Title
Receive a presentation on Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Development Initiative activities.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Receive a presentation on Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Development Initiative activities.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Development Initiative is guided by the collaborative, countywide early childhood development strategic framework, "Together, Preparing Every Child for Life and School." The overarching goal of the framework is to transform systems to better support every child and family in Monterey County, with the objective of increasing kindergarten readiness. It is an initiative of the Monterey County Children's Council.
Systems change includes changes in: policies; practices; resource flows; relationships and connections; power dynamics; and mental models. In the first year of the strategy's implementation, the greatest momentum in strategy-aligned action has been around shifting mental models, power dynamics, relationships and connections, and resource flows.
In this first year after launching the strategic framework, Bright Beginnings focused on establishing strategy-aligned projects in each of the strategic key drivers, fostering the diverse partnerships and taking the time to identified desired outcomes. Project highlights include:
* Monterey County Maternal Mental Health Task Force: built its network, strategic planning, rolled out awareness campaign.
* Transitional Kindergarten Network (renamed Early Learning Network in Fall 2019): held quarterly meetings in south county and Salinas, re-designed meeting format to include hands on learning.
* Las Mamas: raising awareness in their communities on the value of full day, quality preschool, and raising their voices in public decision-making spheres to support increased funding for holistic early childhood development.
* Family Friendly Business Certif...
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