The Office of Children’s Affairs (OCA) supports Denver agencies, the community and its service providers in ensuring all children and youth have their basic needs met, are ready for kindergarten and have the opportunity to succeed academically and professionally. Current programs of OCA include the ongoing development and implementation of strategies to increase access to nutritious food; high-quality childcare and afterschool programs; early learning and literacy resources; youth transportation, youth violence prevention and mentorship, cultural experiences and pathways to post-secondary education and careers.
Funding Philosophy:
The Office of Children’s Affairs funding philosophy focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: youth-development, education, innovation, public health, and digital inclusion. We are dedicated to delivering structural, systemic change for our community; we must think about the world as it could be rather than marginally improving the world as it is. We are locally driven and community centered.
Our Approach:
- Community-Informed
We approach funding and decision-making power to the very communities impacted by funding decisions.
- Evidence-based Practice
We believe in well-researched interventions, programs and services that incorporate ethics, client preferences, and culture to guide and inform the delivery of services.
- Data-Driven
The Office of Children’s Affairs is committed to harnessing the power of data to assess opportunities, measure progress, and evaluate impact and improve performance. See how we are using data and evidence to improve decision making.
- Partnerships
The challenges we face in Denver and around the country are increasingly complex, and neither the private nor the public sector can solve them alone. That’s why The Office of Children’s Affairs builds partnerships across sectors to share ideas and resources toward a common purpose to amplify our impact.