***This page currently under construction.***
Systems Change
OSSS continues to serve as a leading voice in the City of Oakland to strengthen the systems that touch the lives of children and families. We will continue to work towards a city where our public investments and systems fully support Oakland children and families most impacted by racial and economic inequity. OSSS is committed to results-based accountability.
Oakland Starting Smart and Strong is making Oakland’s early childhood system stronger and more sustainable by amplifying family and practitioner experiences with systems, championing the effective use of data, and convening multiple systems leaders and stakeholders. . We focus resources and systems-building efforts towards children and families most impacted by social, racial, and economic inequity.
Why
Our Goal
Highlights
Why
- Inequities in support and funding for early care and education have long meant that families of color and families of low incomes struggle to find affordable and reliable care and high-quality services.
- Early childhood professionals, who are predominantly women of color, are often paid subminimum wages
Our Goal
- Oakland’s early childhood system and supports will be stronger, more sustainable, and able to offer greater access to culturally responsive services for children and families
Highlights
- Dedicating staff and resources to enhance policy and advocacy work and begin to use the power of our collaborative’s stakeholders to advocate for long term systems change.
- Completing two rounds of Early Development Instrument assessments of OUSD kindergarteners
- Improving transparency of EDI data dashboard and supporting community engagement using EDI results
- Formalizing OUSD kindergarten transition practices and expanding to non-OUSD providers
- Increasing representation of parent advocacy organizations, family child care providers and informal caregivers at leadership tables that influence early childhood policies
Read more about the foundation of our work here.
