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Voter-Approved Children’s Fund Profile: Sonoma County, CA

The Sonoma County Child Care & Children’s Health Initiative dedicates 60% of its revenue to strengthening the child care system for children from birth through 5 years old.
Photo credit: First 5 Sonoma County

Voter-Approved Children’s Fund Profile: Sonoma County, CA

Name of Fund: Sonoma County Child Care & Children’s Health Initiative

Percent of Locality’s Children in Poverty: 9.6% (2024 U.S. census data) 

Annual Revenue: Estimated $32 million (2024, most recent year available)

Funding Mechanism: Sales tax increase of $0.0025 (1/4 cent)

Year Established: 2024 

Percent of Voters Who Approved the Fund, 2024: 62.8%

Expiration Date: None

Fund Purpose: Child care and child health services

Children’s Funding Project thanks our partners at First 5 Sonoma County, administrator of the Sonoma County Child Care & Children’s Health Initiative for their help with this profile.

Worked with Children’s Funding Project

  • Funding the Next Generation cohort member
  • Children’s Funding Project community of practice member

Filed under:

Infants and Toddlers, Early Childhood, Advocates/Intermediaries, Policymakers/Agency Leaders, Publication, Voter-Approved Children’s Funds

QUICK LINKS

Fund History and Description

Fund Purpose and Impact

Governance and Administration

Relevant Links

More Resources

Updates and Events

Fund History and Description
Photo credit: First 5 Sonoma County

The Sonoma County Child Care & Children’s Health Initiative was established following the passage of Measure I. Measure I, a voter-led initiative, was crafted from policy recommendations made by the First 5 Sonoma County Commission. These recommendations highlighted the following challenges:

  • Declining kindergarten readiness
  • A shortage of affordable child care
  • Low wages for early childhood educators
  • Limited access to pediatric mental health care 

The COVID-19 pandemic further intensified these challenges because Sonoma County lost nearly 50% of its child care slots during the pandemic, and only 20% of children were prepared to enter kindergarten. This decline was compounded by the ongoing decline  of state Proposition 10 tobacco tax revenue, which had supported programs serving children from birth through 5 years old since 1999.

In response to these challenges, the Our Kids, Our Future campaign launched to qualify a children’s initiative, Measure I, for the ballot. By January 2024, the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters certified that the campaign had gathered enough signatures to place Measure I on the November 2024 ballot. The Our Kids Our Future campaign was the product of more than a decade of coalition building that brought together local and state policymakers, business leaders, and early childhood advocates. Measure I secured endorsements from a long list of elected officials across the political spectrum, individual champions, and more than 50 local organizations and businesses, which helped secure approval by voters with 62% of the vote. 

Measure I established a dedicated local funding source to expand access to early learning, child care, and health services, strengthening Sonoma County’s early childhood system and ensuring that all children have the opportunity to grow up ready to succeed in school and life. 

Fund Purpose and Impact
Photo credit: First 5 Sonoma County

The Sonoma County Child Care & Children’s Health Initiative dedicates 60% of its revenue to strengthening the child care system for children from birth through 5 years old. Funding focuses on increasing access to high-quality child care, preschool, and early education, particularly for children from families with low and middle income, children affected by homelessness and other trauma, and those with other high-priority needs. 

The initiative specifically calls out investment in improving wages and compensation for child care providers and in maintaining and expanding early education facilities. The remaining 40% of revenue is dedicated to promoting child well-being and mental health and perinatal mental health, including maintaining and expanding access to health and mental health services tailored to the unique needs of infants, toddlers, and pediatric patients. 

Grounded in the understanding that early experiences shape a child’s life course, the fund emphasizes early intervention, recognizes parents and caregivers as children’s first teachers, and provides additional support to children who need it most. The initiative is expected to impact 20,000 children annually and 1,000 pregnant and new parents with health and well-being support. 

On August 26, 2025, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved the disbursement of the first $11.4 million in funding to address urgent community needs. Several months later, the 2026-2031 First 5 Sonoma County Strategic Plan and Allocation Plan, which directed investments of nearly $140 million of Measure I revenue over five years, was approved by the First 5 Sonoma County Commission and Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. Of this, over $80 million is currently being invested in local early care and education workforce development; a wage boost for the lowest earning child care providers; early care and education facility needs; and, community engagement and evaluation. Over $55 million in investments are underway to improve perinatal mental health and children’s mental and physical health through place-based early relational health hubs and mobile clinics to expand screening, referral, and services; doula training; supports for lactation and breastfeeding; behavioral consultation in early learning setting; and early intervention services.

Governance and Administration

The First 5 Sonoma County Commission, an independent public agency, administers the funds generated from the ballot measure. An 11-member Community Advisory Council, appointed by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, advises the First 5 Sonoma County Commission on how best to distribute the Measure I funds by developing recommendations for allocating the sales tax revenue and proposing annual program plans and procedures for fund administration.