Our first blog in the “Exploring Innovative Early Programs” series focuses on the Parent Cabinet, a pioneering effort designed to ensure parents have a direct voice in shaping the policies that impact their children’s future.

In service of its mission to “partner with families of young children to advance equitable early childhood policies,” the Connecticut Department of Early Childhood (OEC) established a statutory statewide advisory committee known as the Connecticut Early Childhood Parent Cabinet. This diverse, parent-led committee meets regularly to elevate the needs of families and advise the agency on

Welcome to the “Exploring Innovative Early Programs” series, which focuses on our work with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood.

At Third Sector, we believe in a future where all children, no matter their race, background, or circumstances, have guaranteed access to high-quality early education and care programs to support their learning, growth, and development. In a society where early child care and education have historically been undervalued, many government agencies have stepped up to create programs that truly make a difference for children and families. 

Since 2017, we’ve had the privilege

Third Sector partnered with California’s Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI), a historic five-year investment that is transforming the way young people in California access behavioral health support. We offer several recommendations for other states looking to design inclusive stakeholder engagement processes and develop resources to address barriers to systems integration.

For nearly two years, Third Sector advised the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) on creating a more outcomes-focused culture for its staff and county partners. It is a shift that requires government staff to ask more about what happened after housing services were delivered (who was stably housed, when, and for how long) and which resources could be shared across departments (funding, data, and policies) within a specific time frame to serve constituents seeking services better.

The Opportunity

Everyone, no matter their age, race, zip code, or previous educational background deserves to get the education and the career they want. And yet millions of Americans face significant barriers to enrolling, persisting, and completing postsecondary education and obtaining a credential – even as more and more of the best paying jobs require some kind of postsecondary education.

At the same time, there are a variety of wraparound student support services and promising

We need our government to take action to simplify and streamline the structures and tools that help individuals fund lifelong learning. That’s why Third Sector is proposing a SIMPLE framework to help create a more streamlined approach to saving and paying for postsecondary education and job training that can provide clarity and ease for learners, workers, employers, and all those who care about ensuring these opportunities are accessible to everyone.