Strengthened policy-advocacy capacity to ensure the built environment supports early childhood development

On behalf of First 5 LA, we co-designed the Built Environment Policy Advocacy Fund (BEPAF), a grant program to develop the policy-advocacy capacity of resident leaders and organizations in Los Angeles to promote built environment policies that support healthy childhood development. Through training, peer learning, and technical assistance, LA community members gained skills to advocate for parks and open space, active transportation, public transit, and food security in the county’s most under-resourced communities within the changing context of the global pandemic. This work was supported by First 5 LA. Photo by the Office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis. (This photo was taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.)