The State of Young Children and Families in San Mateo County
Over the past few months, we’ve been busy planning the next five years for First 5 San Mateo County. Our community has been such important
Over the past few months, we’ve been busy planning the next five years for First 5 San Mateo County. Our community has been such important
For a quarter of a century, First 5 San Mateo County has been proud to be a leader, partner, and investor working on behalf of
“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
As parents, caregivers, and members of the community, we often hear about the importance of early childhood. But what exactly does it mean to invest
In the grand finale of our Nurturing Diversity series, we shine a spotlight on an individual whose passion for early childhood education serves as a
As we continue Black History Month, it’s important to shed light on the challenges that persist for many Black children during their early years. The
Think about your favorite book or song— each tells a unique story that has shaped the way you see the world. Those stories are so
Years ago, we adopted a focus on bringing REDI–Race, Ethnicity, Diversity, and Inclusion–principles to all of our initiatives, communications, and partnerships. REDI initiatives laid the
Joan Didion, a famous author from California, once said, “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” Stories are the first type of parenting support
Our Executive Director here at First 5 San Mateo County, Kitty Lopez, shared her view on the current child care shortage, and how we will
© 2024 First 5 San Mateo County
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.
