Jackie Thu-Huong Wong
Jackie Thu-Huong Wong, a refugee born during the fall of Saigon, is the Executive Director of First 5 California, also known as CA Children and Families Commission. Ms. Wong, brings more than three decades of experience working as an advocate for equity, health and education for children, youth and families in the state. Her formal training and background as a social worker has made it possible for Ms. Wong to share her expertise with diverse communities, specifically helping children thrive to achieve their full potential.
Previously, Ms. Wong served as First 5 California’s Chief Deputy Director, helping transform the organization toward its new North Star to create safe, stable, nurturing, relationships and environments for California’s youngest children and their families. She also helped families overcome the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, address adverse childhood experiences, remove barriers to equity, and tackle the systemic issues affecting California’s families.
Prior to joining First 5 California, Ms. Wong, M.S.W served as the Vice President of Policy and Advocacy for GRACE, an anti-poverty organization that manages the End Child Poverty in California Campaign (ECPCA) aimed at ending deep child poverty and reducing child poverty in the state. Under her leadership, in coalition with several anti-poverty advocates, ECPCA was able to secure over $4 billion in new funding to address child poverty, with a significant investment in education programs.
She has served three times as the School Board President for the Washington Unified School Board in West Sacramento since her election in 2006 and is a professor for Sacramento State’s School Nursing Credential program. In the past, she served as the Government Relations Director for the National Center for Youth Law where she worked on the reauthorization of Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Principal Policy Consultant to the California Senate President Darrell Steinberg during the development of the Local Control Funding Formula, Statewide Director for the Foster Youth Service at the California Department of Education and has served on the non-profit board of Milestones Child Development Center.
Due to her work with foster care education advocacy, California Chief Justice Tani G.Cantil-Sakauye has appointed Ms. Wong to her Keeping Kids in School (KKIS) Steering Committee focused on involving the courts in education efforts across the state. KKIS is focused on keeping kids in school and out of the justice system.
She is a mom to two school-age children and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare and Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Social Work and Pupil Personnel Services Credential from California State University, Sacramento. and her Administrative Credential from California State University East Bay (formerly CSU Hayward).