to diversity and inclusion. We see the efforts of our community partners and leaders and we appreciate your contributions toward building a more just society. At First 5 we are digging deeper into our practices and policies, engaging in staff and contractor development and aligning ourselves with champions for social justice. We look forward to walking this path toward racial equity with you.
 
Thank you for your support and we ask that you forward this and help us build our audience. We encourage you to reply with future topics so we can highlight the amazing work you are doing, especially during this pandemic, to ensure families are safe and healthy. 
Leading the Way
KCRA 3 aired an hour-long segment called “Project CommUNITY: 2020 Justice for All” to engage in dialogue about the racial disparities and injustice that has occurred for too many years in the African American community nationally and locally.

The segment explored many angles, from law enforcement to health care to education, and spoke to providers and community members. First 5 partners, Shannon Shaw of Her Health First and Dr. Jonathan Porteus of WellSpace Health, participated as panelists on the segment sharing important information and agency insights. 
How to Talk to Kids About Race
Here are some great resources that parents of all backgrounds can use when they discuss race with their children, as well as resources to celebrate cultural and racial diversity in our homes. 
 
Addressing Cultural Responsiveness
First 5 is excited to initiate a new contract with Impact Foundry (IF) to provide additional supports to the Commission and its funded partners. Our goal with this partnership is to build capacity not only with sustainability planning, but to provide targeted training and technical assistance to enhance our cultural responsiveness. First 5 has plans to engage in ongoing staff and Commissioner professional development and training to inform agency practice regarding racial, economic and social justice.

As part of the planning process, funded partners can look forward to a digital survey or phone interview with Impact Foundry regarding agency-specific needs for training, consultation and discussion around cultural responsiveness, storytelling that supports fundraising and partner engagement, and organizational and individual development topics.

The Impact Foundry team is here to help our contractors address organizational capacity and individual professional development. Contractors may contact them via executive director Kim Tucker or 916-569-8556. Based on the focus areas identified, Kim will coordinate with IF team members April Jean (Cultural Responsiveness) and Tiffany Rosso (Capacity Building). Watch for resources rolling out later this summer and early fall.
Unequal Birth Awareness Campaign
Despite technological advancements, the United States has some of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the developed world. African American families in Sacramento County are disproportionately impacted by these realities: Black women are 4x as likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth and their infants are dying at 2x the rate of other children. As we’ve learned through extensive research and in-community dialogues, these deaths are not explained by education, zip code or healthy habits. Rather, they have everything to do with Black women’s lived experiences of bias and systemic racism.
 
To expand our efforts in improving birth outcomes among African American families, we partnered with Sacramento County Public Health to develop a mass media campaign called Unequal Birth. This awareness campaign is built off first-hand experiences and feedback shared by community members and features real local families in the photography. Ads can be heard and seen on top radio stations, high-traffic freeway billboard locations, social media, Pandora, and web banners. Since its launch, Unequal Birth has generated more than 12 million impressions and 110,000 engagements on social media.
2750 Gateway Oaks Drive, Suite 330
Sacramento​, CA 95833
Phone: (916) 876-5865
Fax: (916) 876-5877