Building Blocks for Health Equity

ABOUT US

We bring together people with the ideas, connections, and skills to create conditions where all children have a fair chance at a healthy and fulfilling life, no matter where they live, how much money their families have, or their race – by addressing the root causes of health and health inequities. Building Blocks for Health Equity is a unit within the Family Health Services Division, Maternal, Paternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Unit of the Alameda County Public Health Department.

A NEW APPROACH

•   Building Blocks for Health Equity challenges community groups, city and county government and elected leaders to embrace a broader understanding of the causes of poor health and to work together to ensure that every child has an opportunity to thrive.

•   Our approach is rooted in the latest science of early childhood development, which recognizes that positive experiences and environments in the youngest ages are of critical importance in lifelong success and that investing in our youngest residents can have the greatest returns and benefit to society as whole.

•   We combine broad, research-based vision with on-the-ground knowledge of community needs to improve health conditions in the neighborhoods that need it most.

  CURRENT PROJECTS

  Building Blocks Collaborative provides forums and offers space for new projects and collaborations to take root and great ideas to take flight. Our strength is our collaborative. Our partners are from diverse arenas – including local economic development agencies, food access project, city and county government, community clinics, housing, & parks and recreation – all committed to improving health conditions in our most challenged neighborhoods.

  Best Babies Zone is a 7x12 block radius in the Castlemont neighborhood in East Oakland where we are lifting up promising community solutions and fostering new county collaborations – all with the goal of ensuring a healthy future for the neighborhood’s children starting from birth.

  Health Equity and Resource Advocates is developing client-focused solutions with our Maternal, Paternal, Child, and Adolescent home visiting programs to address social factors, such as finances, housing, and other social determinants of health. These impact the health of pregnant women, fathers, and families with young children who are receiving Maternal, Paternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Services.