Oakland Starting Smart and Strong
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FEATURED LEADERS

Our Featured Leaders are Early Childhood Community stakeholders who work to make Oakland smarter and stronger. They are parents/caregivers, providers, educators, and collaborators.​
Robert E Williams, Jr, Blessed Beginnings Day Care
Robert smiles into the camera
"It has been very rewarding to participate in the Family Child Care Policy Program and advocate for an emergency fund for daycare providers, and parents and their children. This opportunity has allowed me to voice the concerns and needs of the daycare providers in the state of California."

Robert E. Williams, Jr. and his wife, Frankie, own Blessed Beginnings Day Care. He is a founding member of the Oakland/Alameda County Family Child Care (FCC) Policy Program. The FCC Policy Program was formed to build community power by linking FCC providers with elected officials and systems partners. The committee is a diverse group of FCC providers and parent advocates, supported by BANANAS, First 5 Alameda County, and OSSS. Robert developed the committee's proposal to allocate $1 million in ARPA funds to create an FCC emergency fund and presented it to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. This proposal sparked questions and conversations among systems leaders about the ongoing needs of family child care providers. 

 
Robert was first featured in the Oakland Starting Smart & Strong 2021 Year In Review.
Looking for data? Find it here: Oakland Starting Smart and Strong — All Reports By Year
Many of the photos on this site appear courtesy of Hasain Rasheed Photography
  • About
    • Our Purpose
    • Our Team >
      • Staff & Consultants
      • Supporters
      • Lead Planning Team
      • Task Force
      • Featured Leaders
    • Contact Us
  • Our Work
    • Pillars
    • Policy & Advocacy >
      • Family Child Care Policy Program
    • Research and Tools >
      • Developmental Screening
      • Early Development Instrument
      • Promising Practices Portfolio
      • ROCK
    • Results & Impact >
      • Year in Review
    • Strategic Plan
  • RESOURCES
    • Resource Lists
  • EVENTS
    • Early Learning Symposium
  • News
    • Newsletter
  • Get Involved