Our Story

The Alameda County Early Childhood Policy Committee (ACECPC) was founded in 2000 in response to Alameda County's lack of mental health resources for young children. Originally composed of mostly early childhood mental health (ECMH) providers and administrators, the committee initially pushed for policies that would expand early childhood mental health services and support training for clinicians in this specialty field.

Thanks to several years of dedicated advocacy, ECMH resources and capacity grew and ACECPC began to reach beyond early childhood mental health. New areas of interest included early care and education, primary care, developmental specialists, family-run organizations, and social services, among others.

ACECPC then focused their efforts on bridging the gap between early childhood professionals and parents through increased parent membership. ACECPC's push to directly involve parents led to parents becoming more aware of how public policy tangibly shaped their children's lives. As participation increased, parents began to advocate for their own children and seek out additional opportunities to champion early childhood causes. Today, parents make up about half of ACECPC's membership.

ACECPC believes that all Alameda County children deserve to live and thrive in safe, supportive, and nurturing communities. By engaging diverse stakeholders and remaining focused on early childhood issues, ACECPC continues to push for policy changes that positively impact our youngest community members.