San Mateo County thrives when community-wide partnerships and investments focus on young children. It is all of our responsibility to ensure that children and families have access to basic needs, supportive environments, and nurturing relationships. When this happens, we all benefit—because our county has healthy families, a vital workforce, and strong communities.
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At First 5 San Mateo County, we want all young children to prosper socially, emotionally, and economically. This means working to overcome the tremendous inequities that face children and families, including poverty and racism. It means ensuring that all of the systems that impact families’ lives are accessible, equitable, and family centered. It also means lifting up and celebrating our county’s incredible families and communities.
Making a difference for San Mateo County’s children is possible when community organizations, policy makers, businesses, and residents understand the importance of supporting young children and their families, and work together to mobilize resources.
San Mateo County thrives when community-wide partnerships and investments focus on young children. It is all of our responsibility to ensure that children and families have access to basic needs, supportive environments, and nurturing relationships. When this happens, we all benefit—because our county has healthy families, a vital workforce, and strong communities.
Help our partners and others collaborate in our shared effort to prioritize children and families throughout San Mateo County.
Age-based tips for teachers to help students process.
Take a look at First 5 San Mateo County's more than 20 years of impact.
Research and policy advocacy to improve early childhood systems.
We support the Council's local policy platform.
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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.
