Oakland Starting Smart and Strong

Happy Holidays from the OSSS team! As we prepare for the new year, we remain grateful to be in community with each of you. We know that our collaborative is ready to continue to show up for Oakland’s youngest learners, their families and educators in 2025. Wishing you all a peaceful and joyful holiday season. Read our full holiday message here: https://lnkd.in/gEguFA3z

Help Inform Measure C Implementation! Parents, child care providers, early care educators, and community members who are passionate about services for young children - join First 5 Alameda County and the Measure C Community Advisory Council (CAC) listening session next Wednesday, December 18th. This listening session will feature discussion on access to child care. Find more info at https://lnkd.in/gPuGEfCW.

Join a December 15th hometown screening of the award-winning “Make a Circle”, a love letter to early educators and a rallying cry for a child care system in crisis featuring family child care provider and advocate Charlotte Guinn, a member of our FCC Policy Program. Come early for a meet-and-greet and stay afterwards for a Q&A with filmmakers and participants, moderated by Sandra Moore. This event is organized by The Center for Early Childhood Connections. Find more info and reserve your spot at https://lnkd.in/gigphiUj

More than 170 local early care and education professionals attended Baby Steps: Shifting to Care for Younger Children! Our first Early Learning Symposium for 2024-25 featured early learning leaders including Dr. LaWanda Wesley from Child Care Resource Center, @Luis Arenas from The Unity Council,  @Kavitha Ramesh from Kidango, and @Natanya Mitchell, an Oakland Family Child Care provider. PLUS over 75 early learning professionals came to our companion event the following Saturday. Read more on our blog and watch a recording of the symposium: https://lnkd.in/gis3e28s Thank you to BANANAS, Inc., Tandem, Partners in Early Learning, First 5 Alameda County, Lotus Bloom, Oakland Promise Brilliant Baby, and Alameda County Early Care and Education Planning Council for joining us at Baby Steps Forward: Learning Fair and Workshops on Saturday!

Have you checked your inbox? Our most recent newsletter highlights our co-director announcement, a recap of the Early Learning Symposium, the new FCC Retirement Fund (an historical victory for Child Care Providers United), and a new informative website from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Find it here: https://lnkd.in/gRF9V5xK

Oakland Starting Smart and Strong is excited to officially announce that Page Tomblin has joined OSSS as our Co-Director! With over 25 years’ experience working to improve the lives of children and youth in Alameda County, Page values the relationships she’s built and is excited to work collectively to further OSSS’s vision of an Oakland where all children, families, and early educators flourish. Read a special conversation between our Co-Directors, Priya Jagannathan and Page Tomblin.  https://lnkd.in/gJWnBFcV

📣 Call To Action from Kenneth Rainin Foundation: Contact your Representative today to urge them to protect the rights of nonprofits by opposing H.R. 9495. Act quickly, as the bill will be voted on this Thursday morning: https://lnkd.in/eiNZxvy2 The House of Representatives is set to vote this Thursday, November 21, on H.R. 9495, a bill that poses a significant threat to the nonprofit sector and our ability to serve communities effectively. See more information about this bill in the joint statement of opposition from Independent Sector, Council on Foundations, National Council of Nonprofits and United Philanthropy Forum: https://lnkd.in/gsMQ4arD To help mobilize action, The Independent Sector has created an Advocacy Toolkit to engage your networks and urge your Representative to vote against this bill: https://lnkd.in/ezpQgUNN

There's still a chance to register for WEDNESDAY's #OaklandEarlyLearningSymposium! Baby Steps: Shifting to Care for Younger Children will provide insights into our changing #EarlyChildhoodEcosystem whether you're planning to expand your age range or simply want to stay informed. Join us! Scan the QR code in our flyer or register at https://lnkd.in/gRRY__zX Wednesday. November 13th, 2024 6:30 - 8:15 pm | Online via Zoom Interpretación de idiomas disponible 提供語言翻譯

Join us for Part I of the #OaklandEarlyLearningSymposium, Baby Steps: Shifting to Care for Younger Children, as we explore the driving forces behind the changes in #ECE real success stories, and practical tips from early learning professionals who've adapted their programs to serve younger children; and actionable insights for programs considering or planning similar changes.  Wednesday. November 13th, 2024 6:30 - 8:15 pm | Online via Zoom Interpretación de idiomas disponible 提供語言翻譯 Scan the QR code in our flyer or register at https://lnkd.in/gRRY__zX Plus, all registrants will receive info for our free, in-person event on November 16th!

Oakland’s General Election is on Tuesday, November 5th. Find out what experience and views candidates for Oakland City Council, OUSD School Board, City Attorney, and Alameda County Board of Supervisors have on Oakland’s #EarlyChildhoodEcosystem in our Candidate Questionnaire on our blog https://lnkd.in/gDy7WJ3d