A Message from our Board President...



Hello OCAEYC Community,

As we approach the conclusion of our board term, I want to express my deepest gratitude to the OCAEYC board for their unwavering dedication and hard work! This past year has been monumental for OCAEYC, marked by our steadfast commitment to hosting engaging coffee and conversations, providing accessible low-cost and free professional development opportunities, leading the county in up-to-date advocacy efforts and successfully organizing the annual conference. None of these achievements would have been possible without the remarkable efforts of our volunteer board members and newly promoted Director!

Eager to see what the upcoming year holds!

-Sarah Shawesh

Professional Development

We provided Professional Development opportunities in the Fall and Spring . "When you Wonder, You're Learning" by Ryan Rydzewski was offered in the Fall and A series of four Anti-Bias/Anti-Racism Trainings by Educators for Peaceful Classrooms and Communities.

We will continue to develop a strategic plan to increase community members.

Be on the look out for our interest survey coming out in the Fall.



Social Media

The OCAEYC Social Media Committee has been actively working to support the efforts of our dedicated committees. By leveraging our roles within these various committees, we aim to stay connected and create awareness about the significant work we do as an organization. Our goal is to enhance visibility and engagement across all platforms, ensuring that the valuable contributions of each committee are recognized and shared with our wider community.



Member Services

Supporting Early Learning Community:

Coffee & Conversation-114 Registrants

• Member Services, Early Learning Community Needs, Issues, Support
• Board Development, Principles, Practivies, Committees
• Voices in the Field, Advocacy & Public Policy
• Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in Early Learning
• Making a Difference, Supporting Family Child Care
• OCAEYC Member Services Board Report

Hot Topics

• Accreditation
• Developing High Quality Programs
• Professional Pathways-Students
• Access to Quality Care
• Quality Professional Development
• State and Federal Legislative Advocacy
• OCAEYC in the Community
• Building Professional Relationships

Community Engagement

• OCAEYC Power of Advocacy
• OCAEYC Conference-Play Space
• 2024 Annual Awards & Grants
• CA Mentor Conference Mt. San Antonio College
• Ongoing conversation with practitioners in diverse fields working with children 0-8. 
• OCAEYC in the Community - Local Events



Advocacy & Public Policy

Our APP committee has worked to create a legislative grid, available live on the OCAEYC website. Members can use this to track current CA legislation. The information includes the bill number and direct link, a short summary, current status of the bill, and more!

Fund Development

Fund Development is always looking for new ways to bring funds to OCAEYC! In the past year we have been searching for partnerships and support through other organizations. We are excited about the sustainability of OCAEYC through the years and strive to support those efforts. Please share with us any ideas that you have to help OCAEYC thrive!



Conference Committee 



• In March we hosted a 407 in person conference at the Great Wolf Lodge in Anaheim that focused on "The Power of Play".
• Thank you to our Community Partners and Sponsors for your support and for making this conference possible
• Thank you to our volunteers for your time and dedication.
• Thank you to our Conference Committee Team for all your hard work!



OCAEYC Board Meetings

OCAEYC holds General Board Meetings on a bi-monthly basis. Current members of OCAEYC receive email invitations to attend as they are open to all members of OCAEYC. Our next Board Meeting will be on Thursday June 13, 6:30pm-8:30pm

If you would like to request an item be added to the agenda, or are not a member of OCAEYC but are interested in attending, please email us.

Upcoming Events / Professional Development

Our OCAEYC Team is working on PD's and Upcoming Events for 2024-2025.

More information will be released soon.