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The Challenge
Marin County, located just north of San Francisco, is among California’s more affluent regions; however, the benefits of that wealth are not equally shared. Recognizing persistent disparities in access to early childhood services, a cross-sector group of community leaders launched Help Me Grow Marin at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their vision was to ensure every child in Marin has access to the resources and supports they need to thrive.
From 2022 to 2025, Help Me Grow Marin partnered with VIVA to help re-engage the Leadership Team and facilitate the advancement of its strategic priorities and support sustainability planning.
The Approach
To guide Help Me Grow Marin’s collective efforts, VIVA designed an inclusive, insight-driven process that combined qualitative research, community storytelling, and systems change facilitation. By centering lived experiences and encouraging cross-sector dialogue, we helped Help Me Grow Marin turn complex challenges into shared priorities for change, which included:
- Qualitative interviews with families and service providers to capture on-the-ground experiences.
- Two journey maps illustrating how service gaps impact families and organizations in Marin County.
- A county-wide community forum on March 5, 2024, which brought together providers, system leaders, and partners to analyze root causes and identify conditions sustaining service inequities.
- A workgroup that developed a set of recommendations for addressing three top service gaps impacting local children and their families.
The Impact
This collaborative process built shared understanding, trust, and momentum for action across Marin's early childhood ecosystem. Partners transitioned from identifying problems to designing collective solutions, laying the foundation for continued collaboration.
- A common understanding of Marin County’s three priority service gaps and their systemic roots.
- Strengthened relationships among providers, systems leaders, and community partners.
- Identification of opportunities for joint advocacy, resource alignment, and next step action.