Parent Policy Forum

Parent Voices Oakland co-chairs the Alameda County Early Childhood Policy Committee with First 5 Alameda County, where we bring families together with agency staff and policy-makers to help identify and bridge gaps within early childhood service delivery. In addition to being a learning space, we work to bring forward policy and program changes that improve support for families with young children. 

Birthing Justice: Eradicating Disparities

VHJ: Voices for Health Justice brings the power of organizing and the realities of reproductive justice disparities to the center of our conversation about justice and equity through a racial and gender justice lens. Through this project, we aim to:

  1. The incorporation of Black birthing and infant health, community-driven interventions in all public health language, training, and resources at all County agencies.
  2. See a larger, more impactful statewide effort to decrease Black infant (and birthing) mortality.
  3. Develop 500 leaders through PVO organizing and policy training
  4. Improve the accessibility of State halls of power by our base / constituents
  5. Develop organizing strategies that cultivate and support the movement leadership of Black Women who are deeply impacted by the systems we are trying to improve

Deliver Birth Justice: Parent Voices Oakland is part of the Alameda County Perinatal Equity Initiative Steering Committee and is connecting the vital work of Deliver Birth Justice’s community education campaign to the policy and budget changes necessary to truly bring “Birth Justice” to Alameda County. Our policy goals are:

  1. BOS resolution declaring black infant mortality a public health crisis
  2. A county budget allocation to address root cause of birthing disparities
  3. Changes to data collection to better support and address needs of impacted families
  4. County-wide conversations about impact of systemic racism on reproductive and general health so that ALL families receive care with dignity and respect