Anyone can say they are doing good work; we have the results to back up our claims. One of the hallmarks of the Commission is our commitment to evaluate our investments, and to support programs and projects that are truly making a difference in the lives of Orange County’s youngest children. We continually ask ourselves and the organizations we support: are we helping children be healthy and ready to learn? Do the programs we fund help a significant number of Orange County’s children? Are our dollars being spent as efficiently as possible, on prevention and early intervention as well as treatment? We don’t just count dollars spent, or numbers served—although those numbers can tell a powerful story. We measure the impact of those dollars like fewer cavities; more developmental delays identified and addressed; and changed behavior (for example, children eating healthier, being more active, and getting to a healthy weight).
In 2009-2010, the Commission allocated more than $5.6 million to programs and provided almost 3 million services toyoung children and families. The programs we support are grouped according to how they advance our four goals of healthy children, early learning, strong families, and capacity building.