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Family Blog

Tips and ideas for your family​

Stronger Together: Parent Mental Health Resources

May 6, 2025

May is Mental Health Awareness Month – a time to reflect on the importance of caring for our mental well-being, especially as parents and caregivers. When we prioritize our own mental health, we’re better equipped to nurture the emotional and social development of the children in our lives. Mental health plays a key role in shaping parenting approaches, family dynamics, and even the earliest stages of a child’s development, starting with infant mental health. At First 5 San Mateo County, we recognize the importance of mental health and make investments to support parents’ and children’s mental health in our county. Recently, we conducted a mental health landscape scan and interviewed parents to understand their experiences navigating the mental health system. First 5 San Mateo County staff and partners in this effort presented findings and progress. Click here to see their presentations. Over the years, we’ve also written a variety of

Read More

Caring for Little Teeth

February 24, 2025

Oral health plays an important role in a child’s physical health, school success, and self-esteem. When children have tooth pain and decay, they miss important parts of being a kid! Playing, paying attention in school, sleeping, and eating are important parts of your child’s development. As baby teeth grow in, it’s important to know how to take care of them! This page is full of local San Mateo County resources and information on accessing dental insurance and care. This information is for San Mateo County parents. If you’re a First 5 partner, find additional oral health resources here! Oral Health Guide San Mateo County Health’s guide to oral health walks through how to keep your child’s smile healthy! There are tips for you, no matter what phase of life you and your child are experiencing. From the time you are pregnant, to the time you are helping your little one

Read More

Tips and Resources Related to Immigration and ICE

February 14, 2025

Here are some helpful tips about ICE activity and response in San Mateo County, provided by San Mateo County’s Office of Community Affairs. ICE has been doing operations and always have been – but they are targeted enforcement for specific people. Call the Rapid Response Hotline to verify or report ICE activity at 203-666-4472 or 203-NO-MIGRA. Be specific in the information reported: where, when, who, how. Find more information about the Rapid Response Hotline or Know Your Rights at the County’s webpage: https://www.smcgov.org/ceo/rapid-response Aquí hay algunos consejos útiles sobre la actividad de ICE y la respuesta en el Condado de San Mateo. ICE ha estado realizando operaciones y siempre lo ha hecho, pero son acciones dirigidas a personas específicas.   Llame a la Línea de Respuesta Comunitaria para verificar o denunciar actividades del ICE al 203-666-4472 o al 203-NO-MIGRA.  Sea específico en la información comunicada: dónde, cuándo, quién, cómo.   Encuentre más información

Read More

The State of Young Children and Families in San Mateo County

December 3, 2024

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 partners in that and we can’t wait to share what we’ve learned with you! This summer, we spent a lot of time hearing from families, providers, partners, and members of our community.   Our partners have also been trying to understand the greatest needs, barriers, and opportunities to support our county. We have been looking at their data and findings, too!  So, let’s get into our top takeaways and some of the data highlights about the state of children 0-5 and their families in San Mateo County: Takeaway 1: Families are struggling with the cost of living in this county. From accessing basic needs like food and diapers, to keeping up with housing costs and financial insecurity, many families of young children are in survival mode.

Read More
toddler stands in an indoor playhouse holding a toy

25 Years of Impact

October 9, 2024

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 young children and families in our county. That’s right–it’s our 25 year anniversary, an incredible milestone in our history. From our early investments in children’s health and development, to our longstanding commitment to creating access to high quality early childhood education and supporting the early childhood workforce, we have been committed to making San Mateo County a place where young children and their families can thrive. Since its inception, First 5 San Mateo County has invested more than $150 million in local programs and has served nearly 100,000 children from birth through age five. Take a look at this timeline that shares select highlights from the past 25 years of our work. And, thank you for your support! Whether you are a partner, parent, or

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

The 5 Protective Factors: Why the First Five Years Matter

May 30, 2024

“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 article. “Other wealthy countries spend an average of 0.7 percent of G.D.P. Denmark, for example, spends $23,140 annually per child on care for children 2 and under.” “‘We as a society, with public funding, spend so much less on children before kindergarten than once they reach kindergarten,’ said Elizabeth Davis, an economist studying child care at the University of Minnesota. ‘And yet the science of child development shows how very important investment in the youngest ages are, and we get societal benefits from those investments.’” Investments in early childhood return, on average, seven times in

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Stronger Together: Parent Mental Health Resources

May 6, 2025

May is Mental Health Awareness Month – a time to reflect on the importance of caring for our mental well-being, especially as parents and caregivers. When we prioritize our own mental health, we’re better equipped to nurture the emotional and social development of the children in our lives. Mental health plays a key role in shaping parenting approaches, family dynamics, and even the earliest stages of a child’s development, starting with infant mental health. At First 5 San Mateo County, we recognize the importance of mental health and make investments to support parents’ and children’s mental health in our county. Recently, we conducted a mental health landscape scan and interviewed parents to understand their experiences navigating the mental health system. First 5 San Mateo County staff and partners in this effort presented findings and progress. Click here to see their presentations. Over the years, we’ve also written a variety of

Read More

Caring for Little Teeth

February 24, 2025

Oral health plays an important role in a child’s physical health, school success, and self-esteem. When children have tooth pain and decay, they miss important parts of being a kid! Playing, paying attention in school, sleeping, and eating are important parts of your child’s development. As baby teeth grow in, it’s important to know how to take care of them! This page is full of local San Mateo County resources and information on accessing dental insurance and care. This information is for San Mateo County parents. If you’re a First 5 partner, find additional oral health resources here! Oral Health Guide San Mateo County Health’s guide to oral health walks through how to keep your child’s smile healthy! There are tips for you, no matter what phase of life you and your child are experiencing. From the time you are pregnant, to the time you are helping your little one

Read More

Tips and Resources Related to Immigration and ICE

February 14, 2025

Here are some helpful tips about ICE activity and response in San Mateo County, provided by San Mateo County’s Office of Community Affairs. ICE has been doing operations and always have been – but they are targeted enforcement for specific people. Call the Rapid Response Hotline to verify or report ICE activity at 203-666-4472 or 203-NO-MIGRA. Be specific in the information reported: where, when, who, how. Find more information about the Rapid Response Hotline or Know Your Rights at the County’s webpage: https://www.smcgov.org/ceo/rapid-response Aquí hay algunos consejos útiles sobre la actividad de ICE y la respuesta en el Condado de San Mateo. ICE ha estado realizando operaciones y siempre lo ha hecho, pero son acciones dirigidas a personas específicas.   Llame a la Línea de Respuesta Comunitaria para verificar o denunciar actividades del ICE al 203-666-4472 o al 203-NO-MIGRA.  Sea específico en la información comunicada: dónde, cuándo, quién, cómo.   Encuentre más información

Read More

The State of Young Children and Families in San Mateo County

December 3, 2024

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 partners in that and we can’t wait to share what we’ve learned with you! This summer, we spent a lot of time hearing from families, providers, partners, and members of our community.   Our partners have also been trying to understand the greatest needs, barriers, and opportunities to support our county. We have been looking at their data and findings, too!  So, let’s get into our top takeaways and some of the data highlights about the state of children 0-5 and their families in San Mateo County: Takeaway 1: Families are struggling with the cost of living in this county. From accessing basic needs like food and diapers, to keeping up with housing costs and financial insecurity, many families of young children are in survival mode.

Read More
toddler stands in an indoor playhouse holding a toy

25 Years of Impact

October 9, 2024

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 young children and families in our county. That’s right–it’s our 25 year anniversary, an incredible milestone in our history. From our early investments in children’s health and development, to our longstanding commitment to creating access to high quality early childhood education and supporting the early childhood workforce, we have been committed to making San Mateo County a place where young children and their families can thrive. Since its inception, First 5 San Mateo County has invested more than $150 million in local programs and has served nearly 100,000 children from birth through age five. Take a look at this timeline that shares select highlights from the past 25 years of our work. And, thank you for your support! Whether you are a partner, parent, or

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

The 5 Protective Factors: Why the First Five Years Matter

May 30, 2024

“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 article. “Other wealthy countries spend an average of 0.7 percent of G.D.P. Denmark, for example, spends $23,140 annually per child on care for children 2 and under.” “‘We as a society, with public funding, spend so much less on children before kindergarten than once they reach kindergarten,’ said Elizabeth Davis, an economist studying child care at the University of Minnesota. ‘And yet the science of child development shows how very important investment in the youngest ages are, and we get societal benefits from those investments.’” Investments in early childhood return, on average, seven times in

Read More
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© 2024 First 5 San Mateo County

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.