Staff Spotlight: Ben Doyle

Years at Children’s Council:

2 years

How I contribute to the success of Children’s Council: 

In my role as Chief Programs Officer and member of the executive leadership team, I hold our family services, workforce development and client experience strategies. I oversee several program areas including Resource & Referral, Family Navigation, Foster Care Bridge, Family Education, Health and Nutrition, Black Early Childhood Education (ECE) Achievement and BizNest Incubator – which sounds like a lot. Thankfully, I get to directly support a team of excellent program directors who really get the job done day to day and year to year. 

Proudest moment: 

Ask me next week and I’ll have a different answer, because things happen that make me proud every day. Right now, I’m feeling proud of our community of Black/African American educators. Last week we gathered recent DreamKeeper Initiative BizNest Incubator graduates, new ECE license holders, and a group of self-described Legacy Providers some of whom has 45+ years as early childhood educators. They shared food, stories and advice. I am particularly proud of the role our BizNest team plays in the community bringing people together to learn and connect, honoring service and success, and filling Children’s Council with joy and laughter. 

What inspires you each day:

It is easy to be inspired at Children’s Council. For me, everyday inspiration happens in our lobby where you can see the rhythm of our work. The phone never stops, people come and go, there is always something going on. Our client services team works hard to make sure everyone we connect with gets the care and attention they need. Systems that support families who need help can be unforgiving and complicated. Keeping our work connected and accessible to the individuals and families we serve is what brings me into the office each week. 

Favorite thing about working at Children’s Council:

It seems like a cliché to say “the people” but that is my answer. Children’s Council is a lovely, funny, committed, smart, hard working group of people, but I think many people would say that about the people they work with. What makes them extra special is their extraordinary expertise. Our work to support families and educators is technically complicated and emotionally challenging – a difficult combination. We are blessed with a team of experts in every role and title across the organization. I am grateful for every one of them.  

Greatest challenge:

The biggest learning curve and challenge for me is understanding and navigating the complex systems that support our work and the families we serve – city and state budgets and subsidy programs, ECE regulations, all the acronyms…

What you would do with a large donation: 

To me, the key driver of our work is our aspirational commitment to every child in San Francisco. Every child in SF should be able to thrive! As an agency focused on early learning, the keystone of that commitment is making sure that children are ready and able to succeed in kindergarten – as an entryway to academic success which clears the way to access to all that life in SF has to offer. With a large donation, I’d build programs and capacity to reach and support providers with the least access to resources including family, friend and neighbor providers, with the tools, experiences, training and support they need to offer developmentally and socially appropriate and enriching experiences so every child in SF is ready to succeed in school.