SOCI Investment Framework
This framework articulates SOCI’s broad vision of success within three areas of impact: Healthy Development, Strong Families, and Early Learning. While the path to achieve success may vary, the framework is intended to serve as a guide for program design, partnership development, implementation, and tracking.
SOCI looks to this strategic framework to align its investment portfolio and monitor progress toward goals.
SOCI Communities At-a-Glance
Vision. A world where business, education, health and social services leaders make investment decisions together, helping children and families achieve success in school, work, and life.
Mission. To align business, education, health and social services leaders behind a common goal: building systems to support children in becoming agile, authentic, self-aware, and resilient.
Future state. to become a knowledge organization through innovative modes, world-class technology and outcomes to create systemic change in serving underserved families and children.
First Steps for Success in School, Work, and Life
A key component of the SOCI framework is its emphasis on public-private partnerships. Often, the most powerful change comes from the community level and develops from the alignment of stakeholders working together in a coordinated way.
These are our strategies that exemplify coordinated stakeholder alignment…
Value to Family
Public/Private Investment Strategy: Affordable, reliable child care
- Reduces job turnover and employee absences, allowing parents to pursue career and educational goals.
- Improves worker productivity (64% of working parents reported improved productivity with access of quality child care.)
- Decreases the likelihood of intergenerational poverty.
- Improves short-term results such as children’s behavior, health and cognitive achievement.
- Decreases the likelihood of inter-generational poverty.
Value to Community
Public/Private Investment Strategy: Increasing the quality and accessibility of early care and education while carefully monitoring the effectiveness of such programs.
- Reduces or eliminates barriers to academic and professional success, setting young people on the path to better jobs and economic independence.
- Lowers the need for K-12 special education and other interventions resulting in significant cost avoidance.
- Decreases time and money spent on academic remediation and behavioral interventions.
Value to Investors
- Studies have shown an estimated 7% to 10% per year ROI based upon increased school and career achievement and reduced costs in remedial education, health, and criminal justice expenditures.
- Research predicts a 13% return on investment per child, per annum through better education, economic, health, and social outcomes.
- Improved educational outcomes yield a steady supply of skilled employees. This allows businesses to expand and grow to keep pace with innovations in their field.
- Maintaining a stable workforce reduces the expense of hiring and training new staff.
Access to reliable care reduces absences by as much as 30%, and employee turnover by up to 60%. creasing the quality and accessibility of early care and education while carefully monitoring the effectiveness of such programs.
Investment Criteria
Eligible Applicants
- Locally controlled, community-based entities that provide direct services to at-risk early childhood populations.
- County and city governments and Unified School Districts (USDs)
- Non-profit agencies/organizations including faith-based and community organizations, with expertise in serving at-risk birth to 5 populations and their families or with expertise in serving low-income neighborhoods.
At-Risk Criteria
- Children whose family income would qualify them for participation in the federal free or reduced lunch program.
- Children whose primary language is not English.
- Children without access to a consistent source of health care
- Families residing in communities/neighborhoods with limited resources such as quality child care, health facilities, parks, and playgrounds.
- Families who have a child at risk for developmental delay.
- Families who have a child with a developmental delay.
- Families with parents who have less than a high school education.
- Teen parents
Community Program Goals
Healthy Development Goal. Early identification of developmental and social-emotional.
Strong Families Goal. Development of safe, stable, and nurturing relationships.
Early Learning Goal. Children develop age appropriate skills in communication, numeracy, and pre-reading.