Child care initiative

Our Kids Our Future president celebrated 21,000+ signatures and called the initiative Marin's smartest investment in its future.

Parent Voices Marin organizer — now recognized as an immigration 'woman of the year' — described how child care access changed her life and collected half the volunteer signatures.

After 52 years in Marin public education, she said early child care sets the foundation for everything and Marin lags here despite leading elsewhere.

North Bay Children's Center CEO described the desperate search for infant and toddler care and the need for sustainable provider support.

League of Women Voters rep cited their national child care position and noted more than half of Marin children with working parents lack licensed care.

Former Marin Promise Partnership CEO said the education achievement gap — the largest in California — can only be closed by starting early, and praised First 5 Marin's stewardship of the funds.

Former Marin Strongstart chair celebrated the coalition — old faces and new, including the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria — and said 'we all do better when our children are doing better.'