First 5 Santa Clara County & SCCOE: Building the Foundation for a Unified Early Learning System

The Challenge

Santa Clara County's early learning system has faced significant strain in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic, declining Prop 10 funding, and the rollout of Universal Pre-K have reshaped the local landscape, highlighting the need for greater strategic alignment among system partners. At the center of this complexity sat Quality Matters, the county's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), and two of its core partners: First 5 Santa Clara County and the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE).

Without clear documentation of Quality Matters' structure, the system's full potential felt out of reach. Addressing this required more than targeted adjustments; it called for building a shared foundation across the county's early learning partners.

The Approach

First 5 Santa Clara County partnered with VIVA in mid-2024 to bring clarity, structure, and a stronger partnership to Quality Matters. Over two years, VIVA supported the work through three interconnected phases:

• Mapping the System
• Centering Provider Voice
• Establishing Governance

Mapping the System

To understand the landscape, VIVA conducted interviews with Quality Matters partner staff, facilitated working sessions with First 5 and SCCOE, and produced maps of funding streams and program models across provider types. This gave partners, many of whom lacked a complete picture of the system, a shared understanding of how Quality Matters operated on the ground.

Centering Provider Voice

For Quality Matters, understanding the provider’s journey was the first step towards strengthening the system. The following phase built on that foundation by centering the voices of providers themselves. VIVA conducted interviews and developed journey maps that illustrated how different provider types, from family, friend, and neighbor caregivers to licensed centers, actually experienced Quality Matters. These maps allowed system leaders to see gaps and opportunities they hadn't previously been able to name, and set the stage for internal alignment work within First 5 and inform program strategies to ensure alignment across different provider types.

Establishing Governance

Working closely with First 5 and SCCOE co-leads, VIVA facilitated a series of alignment meetings to build toward a shared vision and establish the decision-making infrastructure needed for Quality Matters to operate effectively as a joint initiative. This culminated in the development of a Quality Matters Governance Structure, a formal document that defines partner representation, roles and responsibilities, and decision-making processes.

The Impact

The result of two years of partnership is a Quality Matters initiative with clear documentation, defined roles, and a governance structure that positions First 5 and SCCOE to lead together effectively. The partnership now has documented clarity about how Quality Matters is funded, structured, and operated across provider types. Providers have a clearer path for navigating the system. And for the first time, First 5 and SCCOE have a governance structure that defines how they will make decisions together, and who is responsible for what.

The work reflects a core belief: that effective systems change starts with the people inside the system having the clarity and relationships they need to work together toward shared goals. In Santa Clara County, that foundation is now in place.