Meet Jackie

Jackie Thu-Huong Wong, M.S.W, is a refugee born during the fall of Saigon and the first woman of color as the Executive Director of First 5 California, also known as the CA Children and Families Commission. Ms. Wong, brings more than three decades of experience working as an advocate for equity, justice, 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.

Prior to joining First 5 California, Ms. Wong served as the Vice President of Policy and Advocacy for GRACE, an anti-poverty organization that leads the End Child Poverty in California  Campaign (ECPCA) aimed at ending deep child poverty and reducing child poverty in the state. She is also considered as a state and national expert on foster youth education, having made transformational systemic changes for students in foster care ensuring that their educational rights were protected.

Due to her work with children and youth, Jackie was appointed by Chief Justice Ronald George to his Blue Ribbon Commission on Foster Care. Ms. Wong was also appointed by Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye to her Keeping Kids in School Initiative, working with children’s advocates and law enforcement agencies to develop statewide policy and practice strategies to keep kids in schools and out of the courts.

Jackie has served as a trustee for the Washington Unified School Board since 2016 and was voted in 3 times as President by her colleagues, twice during the pandemic.  During this time she has secured millions of dollars to support Career Technical Education, Supplemental Academic and Enrichment programs for students, Electric Busses and developed a comprehensive Facilities Master Plan that fully engaged the community.  This Master Plan informed the successful bond measure that honors the history of West Sacramento schools by strategically modernizing campuses across the district. 

She is a professor for San Francisco and Sacramento State’s School Nursing Credential program. In the past, Ms. Wong has served as the Principal Policy Consultant for CA Senate President Darrell Steinberg. This portfolio included Human Services, Developmental Disabilities, Long-Term Aging, Veterans and Military Affairs.  She also has served as the Statewide Director for the Foster Youth Services program at the California Department of Education and has served on the non-profit board of Milestones Child Development Center. 

Jackie is a mom to two brilliant school-age children and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare and Psychology from University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Social Work from California State University, Sacramento.