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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 with a vision of ensuring every child in Marin has access to the resources and supports they need to thrive.
The challenge extended beyond launching a new initiative. Building an effective Help Me Grow system required sustained cross-sector coordination, ongoing stakeholder engagement, implementation support, and the development of operational structures capable of connecting families to services in a consistent and equitable way during a period of significant community disruption.
The Approach
Over a three-year partnership, VIVA supported the implementation and strengthening of Help Me Grow Marin’s early childhood systems infrastructure. Our role included facilitation, cross-sector coordination, implementation planning, stakeholder engagement, and continuous refinement of systems designed to improve early identification and access to services for young children and families.
The Impact
Key outcomes of the partnership include:
- A strengthened cross-sector infrastructure to support the ongoing implementation of Help Me Grow Marin.
- Improved coordination and alignment among providers, systems leaders, and community partners.
- Identification of operational and systems-level opportunities to improve access to early childhood services and family supports.
- Sustained stakeholder engagement and collaborative planning to support long-term systems development.
This long-term partnership reflects VIVA’s approach to implementation support: helping communities move from vision to sustained action through practical coordination, relationship-building, and adaptive systems leadership.