Our Research and Evaluation team has begun to plan and, in some cases, roll out several new projects that will evaluate our place-based and countywide initiatives. They will keep an eye on how the programs are progressing toward our four goals of children being born healthy, maintaining a healthy weight, being safe and being ready for kindergarten. But they will also help us assess where we excel, and where we could be doing better.

Last week, the team invited its First 5 LA co-workers to a roof-top information fair to share some of their exciting projects, including:

• Families, Friends & Neighbors - First 5 LA's FFN project is to increase training and education in the license-exempt Early Care and Education (ECE) workforce. Researchers hope to learn more about the needs of FFN providers, the unique opportunities inherent in their client relationships and the most effective strategies for reaching and supporting the providers.

• Place-based Implementation Evaluation - This project will examine our process in executing the Strategic Plan in the communities targeted for investment, and focuses on how we're carrying-out key components of the plan, how successful we are at supporting our community partners and how the partners are putting their proposed plans into action.

• The Family Survey - The Family Survey is a bi-annual survey of children and families in the Best Start communities. Researchers will look at what changes occur over time in the Best Start communities and how families are making progress in the four goal areas.

• Community Data Profiles - Researchers will develop a series of profiles for each Best Start community that focus on each of the goal areas. One area, overweight children, is completed and the information is being shared in upcoming community data workshops. (Sneak peek: Based on WIC data, our researchers found that 20 to 25 percent of 4-year-olds in most the Best Start communities are overweight.)

• Community Evaluation Support - This project will serve as a compilation of data collection activities in the Best Start communities. The goal is to provide useful and timely information to assist communities and their partnerships.

Evelyn V. Martinez

Chief Executive Officer
First 5 LA

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