Project Overview
In 2021, the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) launched the nation’s first Parent Cabinet, an influential team of parents and community leaders who collaborate on and influence policies impacting children and families. Since 2022, Third Sector has supported OEC and its Parent Cabinet by analyzing system effectiveness, building a robust governance framework, and mapping communications for effective feedback. In the current phase, Third Sector will continue to analyze engagement strategies and develop tools to facilitate collaboration between agency staff and Parent Cabinet members.
As the nation has moved to stand up more robust systems and resource providers, policymakers have inconsistently included the voices, perspectives, and needs of parents and children. This is more important than ever considering the polarizing nature of politics nationally. Parents and caregivers are experts in their child’s unique strengths and needs and should be central actors in the decisionmaking of early childhood systems. Early childhood systems should provide opportunities to better support and include caregivers in enriching their child’s development.
Connecticut is demonstrating what’s possible when parents help lead public systems. The Office of Early Childhood’s OEC Parent Cabinet, the first formal, standing, statewide parent advisory body in the nation, offers a model for participatory governance that centers family expertise in policy and practice. Parents and caregivers bring lived experience, cultural knowledge, and practical insight about what enables children to play, learn, and thrive. When their leadership is embedded in decision-making, agencies design programs that are more responsive, equitable, and effective.
Building on a two-year partnership with the Parent Cabinet, Third Sector is working closely with the OEC and the Parent Cabinet to strengthen collaboration between Cabinet members and the agency’s divisions, which are responsible for implementing the OEC’s programs and activities. This improved collaboration will ensure that parents continue to influence the OEC’s strategies and early care and childhood development in Connecticut.
In 2023, Third Sector supported OEC and the Parent Cabinet to:
- Research and analyze the effectiveness of OEC systems to build strong integration with the new cabinet; and
- Build a robust governance framework and a timeline to ensure the Parent Cabinet’s sustainability throughout successive OEC leadership and state political turnover.
- Map critical internal and external communications processes to establish an effective feedback function between OEC and the cabinet, as well as between OEC and the community.
During this current phase, Third Sector is providing technical assistance to:
- Analyze current engagement strategies between OEC division teams and the Parent Cabinet;
- Share a set of recommendations for new and improved practices for engaging Parent Cabinet members in agency strategies and programs; and
- Develop tools that will facilitate collaboration between agency staff and Parent Cabinet members.
Since 2023, the parent cabinet has actively involved parents in decisions regarding programs and policies affecting their children. We aim to expand this work by supporting the creation of similar cabinets across the country (South Carolina & Alabama) and fostering a network where practitioners can collaborate and exchange knowledge and best practices.
By the end of 2025, Third Sector will deliver:
- Analysis and recommendations for engagement and collaboration between OEC division teams and Parent Cabinet members;
- A suite of tools to support engagement and collaboration between OEC division teams and Parent Cabinet members;
- Instructions and how-to guides support the implementation and sustainability of the tools.
Early Childhood Development
| Project Name | Scope | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Spartanburg Academic Movement (SAM) Children's Cabinet: Restructuring Early Childhood Leadership for More Seats at the Table | City | SC | Active |
| Third Sector partnered with Spartanburg Academic Movement to design a Children's Cabinet to improve outcomes for children and families in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The project aims to restructure early childhood leadership by designing a Children's Cabinet, a cross-sector collaborative body to foster stronger alignment among diverse local community partners. | |||
| Reshaping Leadership in Early Childhood: Designing The Small Magic Provider Council in Alabama | County | AL | Complete |
| Third Sector collaborated with Small Magic, an early childhood nonprofit, to establish a Provider Council. This involved creating a sustainable governance framework, establishing decisionmaking protocols, and implementing efficient communication channels. The project successfully built a strategic foundation, outlining a clear path for future implementation and ensuring the cabinet's sustained effectiveness. This council will function as a coordinated body, fostering cross-sector collaboration among local community partners and providers, with the goal of enhancing outcomes for children and families in Jefferson County, Alabama. | |||
