Top Highlights

• We evolved from a small group of policy experts to a vibrant, multi-racial community of parents, youth, and their advocates—adding layers of tactics and strategies one at a time as new challenges emerged, and one success only uncovered an additional problem. But we had no roadmap, no guidebook, no outside theoretical framework from which to analyze...
• But actually, I always felt I was making it up as I went along—putting one step in front of the other, rather than operating from any clearly planned path.
• We went from a single focus on abused and neglected children to the broad mission of improving the well-being of all children in San Francisco and addressing a wide variety of issues and needs including health, child welfare, childcare, juvenile justice, city planning, parks,
• Occasionally, I would find time to catalogue the various activities we were engaged in, and even help others learn how to implement those activities.
• We characterized our work as highlighting: policy development, coalition building, training and empowering youth and parents, communication with the public, and negotiating with policymakers and elected officials.