SYSTEMS CHANGE

Oakland Starting Smart and Strong is making Oakland’s early childhood system stronger and more sustainable by testing, expanding, and linking solutions. Through these efforts, we are offering greater access to high-quality services for all of Oakland’s children and families.
What we’re aiming for:
What we’re aiming for:
- Early childhood systems are easy to understand and navigate
- Effective programs and services are expanded to serve more children and families
- More children are enrolled in high quality early childhood
education programs - Early childhood policies reflect parent priorities
- Supporting leadership in OUSD to continue to improve early childhood education within the district
- Collaborating with providers to maximize their enrollment, and ensure Oakland makes full and effective use of state funds for early learning
- Convening an Early Childhood Education Funders Forum, in collaboration with the Packard Foundation and First 5 Alameda
- Increasing representation of parents and family, friends and neighbor caregivers at leadership tables that influence early childhood policies
- Supporting the collection, analysis and sharing of data to understand where families get care and services before enrolling in kindergarten
- Creating a common understanding of school readiness