© 2025 First 5 Center for Children’s Policy. All rights reserved.
Blog Post
Alexandra Parma • Sep 22, 2020
When a child shows signs of a developmental concern, getting connected to supports early is key. Leticia DeGracia, a Sacramento mother of four young children, knew this was true and took swift action when two of her children, Jaqueline and Brandon, showed symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Blog Post
Sep 11, 2020
Brianna’s story is one of many that shows how difficult California’s early identification and intervention (EII) system can be for families to navigate. Without outside support systems, it is easy for families to get lost, frustrated, and disillusioned.
Blog Post
Alexandra Parma • Jul 7, 2020
For a child with a developmental delay or disability, timely and accessible intervention services can be critical to that child’s wellbeing, as well as that of her parents or caregivers. COVID-19 has disrupted services for many families, compounding the stress related to changes to employment, child care, and overall routines. As a result, rates of stress, depression, and anxiety during the pandemic are significantly higher in households where a young child has a disability.
Blog Post
Alexandra Parma • May 12, 2020
With the COVID-19 recession predicted to exceed the downturn of the Great Recession, cuts to many key services are expected, and one devastating outcome may be the further erosion of an already fragile system that serves infants and toddlers with developmental delays.
Blog Post
Alexandra Parma • May 6, 2020
The First 5 Center for Children’s Policy is releasing a new policy brief, "California’s Early Identification and Intervention System and the Role of Help Me Grow,” which describes county systems that improve identification and linkage.
Blog Post
Gabriela Velasco • Aug 21, 2019
First 5 Center worked with Orange County mother Gabriela Velasco to write about the difficulties her family faced in getting an autism diagnosis for her son.
© 2025 First 5 Center for Children’s Policy. All rights reserved.