First Five Sacramento Commission Meeting - February 17, 2026

Note on meeting date: The raw transcription indicates the meeting occurred on Monday, February 2, 2026, but the provided timestamp states February 17, 2026. This summary uses the specified date of February 17, 2026 as instructed.

The First Five Sacramento Commission convened on February 17, 2026, with Chair Cerna presiding. A quorum was established with 11 of 14 commissioners present. The meeting covered consent items, multiple committee reports, and approvals for grants, contracts, and a data system upgrade. No public comments were made.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of January 12, 2026 Draft Action Summary: Approved unanimously by roll call vote with Chair Cerna, Commissioners Wesley, Fernandez Garcia, Gordon, Cassirie, Boston, and Moak voting aye. Commissioners Katari, Kennedy, Evans, Guerra, and Hassett were absent or late.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public signed up to speak on any agenda item.

Discussion Items

• Executive Director’s Report (Item 3): Julie gave updates including: Governor’s proposed 2026 budget restores $26 million for home visiting ($750,000 share for First Five Sacramento); a temporary restraining order blocked federal funding freezes on child care and family services; site visits at Birth and Beyond sites are scheduled; two parent leadership graduates completed the Grantland Johnson Leadership Institute; an airport child care center is progressing with two options (interim space or new building); and equity in action grant outreach has increased media coverage, notably in the Sacramento Observer and Carmichael Times. Aaron noted a PR firm (Cobalt) will assist with broader outreach.
• Advisory Committee Update (Item 4): Committee did not meet; next meeting February 20, 2026.
• Evaluation Committee Update (Item 5): Met January 26, 2026; discussed releasing a letter of intent for a new data system (Item 10) and reviewed the annual report for 2024–25 (to come in April).
• Financial Planning Committee Update (Item 6): Reported an 8.3% staff vacancy rate, upcoming website migration to Adobe Experience Manager (March launch, ADA compliance), lower Prop 10 allocation in November corrected by December’s higher allocation, and review of the United Way fiscal agent agreement (Item 8).
• Systems Optimization Committee Update (Item 7): Did not meet.
• Approval of Expenditure Agreement with United Way California Capital Region (Item 8): Staff recommended using United Way as fiscal agent for 23 Tier 1 equity in action grants (up to $9,999 each) to provide timely payments and oversight. Total agreement up to $272,410 ($197,410 pass-through, up to $75,000 for services). Approved on roll call with all present voting aye.
• Approval of Equitable Evaluation Contract with Institute for Social Research (Item 9): Staff proposed $142,000 contract for equitable evaluation of the racial equity priority area (approved April 2023). Institute for Social Research (Sac State) was selected from 22 applicants. They will use “Ripple Maps” for qualitative feedback, interview both funded and unfunded applicants, and analyze process from initial assemblies to outcomes. Commissioner Fernandez y Garcia requested benchmarks for future evaluations. Vice Chair Guerra commended the institute’s past work. Approved unanimously.
• Data Management System Exploration (Item 10): Staff requested $100,000 augmentation to the evaluation budget (FY 2026–27) to conduct a competitive bid for a new data management system, replacing current contractor Persimony International Inc. (contracted since 2010). Issues included inability to meet partner requests for cross-program accessibility and reluctance to delete sensitive data. The contract ends June 2027. Commissioner Wesley noted past difficulties with disaggregated data (multiracial, African American). Commissioner Moak questioned market awareness of available funds; staff explained a letter of interest will first gauge pricing. Approved on roll call.
• Children’s Dental Health Month Proclamation (Item 11): Chair Cerna delegated presentation to Vice Chair Guerra, who presented the proclamation to Dr. Cassier (County Health Officer). Dr. Cassier highlighted that tooth decay is a common childhood disease and emphasized prevention via water fluoridation, which saves $6.5 billion annually and returns $20 per $1 spent. He also noted oral health’s link to chronic diseases (diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke).
• Commission Opportunity to Bring Up Items (Item 12): None raised.

Key Outcomes

• Votes:
  • Item 1 (Approval of Jan 12 minutes): Passed unanimously.
  • Item 8 (United Way fiscal agent): Approved by voice roll call (all present aye).
  • Item 9 (Institute for Social Research contract): Approved unanimously.
  • Item 10 (Budget augmentation and data system exploration): Approved unanimously.
• Other Decisions:
  • March 2026 meeting canceled; next regular meeting scheduled for April 2026.
  • Staff authorized to issue a letter of interest for a new data management system and to increase evaluation budget by $100,000.
  • Proclamation for Children’s Dental Health Month presented; commission reaffirmed support for oral health initiatives including water fluoridation.