Univision partnership informs Latino parents and caregivers of the importance of a child’s early years

Challenge:

Raise awareness among the Latino population about early childhood development issues

Since 1998, when California voters passed Proposition 10 and imposed a 50 cents-per-pack tax on tobacco products to fund early childhood development and anti-tobacco education programs, First 5 California has worked tirelessly to raise awareness on issues affecting children ages 0 to 5.  Since 50% of children born in California are of Latino descent, there is a great need to raise awareness about First 5 California programs and early childhood development issue among Latino communities statewide.  The Rogers Group’s Latino Strategies Group accepted the challenge of developing a public education campaign that would inform and educate parents and caregivers about the importance of the first five years, as well as provide access to much needed programs and services.

Key Strategies:

Bring First 5 California key messages to Latino’s homes through a trusted messenger

• Establish a partnership with Univision Television Network that would allow First 5 California to highlight important issues, programs and resources
• Educate parents and caregivers about quality early childhood development issues through interviews and pre-taped segments
• Promote the availability of early childhood development resources to parents and their young children by highlighting local First 5 California funded programs
• Raise awareness among policy-makers, opinion leaders and the general public of the need for quality early childhood resources and support to families
• Help establish a school readiness vision for California through the promotion of key First 5 California initiatives, especially voluntary preschool and universal health care for all young children statewide

Results:

Improve the lives of millions of Latino children and their families

• The success of the partnership with Los Angeles Univision station KMEX-TV led to the expansion of partnerships with Univision stations in Sacramento, San Francisco, Fresno and San Diego
• Through the partnership, 163 segments have been produced on topics relating to early childhood development, reaching more than 11 million viewers statewide
• The partnership generated an estimated advertising value of $471,000
• Univision segments, in conjunction with other media efforts, have generated a noticeable increase in calls to First 5 California’s Spanish-language hotline. Based on reports, calls to the hotline increase by an average of 25% each time a First 5 California Univision segment airs