About Us

The Fox Valley community has a long-standing commitment to early childhood efforts dating back at least as far as 1993. The journey was advanced with the establishment of the Healthy Infant Child Alliance and the opening of a Family Resource Center in 2006. This dedication led to the formation of the Home Visiting Consortium in 2010, where various agencies joined forces to address the issue of children falling through the gaps in the system. By 2012, this consortium evolved into the Fox Valley Early Childhood Coalition (FVECC).

Under the umbrella of FVECC, several initiatives were launched to support parents and children. A Parent Outlet website was created with frequently asked questions, a home visiting matrix to assist with resource navigation, and distributed physician toolkits containing developmental screening tools. However, in 2011, the Family Resource Center closed due to changes in lease options and funding. This setback prompted stakeholders to seek a permanent location for early childhood organizations to collaborate.

In 2014, a significant step was taken with the launch of the Community Early Learning Center (CELC), which hosts four programs serving young children. This marked the beginning of a period of strategic thinking among early childhood partner agencies. In 2018, faced with the challenge of achieving broader community impact, the coalition and supporters in the community recognized the need for structural changes to create a more aligned early childhood support system with cross-sector community engagement and accountability. Meanwhile, leaders engaged with the Help Me Grow, a national network providing a parent and child support navigation model as well as technical and measurement support. As the official state-wide affiliate of Help Me Grow in Wisconsin, F5FV subsequently expanded its reach to provide technical consultation to Help Me Grow affiliates in Kenosha and Brown counties, collaborating with the Medical College of Wisconsin and ThedaCare to extend Help Me Grow to surrounding rural counties.

Furthermore, First 5 Fox Valley (F5FV) is an integral partner in the NEW Child Care Alliance, a group of organizations and leaders focused on comprehending the complexities surrounding child care for local parents. Simultaneously, they are actively involved in co-creating a new initiative with New Mental Health Connections, examining solutions for maternal mental health and its impact on young children. Throughout their endeavors, F5FV consistently prioritizes the question of how each initiative will contribute to better outcomes for children.