First 5 SLO County Awards $150,000 to Stabilize Early Childhood Programs
February 23rd, 2026
FOR RELEASE:
First 5 SLO County Awards $150,000 to Stabilize Early Childhood Programs
(San Luis Obispo County, CA) — First 5 San Luis Obispo County has awarded $150,000 in grant funding to nine local organizations to help stabilize critical early childhood programs serving young children and families across the county.
The awards are part of the First 5 Early Childhood Systems Stabilization Fund, created in response to federal, state, and local funding and policy shifts that have reduced or eliminated existing systems of support for children from prenatal to age five and their families.
“As early childhood programs face rising demand and tighter budgets, sustaining core services and staffing capacity has become considerably more challenging,” said First 5 SLO County Executive Director Wendy Wendt. “These stabilization dollars reflect our commitment to helping trusted community partners provide vital resources and care to young children and families when they are needed most.”
The application process drew strong interest, with total funding requests exceeding $300,000. Following a competitive review, nine applicants were selected to receive awards.
2025–26 Early Childhood Systems Stabilization Fund Grant Recipients
- Womenade SLO — $5,000
Emergency assistance for families with young children facing housing, food, utility, and transportation crises.
- South County Youth Coalition (SCYC) — $5,000
Emergency assistance for families with young children.
- Center for Family Strengthening – Parent Connection — $25,000
Support for key staff, outreach, technology, basic-needs stipends, and limited indirect costs.
- Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County — $30,000
Staffing and food purchases tied to children’s nutrition programs, including backpack and produce distributions.
- Cuesta College Children’s Center — $10,000
Classroom expansion through the purchase of essential furniture and early learning equipment.
- CASA of San Luis Obispo County — $10,000
Partial support for the Volunteer Training Manager to sustain services for children ages 0–5 in foster care.
- San Luis Obispo Child Development Resource Center — $20,000
Trauma-informed therapy and in-class behavioral support for children ages 2–5.
- Pregnancy and Parenting Support of San Luis Obispo County — $20,000
Support for bilingual family doulas, Baby Bank supplies, and continued operation of the Baby Bank and perinatal warmline (emotional support and access to therapy).
- Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County (CAPSLO) — $25,000
Restoration of case-manager services to help address the needs of families with young children.
Total Awarded: $150,000
First 5 SLO County also recently contributed $100,000 in stabilization funding to The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County’s Together for SLO County: A Critical Respond Fund, addressing urgent gaps facing local nonprofits.
###
First 5 San Luis Obispo County funds and advocates for quality programs and services, to support children prenatal to five years old and their families, so that every child is healthy, learning and developing to their optimal potential, and ready to succeed in school and life.
Contact: Misty Livengood, Communications Coordinator, mlivengood@first5slo.org (805) 781-4058