It’s the year 2030, and you are looking around San Mateo County’s diverse communities and neighborhoods. What looks different for children prenatal to five and their families? 

We are trying to answer this, and many other questions, through our strategic planning refresh process. And we are not trying to answer these questions alone! 

In our 25 years as a Systems Leader, Community Partner, and Strategic Investor for young children in San Mateo County, we have learned that the expertise and insight needed to effectively plan for the future lies within our community partners and the lived experiences of the families we serve. 

That is why we’ve prioritized a strategic planning approach that leverages our existing work to uplift diverse voices, center lived experiences, and strengthen community collaboration. In May of 2024, we engaged VIVA Social Impact Partners to design and implement this process.

Over the past few months, we have been actively listening to the community and ensuring Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) principles guide our efforts. Here is some of what we have been up to:

1. In August, we held a Community Partner Forum where we heard from county agencies and family-serving organizations across the County about what needs they see as priority amongst our youngest children and their families over the next five years. Groups shared new and emerging ideas for strengthening collaboration in our county to help young children thrive.
   
2. Last month, we also hosted a convening of county and philanthropic system leaders who have a window into the state, regional, and local landscape impacting children prenatal to five. We heard what opportunities there may be for stronger collaboration as well as strengthening local systems so that all families have what they need to support their children’s development.
   
3. This summer, as part of our planning for the Baby Bonus pilot project, we held interviews and focus groups in English and Spanish, with families of Medi-Cal eligible children ages 0-3. We heard right from families what they need and what barriers they face while raising their children in the County during these formative years. Families also shared their ideas for how to better support other families like theirs. 

4. As part of our Centering Family Voices Project, we have been collaborating with our partners at WithIn Collaborative, a therapist, and three San Mateo County parents to implement a human-centered design process focused on addressing early childhood mental health.
   
   Our collaborative project team mapped out the lived experiences of several San Mateo County families seeking and accessing early childhood mental health services. Now, this project team is developing some potential solutions to consider pursuing in our county to impact early childhood mental health and inform future parent power sharing and power building efforts.
   

Through these, and other concurrent efforts, we are deeply listening and learning from our community. Stay tuned for more about what we are learning from the broader community and how that is shaping our developing five-year plan!