In Napa County during the last five years, an increasing number of children have been receiving needed dental care, and more families been able to get affordable health insurance. Home visits to new moms have encouraged more breastfeeding, which helps build a child's immunity to diseases. More preschool children have been learning to love books by reading with their parents.

An increasing number of students have been pursuing careers in early childhood development and education, and more children have been able to enroll in preschool. More fathers have been learning how to be better parents to their children. And more families with limited resources have been receiving help finding urgently needed services.

This is just a small sampling of what has been happening since 2001, thanks in part to the First 5 Napa County Commission. This volunteer organization has played a vital role as a funding partner and provided ongoing support for local health and social service agencies that serve Napa County children, from prenatal stage through age 5, and their families.

Having worked quietly behind the scenes for five years, First 5 Napa County is ready to celebrate its doling out nearly $9.5 million in funds to help local organizations improve their outcomes in serving young children and families.

"Our mission is to manage and provide resources that improve the ability of local service providers to help children get a strong, healthy start in life," said Anne Carver, chair of First 5 Napa County Commission. "After five years of distributing First 5 funds, we feel confident in saying this process of partnering with service providers has been a big success, most especially in improving the lives of young children and their families."

First 5 Napa County was formally launched in 2000 to distribute Napa County's share of State Prop. 10 funds, procured annually through First 5 California as a result of passage of the California Children and Families Act in November 1998. Under the act, funds collected from excise taxes on tobacco products are used to support and improve the early development of children up through age 5. Research has shown that these are the most critical years in a child's emotional, physical and intellectual development, influencing how well a child will function in school and in life.

Each county receives a funding allocation based on its annual birth rate. Napa County receives an average of $1.4 million annually, along with matching First 5 California funds for projects that align with statewide initiatives. According to Sally Sheehan-Brown, executive director of First 5 Napa County, the commission has distributed up to $1.8 million to community organizations each year. In this fifth and celebratory year, the commission will distribute a record $2 million.

"This is a special year for us and our partners," said Sheehan-Brown. "We were able to combine funding resources to expand our allocation this year, which means our grantees will have access to even more resources to continue their successful programs and services."

Local organizations apply for First 5 funding through a competitive grant process. Grant awards are based primarily on the ability of applicants to successfully address key service priorities identified by First 5 Napa County. These priorities include early childhood learning and education, early childhood health, and parent and community education.

First 5 Napa County has provided funding to a wide range of organizations and programs, large and small. Grants have been given for simple requests like books, supplies and equipment for daycare centers, to a large, multi-year operational grant for the new Child Health Initiative, which seeks to ensure all Napa County children have healthcare coverage.

One of the Commission's largest allocations was a multi-year funding initiative for the Napa County CARES project, which addresses recruitment and retention of early child care and education providers in the community. Since 2001, the Commission has invested more than $2 million in the CARES project, including approximately $700,000 from First 5 California in matching funds.

First 5 Napa County has also helped new and innovative programs get launched and expand their outreach.

First 5 funding, for example, helped establish a school readiness program through Untied Shoelaces, which partners with pre-schools within the Napa Valley Unified School District and the Napa County Office of Education to conduct comprehensive annual health screenings.

A series of First 5 grants has enabled the nonprofit organization to expand screenings to include speech, motor development, behavioral health and socialization issues, and to provide health education programs for preschool-age children and their parents.

"We believe a healthy child is ready to learn," said school nurse, Nyda Delegeane, director of Un-tied Shoelaces' First 5 School Readiness Program and president of the board of directors of Un-tied Shoelaces. "Early identification of concerns, connecting with parents, and networking within thehealthcare community have proven to be the keys to giving our young children a strong, early start. First 5's involvement has made it possible for us to reach more children, and to help more parents establish healthy habits for their children."

According to First 5 California, "the experiences a child has with respect to parents and caregivers significantly influence how a child will function in school and later in life."

"What happens to our children now will impact this community for years to come," said Sheehan-Brown.

First 5 Napa County aims to see that all children reach their full potential.

"Though First 5 funds programs that serve the most vulnerable in our community, all Napa County children through age 5 are a priority," said Carver. "Our vision is to see that all Napa County children will reach age 5 physically and emotionally healthy, ready to learn, and ready to achieve their greatest potential in school and in life."

For more information about First 5 Napa County, visit www.napakids.net or call 257-1410.