Watch the Launch in Action with the Full Webinar, Panel Discussion, and How-To Walkthrough
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the Contra Costa Early Childhood Systems Map, a powerful new tool designed to help communities, providers, and policymakers work together to improve outcomes for young children and their families.
The Systems Map offers a countywide, bird’s-eye view of programs and services, showing how public investments intersect across systems. It highlights both community strengths and areas of unmet need, using data and stories from residents. Whether you’re planning programs, making policy decisions, or coordinating services, the Systems Map provides insights to help you make evidence-informed choices.
Watch the Launch in Action
Our launch event featured an engaging walkthrough of the tool, a panel discussion with local leaders, and insight into exploring how data and lived experience together can move us from understanding to action. Whether you attended live or missed it, you can now revisit the sessions and share them with your colleagues:
The full webinar recording is the best place to start if you want comprehensive context.
In this session, you’ll:
- Learn why the Systems Map was developed
- Understand how it integrates data across systems
- Hear how it supports evidence-informed policy and budgeting
- See how community voice is incorporated alongside quantitative data
The demo and walkthrough video is your hands-on guide to navigating and using the Systems Map with confidence.
In this session, you’ll:
- Learn to navigate the tool
- See how to move from big-picture context to specific indicators
- Understand how each section is organized and how to interact with the data
- Discover how the data can be viewed geographically and identify potential gaps
The panel discussion recording brings the Systems Map to life through the voices of two respected county leaders: Francine Jolton, Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, and Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston, Contra Costa County Supervisor for District 5.
In this session, you’ll:
- Hear from Dr. Francine Jolton as she reflects on her experience serving on the Systems Map Advisory Group and her decades in pediatric practice
- See how the Systems Map connects providers, helping them understand how their work fits into the bigger picture.
- Gain insight from a policymaker’s lens, as Supervisor Scales-Preston underscores a core reality: numbers drive funding and shape public investment decisions.
- Learn how shared data helps guide resource decisions, especially when budgets are tight.
- Discover the importance of using the Map to highlight critical needs so vulnerable populations are not missed.
- Listen to how the Systems Map provides shared data for agencies, providers, and community partners, helping everyone work together.
Downloadable Resources
To help you get started with the Systems Map, we’ve created two helpful resources:
Systems Map At-a-Glance: A brief overview of the tool, how it was developed, and how it can inform planning and decision-making.
First 5 Contra Costa’s Key Takeaways: An analysis of where First 5 Contra Costa sees the greatest opportunity to strengthen efforts and enhance the early childhood system.
Special Thanks to Our Panelists
We are grateful to the distinguished guests who shared their expertise and leadership during the launch:
- Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston, County Supervisor, District 5, Contra Costa County
- Dr. Francine Jolton, Contra Costa Regional Medical Center
- Jessica Teng, Start Early Consulting
Their perspectives helped ground the Systems Map in real-world experience and demonstrated the power of cross-sector collaboration.
Start Using the Systems Map
We encourage you to explore the tool and see how it can support your planning, collaboration, and decision-making. Together, we can strengthen the early childhood system and make a meaningful difference for families across Contra Costa County.
Start using the Contra Costa Early Childhood Systems Map
Connect with us or schedule an individual walk-through:
Dr. Mackenzie Whipps
mwhipps@first5coco.org