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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 […]

Nurturing Diversity: Paving the Way for Black Excellence in Early Childhood Education.

A loving black family of 3: dad holds their baby while mom wraps her arms around them, creating a heartwarming embrace.

Read our full Nurturing Diversity series: 1. Celebrating the Power of Black Caregivers in Early Childhood. 3. County and Public Leadership’s Vital Role in Addressing This Challenge! 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 landscape of early childhood education (ECE) […]

Nurturing Diversity: Celebrating the Power of Black Caregivers in Early Childhood.

This is the first post in our Nurturing Diversity series. Read the others: 2. Paving the Way for Black Excellence in Early Childhood Education. 3. County and Public Leadership’s Vital Role in Addressing This Challenge! Think about your favorite book or song— each tells a unique story that has shaped the way you see the world. Those stories […]

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.