Fall 2026 Collaborative Convening: Coming Together for Oakland’s Young Children and Families

On September 8th, approximately 100 early childhood educators, providers, advocates, community leaders, funders, and partners came together for the Oakland Starting Smart and Strong Collaborative Convening. Together, we explored what we are seeing across Oakland’s early childhood system, heard perspectives on state and local policy, and reflected on how we can build on the work already happening across our community.

The State of Early Childhood in Oakland OR Grounding in the Data

Jillian Berkin of First 5 Alameda County shared the latest data and insights about young children, families, and early educators in Oakland and Alameda County. The data provided an important foundation for the day, highlighting both the challenges facing children, families, and early educators and the importance of continued collaboration.

A Shared Roadmap for Oakland’s Early Childhood System

OSSS Executive Committee Members Angela Louie Howard (CEO, Lotus Bloom), Kym Johnson (CEO, BANANAS), and Maria Sujo (Director of Early Learning, Alameda Office of Education) shared an update on our collective work to develop a 10-year roadmap for Oakland’s early childhood system. Through our Theory of Change process, we have worked with families, early educators, providers, community organizations, and other partners to identify shared priorities for the years ahead:

• Family Supports
• Child Health & Development
• Early Educator Supports, Professional Development & Workforce Strengthening
• Expanded Access to Early Care and Education
• Parent & Community Voice and Power
• Collective Impact Backbone & Data

​​The roadmap builds on the knowledge and experience present across Oakland and reflects a shared vision for a community where all young children, families, and early educators can flourish.

Connecting Local Work to State Policy

The convening also featured a lively panel discussion on the changing early childhood landscape, including the impacts of state policy, Transitional Kindergarten, affordability, and funding.

Assemblymember Mia Bonta joined Kristin Spanos (CEO, First 5 Alameda County), Nancy Harvey (Owner, Lil Nancy’s Primary Schoolhouse), and Clarissa Doutherd (Executive Director, Parent Voices Oakland) for a conversation moderated by Ashley McBride, Education Reporter for The Oaklandside.

Assemblymember Bonta also offered inspiring remarks before the panel, connecting the work and advocacy happening in Oakland to progress at the state level. Her comments highlighted the important relationship between local efforts, community voices, and state policy - and how local leaders and advocates can help shape broader policy change.

The panel brought together perspectives from state policy, local public systems, child care providers, and parent and community advocacy, with a focus on what these changes mean for Oakland’s children, families, and early educators.

​​I was struck by the hopefulness, engagement and camaraderie of the early childhood community in Oakland despite significant headwinds in this moment (and let's be honest, always in ECE). The data overview at the beginning was extremely useful, and every speaker was excellent. 
​Collaborative Convening Attendee

Building on What’s Already Happening

During the convening, participants reflected together on where organizations are already working across Oakland’s early childhood system and where there are opportunities to build on that work.

Participants highlighted promising efforts in areas including literacy, trauma-informed practice, family engagement, expanding child care access, and connections between early educators, higher education, and subsidy programs.

Several themes emerged:

• Making it easier for families to find and access resources. Participants identified opportunities to strengthen resource navigation and referral, improve outreach in neighborhoods that may be less connected to existing resources, and better understand what information and messaging resonate with families.
• Connecting and learning from existing work. Participants pointed to initiatives such as Rise East, Oakland Is a Reading Town and other family- and community-focused efforts as opportunities to strengthen connections across organizations and build on what is already working.
• Using data to better understand impact. Participants identified opportunities to better connect existing surveys and other data sources, understand community needs, and learn more about the longer-term impact of early childhood programs.
• Supporting the early childhood workforce. Participants emphasized the importance of strengthening training and education opportunities, connecting providers to resources, and supporting stable staffing and quality.

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Across the conversations, one message was clear: Oakland has a strong foundation of people and organizations already working to support young children and families. There is an opportunity to better connect, coordinate, and build on that work.

We will carry this feedback forward as OSSS continues to develop and implement our 10-year roadmap and identify opportunities for collective action.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to the conversation. We are grateful to the families, early educators, providers, advocates, community organizations, and partners who continue to bring their knowledge, relationships, and commitment to this work.