First 5 Santa Barbara County has started the Aligned Leadership for Results Program, a leadership development initiative designed to strengthen collaboration, drive change, and advance equity for children prenatal through age five and their families.
This initiative marks the start of a year-long strategic planning period. The initiative will conclude in September 2026.
Grounded in the Results Counts Framework created by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and brought locally by First 5 Santa Barbara County, the program equips leaders with tools, strategies, and a shared framework to address systemic challenges affecting young children and their families.
Over 13 months, about 35 participants from 22 agencies, including public servants, nonprofit leaders, healthcare professionals, and educators, will engage in 14 intensive sessions that emphasize data-driven decision-making, equity-focused strategies, and collaborative action.
Leaders will:
• Engage in data-centered conversations.
• Identify trusted community messengers to lead meaningful dialogue.
• Uncover root causes of barriers facing children and families.
• Develop and test targeted strategies that promote equitable outcomes.
• Build a foundation for long-term, systems-level change.
As part of the work, First 5 Santa Barbara County said it is committed to ensuring future investments are shaped by the voices of families and community members.
Parents and caregivers will have meaningful opportunities to share their experiences, perspectives and priorities, ensuring the program and efforts are responsive to the real needs of families, the entity said.
“We are not waiting for the stars to align,” said Wendy Sims-Moten, executive director. “The time is now, and we are choosing to create our own alignment.
“Together, we’re building a community of practice that actively works to change and improve systems, ensuring we deliver equitable, human-centered, and data-driven services and support. The world may be divided, but we don’t have to be.”
The inaugural cohort of the Aligned Leadership for Results Program brings together leaders from First 5 Santa Barbara County, Gateway Education, The Leni Fund, J.S. Bower Foundation, Santa Barbara Foundation, CommUnify, Carpinteria Children’s Project.
Also, Alpha Resource Center – Help Me Grow, MOXI – The Wolf Museum, LEAP Central Coast, United Way of Santa Barbara County, University of California Santa Barbara, CALM, Family Service Agency.
Also, First Presbyterian Church Early Childhood, Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley, St. Mark Preschool, and the County of Santa Barbara Executive Office, Child Support, Social Services, and Health.
For more about First 5 Santa Barbara County, visit first5sbc.org.