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Office of Children and Families Policy outlines FY25 accomplishments and FY26 work plan; committee asks for Latino-focused review and children’s budget analysis
Summary
OCFP presented its FY24–25 annual report and FY25–26 work plan, highlighting partnerships on data, childcare expansion grant work and early education initiatives; the committee accepted the report and asked OCFP to add a focused review of Latino Health Assessment findings and to coordinate with the South County Youth Task Force.
The Office of Children and Families Policy (OCFP) presented its annual report and FY 2025–26 work plan Oct. 7, highlighting policy and data work, early‑care and education initiatives, and the county’s role in coordinating children’s budgeting and data products.
Heidi Amberling, OCFP director, said the office supports an equity‑first, data‑driven agenda through policy analysis, cross‑agency collaboration and strategic initiatives. She described OCFP participation in the 2025 children's data book (in partnership with Kids in Common), quarterly children’s budget work with the Office of Budget Analysis and state‑level engagement on bills. OCFP also coordinates three early care and education initiatives with First 5 Santa Clara County: a transitional‑kindergarten teacher equity initiative, an apprenticeship pipeline (78 graduates to date) and a shared services alliance for family child care providers.
Amberling detailed a federal Child Care Expansion Grant program funded by $15 million in American Rescue Plan Act money; staff said 98% of that allocation has been assigned to an estimated 55 childcare expansion projects. OCFP also coordinated an expanded local sample for Stanford’s Rapid Survey Project, increasing Santa Clara County survey responses for parents and educators from 36 to 367 between 2023 and 2025, and raising Latino respondent share from 11% to 56%.
Committee members asked how OCFP’s analysis and children’s budget work will support decision‑making in a budget‑constrained environment. Amberling and county staff said the office is focused on identifying mission‑critical core programs, aligning services across departments and using demonstration neighborhoods and the children and youth master plan to test place‑based, co‑located service models that can improve outcomes while using resources efficiently.
Supervisors asked OCFP to add a policy analysis project explicitly reviewing Latino Health Assessment findings to identify program and policy gaps affecting Latino children and families; Amberling agreed and staff said they would incorporate that into the work plan. The committee voted unanimously to accept the report and requested the additional items (including explicit South County Youth Task Force coordination) be added to the work plan and forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for approval.
OCFP said priorities for FY 2025–26 include launching a county‑schools collaborative to help districts prepare for the Medi‑Cal fee schedule, continuing the children’s budget and data book work, carrying forward the child‑care expansion grant program, supporting the youth task force and developing an early‑care and education blueprint for children 0–5.
The committee asked OCFP to return with targeted recommendations and data to help the Board prioritize limited resources as the county plans for mid‑year and subsequent budget reductions.
