Understanding that there are underlying conditions that contribute to violence, poverty, and negative early childhood outcomes, First 5 Alameda County is using a strengths-based approach and a variety of partnerships to support communities that have faced the greatest disenfranchisement. This narrative is based on two separate presentations of First 5 Alameda County’s place-based work: Lisa Erickson’s presentation during a 2016 Prevention Institute web conference on engaging the community development sector, and Carla Keener’s Cradle to Community panel presentation at the 2016 American Public Health Association’s Annual Meeting.