Overview: Charna Widby has been appointed as the new executive director of First 5 Riverside County (F5RC). With over 25 years of experience in public systems, Widby has a strong commitment to early childhood development and access for families. F5RC works to support the health, early learning, and family well-being of children from prenatal to age five in Riverside County. Widby’s vision and expertise will build on the strong foundation of prior leadership and deepen community partnerships to make services easier to navigate across Riverside County.
Ellen Perrault
In mid-December, Charna Widby was appointed executive director of First 5 Riverside County (F5RC).
Widby has more than 25 years’ experience working across public systems to improve access to coordinated care and support for families. Throughout her career, she has shown deep commitment to early childhood development, systems building, and access for children and families statewide.
First 5 Riverside County advances programs, partnerships, and community systems that support the health, early learning, and family well-being of children from prenatal to age five. With a 2028 projection of roughly 230,000 children ages 0–5 living in Riverside County, the department works to reach as many families as possible with early-childhood support.
Additionally, F5RC oversees the county’s Family Resource Centers in partnership with the Department of Public Social Services by navigating benefits (CalFresh, Medi-Cal), accessing food and basic needs, enrolling children in early learning and childcare, and connecting to family support and safety resources like parenting programs, housing navigation, and crisis response services for families throughout Riverside County.
“Charna’s vision and expertise will continue to elevate the County’s commitment to ensuring every child in Riverside County has the opportunity to thrive,” said Board Chair and Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez.
“First 5 Riverside County is strongest when families feel supported and connected from the very beginning,” said Supervisor Chuck Washington, Chair of the Riverside County Children & Families Commission. “Charna Widby brings a clear vision for building on the strong foundation of prior leadership while deepening community partnerships so families can access support earlier and every child in Riverside County can grow up healthy and ready to succeed.”
County officials expressed how Widby has been an integral part of these efforts as assistant director, and previously deputy director, of the organization. Prior to that, she served as chief government affairs and public policy officer at First 5 LA for six years and as a director at The Raben Group, partnering with counties, coalitions, and philanthropic organizations to advance early childhood policy, strategy, and funding for five years.
Widby holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Chicago and master’s degrees in public policy and dispute resolution from Pepperdine University. She also earned a certificate in public health from the University of Iowa.
“Every child deserves the strongest possible start in life,” Widby said. “I’m honored to lead First 5 Riverside County and to work with our partners so families can get support earlier and more easily, not just in moments of crisis. I’m grateful for the foundation built under previous leadership and excited to build on it by making services easier to navigate across Riverside County.”For more information on First 5 Riverside County and its programs, please visit rccfc.org.