Best Start: Insights from a 15+ Year Investment in Communities to Inform Future Direction

In November 2025, First 5 LA contracted the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) to produce this report on the Best Start Communities place-based initiative. While the review considered the evolution of Best Start since its inception, this report focuses primarily on 2018-2025, capturing the period following the shift to a regional network grantee approach across Los Angeles County. The report is intentionally limited in scope to the objectives set by First 5 LA. CSSP was engaged to conduct a review of over 400 written documents and 10 key stakeholder interviews¹, however this was not intended to be a comprehensive assessment. Rather it is a summary synthesizing eight years of documentation and perspectives related to the Best Start investment. While a broader review and additional data might offer further insights, this report was designed to address the specific questions and purpose established by First 5 LA for strategic planning and considerations for future investment decisions.

Interviewees included representatives from the five Regional Neighborhood Grantees, current and former First 5 LA staff, and the First 5 LA Commission.