Last week was the kickoff of The Early Childhood Agenda, a brand new effort to develop a broadly inclusive agenda of early childhood policy priorities. So far, nearly 400 parents, providers, and partners have signed up to be part of this effort. To join them, click here.

The Agenda, as its new website explains, “takes a whole-child approach, working across sectors for better policy development and to identify effective solutions that may not be visible from one sector’s viewpoint.”

The Agenda’s goal is to help Massachusetts make historic and sustainable progress.

Missed the kickoff event? You can watch it by clicking on the video posted above. Related materials are posted here.

As we gather to craft the Agenda, we are taking stock of all early childhood programs, services, policies, and systems. Our discussions will span behavioral health, food security, early learning, family financial security, and more. In this way, as the host organization, Strategies for Children hopes to go beyond the early education and care world and connect allies and advocates across silos for more powerful advocacy.

One key question for Massachusetts, Mo Barbosa says, is, “Do we have the will to improve the quality of out-of-school time and early care and education for every child, so no matter where a child is — a home-based child care program, a nonprofit program or a private program – that child is ready to thrive when they get to school?”

Barbosa, who facilitated the Agenda’s kickoff event, is the Senior Director of Community Engagement at Health Resources in Action, which “works at the junction of population health, policy, research, and practice to help clients solve some of the nation’s most fundamental health challenges.”

What’s next?

More Agenda events are coming up. In addition to signing up and receiving weekly updates, you can find the schedule of Agenda meetings here. 

And this week, we’ll share updates about the Agenda during The 9:30 Call and The 9:30 Call At Night. You can sign up for the 9:30 Call here.

We’re excited about the Agenda’s work of building a large table where everyone can share their ideas because we believe that it will take a united effort to help all of this state’s children thrive.