The mission of OEC is to connect the city’s early childhood ecosystem, align early childhood services and information, and advocate for and advance the needs of all young children, their families, and the early childhood workforce. Our History:
Upon the recommendation of a Cambridge Early Childhood Task Force (a City Manager appointed group consisting of school and city officials, parents, early
childhood experts, community members, and others) the Birth to 3rd Grade Partnership was formally launched in 2016. This new organization was charged with implementing a set of recommendations developed by the task force to improve early education and care throughout the community and to ensure that all children receive high quality early education and care beginning with prenatal care and extending through 3rd grade. As such, the Birth to 3rd Grade Partnership has worked throughout the last five years to develop its infrastructure, creating cornerstone programs and supports like its quality improvement program for center-based child care and family child care homes, and its scholarship program that provides funding and support to under-resourced preschool-aged children and their families so that they can enroll in one of several high quality early childhood programs in the city. Under new leadership and with new insights and opportunities highlighted by the pandemic, in 2021 the Birth to 3rd Grade Partnership embarked on a strategic planning process with the goal of refining its vision, developing its mission, and creating concrete goals and objectives that will guide the organization’s work over the next five years, and beyond. The primary focus continues to be on ensuring that all children have universal access to high quality early childhood experiences that prepare them for school and life; recognizing that early childhood educators are a key component of creating a system of high quality in this field. These goals are:
- Support the growth and development of the early care and education workforce
- Improve and align program quality across program settings
- Be the hub for families
- Connect and advocate for the ecosystem
- Coordinate the ecosystem to implement universal pre-k
Through the strategic planning process and the development of these goals, it was discovered that a greater level of understanding and clarity was needed regarding the role of the Birth to 3rd Grade Partnership within the school district and city, the scope of its work, and further definition around who it serves and how. With that, it was decided that the Birth to 3rd Grade Partnership would become the Cambridge Office of Early Childhood. In addition, this office will lead the work of designing and developing Universal Pre-K for the city of Cambridge.
