Voting to Be a Voice for My Children
By Lissete Frausto I have been an Oakland resident for 29 years. I was born and raised in Oakland. I am also a mother of two young children. This will be my first year registered as a voter and…
The Kidango Connection
Kidango Advocacy Goes Virtual - A Conversation with Congressman Eric Swalwell
By Maeva Renaud, Community Organizer Coronavirus Pandemic has hit our communities by storm, especially the child care sector. As an organization that serves over 4400 families, the needs and concerns are astonishing. That is why on July 31st, parents,…
Helping Families During Times of Crisis
When the shelter-in-place order went into effect last March, our beloved Kidango staff found themselves having to adapt quickly to an environment that presented new challenges and needs for the children and families we serve. How could we help meet…
Stories from Kidango's Early Head Start Families
Of the 12 million infants and toddlers across the United States, nearly 1 in 5 lives in poverty. That means that far too many families face persistent hardships – such as food insecurity, unstable housing, unsafe neighborhoods, and exposure to…
Head Start Awareness Month-Veronica's Story
by Maéva Renaud She/Her/hers Community Organizer In 1982, October was designated National Head Start Awareness month by President Ronald Reagan. According to NHSA, “Head Start is the national commitment to give every child, regardless of circumstances at birth, an opportunity…
Cuts to SNAP Food Assistance Would Harm Young Children
By Michele Stillwell-Parvensky, Vice President of Advocacy and Policy at Kidango August 30, 2019 Last month, the Trump administration issued a proposed rule that would cut SNAP/CalFresh food assistance. If enacted, an estimated 3.1 million people across the country would…
A Kidango Father, A Nobel Laureate, and Pre-K for All
By Peggy Daly Pizzo, M.Ed, Ed.M and Ed Greene, PhD. June 16, 2019 What might world-renowned Nobel Laureate economist James Heckman, seated at his desk at the University of Chicago---and Robert Coil, a father who, with his wife, is raising…
Parents Advocate for High-Quality Child Care
By Michele Stillwell-Parvensky, Vice President of Advocacy and Policy at Kidango. Published on May 31, 2019. Last week, we were excited to host our first-ever “Parent Advocacy Corner” at our Castlemont Academy Center, which serves nearly 70 families in East…
Opening Doors to Parent Leadership with Abriendo Puertas
By Bianca De La Piedra, Early Head Start Family Advocate at Kidango. Published on May 10, 2019. And it begins! We are opening doors not just for ourselves, but also for our future leaders. It’s time for learning, sharing, and embarking…
AB 167 Passes Through Committee with Unanimous Support
By Greg Bortkiewicz, Communications & Advocacy Manager at Kidango. Published on April 10, 2019. I was in Sacramento yesterday for the Assembly Human Services Committee hearing, where 31 bills were presented to the committee, including AB 167. This is one…
