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Author: kristabeams

Welcoming Colleen Chawla to First 5 San Mateo County

First 5 San Mateo County is excited to welcome Colleen Chawla as our newest commissioner! With a distinguished career in public health leadership and a deep commitment to equity and community well-being, Colleen brings invaluable expertise to our work supporting young children and families. Colleen currently serves as the chief of San Mateo County Health, […]

Welcoming Hanish Rathod to First 5 San Mateo County

First 5 San Mateo County is thrilled to welcome Hanish Rathod as our newest commissioner! With a deep commitment to education, a passion for community service, and an impressive background in strategy and operations, Hanish brings invaluable expertise to our mission of ensuring every child in San Mateo County thrives. As Vice President of GTM […]

Welcoming Jackie Speier to First 5 San Mateo County

First 5 San Mateo County is honored to welcome Jackie Speier as our newest commissioner! A lifelong public servant and fearless advocate for families, Jackie brings decades of leadership and dedication to improving the lives of children and families in our community. Currently representing District 1 on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, Jackie […]

Empathy in Action: Fostering Trust and Community at Friday CAFE

young professional women in conference room

What comes to mind when you think of empathy? Perhaps it’s a warm hug during a moment of sorrow, or the shared laughter that brings people together.  If you’ve attended a Friday CAFE (Community and Family Engagement), administered by the San Mateo County Office of Education and funded by First 5 San Mateo County, you’ve […]

The 5 Protective Factors: Why the First Five Years Matter

Japanese older brother embraces his younger sister, while their mother joins in on the sofa.

“In the developed world, the United States is an outlier in its low levels of financial support for young children’s care. The U.S. spends 0.2 percent of its G.D.P. on child care for children 2 and under — which amounts to about $200 a year for most families,” the New York Times highlighted in this […]

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Headshot of Kitty Lopez

Kitty Lopez has served as the Executive Director of First 5 San Mateo County since 2013, focusing on strategic investing, community leadership, policy and advocacy development for young children, 0-5, and their families.

Kitty has served as Co-Chair of the Advisory Body for Build Up for San Mateo County Children’s Initiative, with Board of Supervisor, Dave Pine, since 2018.  Congressman Kevin Mullin is Honorary Co-Chair.  This initiative was established to preserve, grow, and increase the number of early care sites in San Mateo County.  

Kitty previously served as the Executive Director of Samaritan House, one of San Mateo County’s leading Core Service Agencies and safety-net nonprofits serving low-income families and individuals with food, shelter, clothing, health care, counseling, education classes, and holiday assistance from 2002 to 2013. 

Kitty taught kindergarten, second grade, and high school in southern California and San Francisco and was a consultant in schools with children who have autism and special needs. Additionally, Kitty worked in a residential substance abuse treatment center in San Francisco and psychiatric hospital for children and youth in San Diego.  Kitty’s roots in supporting children began as a 16-year-old volunteer at the Braille Institute in Los Angeles where she taught swimming to children and adults with visual impairments.

She attended University of California Santa Barbara earning a California Teaching Credential and B.A in Psychology. Kitty is active in her community serving as Vice Chair of the San Mateo County Event Center, and Past President and Current Member of the San Mateo Rotary Club.  She is currently serving as Past President of the First 5 Association of California. On March 2022, Assembly Speaker pro Tem Kevin Mullin selected Kitty Lopez as the 2022 Assembly District 22 Woman of the Year.