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<br /> 9 <br /> <br />While poverty cannot be solved with a silver bullet, we can mitigate the effects of poverty on children <br />with strategies that create a seamless pipeline of services and supports from cradle to college and <br />career. To do this in Orange County, a collaborative group of local government, non-profits, schools, <br />and community members called the Family Success Alliance (FSA) was formed in 2014 to work towards <br />an Orange County where all children and families have the opportunity to succeed in school and in life. <br />Starting in two geographic “zones” in Orange County (figure 5), the FSA is working to strengthen the <br />pipeline of high-quality, connected health, education, and family support systems to make sure all <br />children are healthy and prepared for school, are healthy and succeed in school, graduate from high <br />school and college, and that family and neighborhoods can support their healthy development. This <br />work is based on national models such as the Harlem Children’s <br />Zone and the Promise Neighborhoods. <br />In 2015 and 2016 FSA started a kindergarten readiness program and <br />served 66 families in three zone elementary schools, developed a <br />joint intake and referral system with partner organizations, and <br />provided one-on-one family support from family coaches with lived <br />experience in our zones, called Zone Navigators. Students in the <br />kindergarten readiness program showed significant growth, with 9% <br />of students assessed with a proficient level of readiness at the start <br />of the program and 67% with a proficient level of readiness at the <br />end of the program according to measures from the Kindergarten <br />Readiness Assessment. Work with the FSA collaborative of agencies <br />has also resulted in improvements in understanding, collaboration, <br />and coordination between agencies serving children and families in <br />the zones. This has included scheduling and location of <br />programming, the content of services, and the communication <br />between providers. <br />Moving forward into 2016, FSA will expand the kindergarten <br />readiness program to include 90 incoming kindergarteners, <br />continue support from Zone Navigators, and work with partners to <br />strengthen programs and services. <br />Figure 5: Map of Two Geographic FSA <br />Zones in Orange County