First 5 Los Angeles Early Care and Education Policy and Advocacy Fund

Community Partners is the intermediary for this $15 million fund, a strategic 4.5-year effort from First 5 that recognizes the need for greater advocacy for early childhood education policies to improve access to quality, affordable early education in LA County. Our role is to make and manage grants in three areas: partnership grants to key organizations to support policy work; field-building grants to enable both traditional and unexpected allies to participate in coalitions and advocacy efforts; and rapid response grants for special projects to address such needs as research, data collection, or communications. We also convene grantees to help them strengthen their relationships with each other and connection to the field, and oversee a learning and evaluation team.