20242025
2024–2025 · ANNUAL REPORT
A year of working together.
Explore the investments, partnerships, and stories behind our work.
Explore the annual reportFiscal year 2024–2025
Services. Partnerships. Shared progress.
Orange County · Birth to five
Every first.
Every possibility.
The first five years shape a lifetime. Let’s make room for more connection, more discovery, and a stronger start for every child.
First words. New friendships. Big futures.It all begins here.
Young children thrive when their families and communities do, too.
Get to know First 501 Start with your family
A little help.
A way forward.
Some days, you need an answer. Other days, a little reassurance. Start with what matters to your family today.
Let’s start here
A place to learn. Room to grow.
Start with information and local connections for early care and learning.
Partner serviceChildren’s Home Society of CaliforniaPDF · MultilingualFamily Choices for Early Learning & Care
Explore child care resources 02 Kid Builders
Make room for
a little play.
You are your child’s first teacher. Explore simple activities for the age they are, and the moments you share.
How old is your little one?
Explore Kid Builders activities for every age.
03 Our work, together
Small beginnings.
A shared future.
First 5 Orange County funds services, supports family leadership, and brings organizations together to improve early childhood systems.
Fund.
Invest in programs and services that support young children and their families.
Connect.
Bring family voices, community partners, and local leaders to the same table.
Improve.
Use what we learn together to strengthen opportunities across Orange County.
04 Family voices
The people closest
to childhood.
At the table.
Parents and caregivers bring something no report can: the experience of raising a family here.
Our Family Ambassadors help shape programs, share perspectives, and keep family voices at the center of our work.
Meet our Family Ambassadors
05 Data & impact
Better questions.
Clearer direction.
Follow the investments. Understand the needs. See what we’re learning across Orange County.
20242025
2025 · EARLY DEVELOPMENT INDEX
53.0%
of Orange County kindergartners were ready for kindergarten in 2025.
Community-level data, not an individual assessment.
A clearer picture of childhood.
See what community-level data tells us about school readiness across Orange County.
Understand the data06 From our community
Around Orange County.
For families · September 1, 2026
Big adventures begin with a little story.
Four ways to celebrate National Literacy Month and bring more reading into your everyday.
Coming up in our community
CUSD Early Childhood Programs & Family Resource Center
9:00 AM–12:00 PM PT · 2026
Ready to Learn
11:00 AM–12:00 PM PT · 2026
Grant Writing Made Simple for Child Care Providers
6:30–7:00 PM PT · 2026
Family Health Fair at the Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living
9:00 AM–1:00 PM PT · 2026
One day at a time.
