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First 5 California Announces Stronger Starts Statewide Day of Action 2026
The Statewide Day of Action serves as a call for communities across California to unite around a shared commitment to ensuring every child has the strongest possible start in life. This effort directly supports First 5 California’s Stronger Starts public education outreach campaign, which calls attention to the lasting impacts of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress response (TSR), while promoting the power of safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments in helping children grow, learn, and thrive.
The Statewide Day of Action kicked off with a press conference at Fairytale Town in Sacramento, followed by a family-friendly community event where children and caregivers participated in a hands-on sunflower potting activity. The activity symbolizes the importance of nurturing strong starts and fostering meaningful connections between children and the adults who care for them.
Since First 5 California’s Stronger Starts campaign launched in 2023, it has reached millions of Californians, helping parents and caregivers better understand how trauma can affect young children and how supportive relationships can buffer its impact. Research shows that trauma can manifest in young children through behaviors such as tantrums, withdrawal, or sleep challenges, but consistent, nurturing responses from caregivers can help protect children’s long-term health and development.
A recent study from the California Surgeon General’s Office showed that approximately 1 in 3 children in California have experienced at least one ACE.* Additionally, ACEs account for a total annual economic burden of $1.5 trillion every year in California alone.** The Stronger Starts campaign focuses on addressing toxic stress in children and ensuring families are aware and have access to information and resources on the topic. The Statewide Day of Action invited communities, leaders, and families to unite around this shared commitment to supporting children during their foundational years, and is proud to say that this year, 18 local First 5 commissions are participating in SDOA.
To learn more about the Stronger Starts campaign, visit First5California.com.
*California, S. of. (n.d.). Adverse childhood experiences (ACES) in Youth. Retrieved from the Office of California Surgeon General. CAWEB Publishing Service. 2020.
** Peterson C, Aslam MV, Niolon PH, et al. Economic Burden of Health Conditions Associated With Adverse Childhood Experiences Among US Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(12):e2346323.
About First 5 California’s Stronger Starts Campaign
Stronger Starts is a statewide public awareness campaign from First 5 California designed to support parents and caregivers in helping children ages 0–5 grow up safe, supported, and resilient. Since its launch in 2023, the campaign has guided families through three phases—Educate, Assess, and now Address—building understanding of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress response (TSR), and equipping caregivers with practical tools to respond to children’s emotional needs. Now in phase 3, the Address phase is focused on helping parents and caregivers reflect on their own experiences and apply simple, research-based strategies to create safe, stable, nurturing relationships that can buffer the effects of toxic stress response and promote healthy development.
About First 5 California
First 5 California was established in 1998 when voters passed Proposition 10, which taxes tobacco products to fund services for children ages 0 to 5 and their families. First 5 California programs and resources are designed to educate and support teachers, parents, and caregivers in the critical role they play during a child's first five years--to help California kids receive the best possible start in life and thrive. For more information, please visit www.ccfc.ca.gov.
Stacey Reardon
Change Craft
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