Every family should be able to live in a city, county, and region that supports the growing needs of their children. 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.

OCYS 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.

OCYS Concept Paper

What OCYS Is & Is Not

FY24 Children and Youth Policy and Budget Recommendations

"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
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San Diego Cities Together for Child Care

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. Through intentional relationship building and partnership, this project will give cities a greater concept of their local child care landscape, insight into barriers, and feasible solutions to address it.

San Diego Cities Together for Child Care Project Summary

So, what do you say?

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