Local government infrastructure for families and children
Strong local government infrastructure is the backbone of a community that prioritizes children and families
City and county governments having the appropriate infrastructure to draw-down state and federal resources, coordinate initiatives and services across the region, and keep child, youth, and working family interests at the heart of government helps us to design systems and allocate resources to ensure every child has the support they need to succeed.
Though perhaps not deemed ‘child’ or ‘youth-specific,’ our local governments are making decisions every day that impact the lives of children, youth, and their families.
Without the internal infrastructure to keep the interests of children, youth, and their families at the forefront, their perspective and the impact of these decisions will continue to go unheard.
The best crafted policy is co-created with those closest to the issue, and thereby closest to solutions, but so often resources and energy are not centered there. Our local leaders have a unique responsibility to shift power in this way.
Erin Hogeboom, San Diego for Every Child
City of San Diego Office of Child and Youth Success
At the City of San Diego, the Children First Collective saw an opportunity to empower and protect San Diego’s children, youth, and working families by advocating for the establishment of an Office of Child and Youth Success (OCYS).
This Office allows the City of San Diego to continue its pursuit of being a great place to have and raise a family. It acts as a sounding board where children, youth, and families’ voices are heard and represented at decision and policy-making tables.
We advocate that every municipality consider how best it can create space for honoring the perspectives and lived experience of children, youth, and their families.
We at the Children First Collective encourage every municipality across our region to explore how you can best ensure service to the children, youth, and families in your care.
In 2022, we dreamed up San Diego Cities Together to offer our expertise and guide cities across San Diego County to analyze and address their municipality’s child care crisis. Leveraging the Collective’s expertise and provider/ parent connection, we can help build and sustain strong connections with the early care and education (ECE) sector.
We invite intentional relationship building and partnership with cities to give greater insight into their local child care landscape, insight into barriers, and feasible solutions to address it.
