Government and philanthropy often share common goals and a capacity to enable wide-scale systems change. When they work together, they make ideal partners—philanthropy contributing nimbleness and a spirit of experimentation, while government commands the resources to sustain what works. In Los Angeles County, such collaboration was catalyzed by the murder of an 8-year-old boy in 2013. This tragic death prompted the Board of Supervisors to empanel a commission of notable child welfare experts to examine systemic failures.
Since then, an increasingly durable and agile spirit of collaboration in L.A. has fueled an ability to test new ideas, assess their effectiveness, and bring them to scale in ways that significantly impact child welfare reform. As a result of these efforts, the previously siloed and reactive child protection system is moving toward becoming a more integrated countywide child well-being system. Cultivating Hope Through Action: How Public-Private Partnerships Are Strengthening Child and Family Well-Being in L.A. County, is a report chronicling the work that drove increased collaboration and funding in L.A. County. It also addresses ways to grow similar collaborative ecosystems for child and family well-being in the future. Read the executive summary and full report below.
Gayle E. Wilson first came to national attention as a teen when she was a finalist in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. She received her degree in biology from Stanford University, later moving to San Diego, where she was president of the Junior League. She has a life-long passion for encouraging young people to excel in math and science. Becoming First Lady of California when her husband, Pete Wilson, was elected Governor in 1990, she helped craft legislation creating the California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS). She has served on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards. She joined the Parsons board in 2000.