F5SMC Communications Consultation Services

First 5 San Mateo County (F5SMC) invites responses to this Request for Statement of Qualifications (“RFSQ”) from qualified consultants, agencies and/or individuals. The successful Respondent may eventually enter into contract with F5SMC to provide Communication Consultation Services for the development of a Strategic Communications Plan and Implementation Plan (“The Plan”). See Attachment C, Sample F5SMC Independent Contractor Agreement.

Respondents may request up to a total of $450,000 for 3-years contract term which begins August 1, 2025 and ends June 30, 2028.

The objective is to:

• Refresh the current Communications Plan (See Attachment G) to develop a 2025 - 2028 Strategic Communications Plan and Implementation Plan that will provide F5SMC with a plan on how communication activities and public education campaigns supporting the needs of children prenatal to age 5 and their families in San Mateo County, will be developed, implemented and measured.
• Support the Commission’s Vision, Mission and successful implementation of Desired Outcomes as identified in the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan.
• Increase knowledge of F5SMC’s role, initiatives, programs, funded partners services and impact to the community (parents, businesses, legislators, educators, etc.) county-wide, with targeted efforts to hard to reach population segments.
• Promote universal understanding of the importance of early brain development through an Early Brain Development Public Education Campaign for San Mateo County expectant parents, parents/caregivers of children birth to age 5, service providers and community members.
• Increase communications collaboration with First 5 California, First 5 Association of California, Children Now, Early Childhood Funders, etc., on initiatives benefiting local needs.
• Increase communication collaboration activities with funded and non-funded partners.
• Update communication policies and standardized internal processes, fundamental communication tools, outreach methods, outline and schedule of communication activities.

Funding Amount and Available Term

First 5 SMC has allocated a maximum of $450,000 over 3 fiscal years (2025-26, 2026-27, 2027-28) to meet the goals and objectives detailed in this RFSQ. This allocation includes $15,000 in Baby Bonus Pilot Program bringing the total to $450,000.

First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan

The Commission was authorized to develop a Strategic Plan and allocate funds accordingly. On December 16, 2024, the Commission approved the most recent Strategic Plan for the years 2025-2030. The Commission identified the following desired outcomes to guide its efforts during the Strategic Plan period:

1. San Mateo County leaders and partners fully invest in young children and their families.

2. Communities provide a safe and healthy environment for young children.

3. Children have timely and affordable access to high-quality early care and education settings.

4. Families feel connected to and supported by their community and able to nurture their children’s health
and development.

5. Children have healthy relationships and stable attachments to their primary caregivers.

6. Children have access to and are utilizing appropriate health care services to meet their health and
developmental needs.

7. Families have agency and voice to direct policies and systems that impact their children.

The 2025-2030 Strategic Plan is consistent with the focus and intent of the Children and Families Act, building on what has been learned and accomplished locally and providing a framework for the Commission and the community for how Proposition 10 funds will be strategically invested over the next five years. Central to the success of these investments is a strong foundation that adequately prioritizes early childhood systems and services in San Mateo County. These foundational improvements will be furthered with investments in four core domains: Quality Care and Education, Healthy Children, Resilient Families, and Systems Change.

One of the strategies to achieve the Desired Outcomes is through policy, advocacy and community education. To cultivate a child-centered culture where children lead the way in San Mateo County, F5SMC will lead strategic policy, advocacy, communications, and research and knowledge development to build public and political will to invest in the well-being and success of our young children, and give stakeholders the information they need to change the systemic conditions for children and families. First 5 San Mateo County staff, grantees, or other partners will work to increase awareness about early childhood and educate the public on ways they can enhance the health, development, and learning of children prenatal to age 5. Strategic Planning efforts identified Communication activities as embedded components within each of the Four Core Domains listed above.

In light of the Commission’s declining revenues, F5SMC is expanding opportunities for partnership. During the Strategic Planning Process, the First 5 San Mateo County Commission examined how its role in the community could best maximize positive impacts for children, families and the community. For the duration of the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, F5SMC will focus on three primary community roles: Strategic Financial Investor, Community Partner in aligned efforts and as a Community Leader to advocate for the prioritization of young children and their families in decision making processes. Respondents should be familiar with the content of the new Strategic Plan, Attachment A which is also available on the First 5 San Mateo County F5SMC website at www.first5sanmateo.org .

As a result of the Strategic Planning Process, the Strategic Plan Implementation Plan (SPIP) – Phase 1, was developed for the implementation of fiscal investments for fiscal years 2025-2026, 2026-2027, 2027-2028 and lists current and upcoming program funding and activities; see Attachment B.